The day the music died

It was 50 years ago today that Charles "Buddy" Holly died in a plane crash, along with JP "The Big Bopper" Richardson and Richie Valens (who got a seat on the flight from a toss of a coin).

Mental Floss has noted that many rock-n-roll stars have died in plane crashes.

Synchronicity? Trend? Fate?

(Trivia: One of my classmates in high school was Heather McLean, cousin of Don, who wrote "American Pie." She looked a lot like him. She never would talk about him, embarrassed by the attention fame brought to her indirectly. She was very shy and self-contained.)