DJ Fred’s Rock N’ Roll Factoids For February 3rd [VIDEOS]

One of rock's greatest tragedies happened in the early morning hours on this day fifty seven years ago, when a small plane carrying Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper crashed in a corn field in Clear Lake, Iowa.,

All three were a part of the Winter Dance Party Tour that had just played the Surf Ballroom.  The tour was covering 24 cities in three weeks, and the much used tour bus had developed problems, so a plane was chartered for the ride to Fargo.

It was a very cold night and it was snowing lightly when the plane crashed a short distance from the runway.  Three of rock's most popular performers at the time would die, along with the pilot.

When American Pie, the song by Don McLean, was released thirteen years later, February 3rd, 1959, would forever be known as "the day the music died."

It was this date in 1968 that the Beatles started work on Lady Madonna, and no the song is not about the Madonna that sang Like A Virgin.

Elton John scored his first #1 song on this day back in 1973, it was Crocodile Rock, from the Don't Shoot Me I'm Only The Piano Player album. Do you remember when rock was young?  I didn't think so.  I do, and me and Susie were having fun.

Dan Akroyd and John Belushi, otherwise known as The Blues Brothers, had a #1 album on the charts on this day in 1979 with Briefcase Full Of Blues.  It would be their most popular album.  Rubber biscuit anyone?

After eleven years of marriage, Heather Locklear filed for divorce from Richie Sambora.on this day in 2006.  Locklear had been married to Tommy Lee before hitching up with Sambora. Two rockers don;t make a right.

It was on this day in 2007 that Wayne Fontana of the Mindbenders poured a gallon of gas over a bailiffs car and torched it while appearing at court for a bunch of traffic offenses.  Damn, it's only rock n' roll!  He would spend eleven months in jail.

Guitarist Dave Davies who along with his brother Ray started up The Kinks five million years ago is celebrating his  69th birthday today.  Dave suffered a stroke a few years ago and couldn't play guitar for quite some time, although he's worked his way back from it and recently joined his brother onstage.

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