I remember very clearly this day . I was only 7 and the little sister and younger cousin who stayed the night at my Aunt's house . My cousin had a crush on Ritchie Valens , played his 45 record Donna the night before among others.

She had all those magazines that teenagers used to buy with their allowances with his picture . I had to sleep with her for lack of beds .

That was the norm then. She got up before me and turned on the little white radio which she had in her room. I heard screaming as she and the world learned of the plane crash that had killed The Big Bopper, Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens.

I heard it for myself about an hour later. It was stunning and I started crying because she was

crying. there was only hourly news at the local station. Even though I was seven I knew what death meant. We both lost our "Baba " the year before.

She was "Chantilly Lace and a pretty face and a pony tail hanging down" and all day she played "

"Oh Donna oh Donn a , and La Bamba over and over on her 45 record player while young and old tried to absorb how a series of tragic circumstances could have taken these 3 so young and full of life and promise. She was a majorette and had her girl firends over for a memorial sleepover.They even got the Ouija board out to see if they could contact them, It was quickly put away  when it scared everybody  enough. This was a teenager's way of grieving then . That was their memorial . Listen to records ,drink pop, and eat potato chips.

Maybe the 3 of them died together to have Don Mclean write " American Pie" which is full of imagery about the generation which they lived in

and performed many hits. I can hardly conceive 50 years has passed since that time and this is a defining moment in my own little life.