2020 Edition
This road trip was taken during the scamdemic of 2020. The year that
the commie Democrats intentionally destroyed the US economy, unlawfully
took away our constituional rights and freedoms and pretty much destroyed
America as we knew it.
You must have javascript enabled to see the above contact information
All rights reserved - may not be copied without permission
The Surf Ballroom (the Surf) is a Historic Rock and Roll Landmark at 460
North Shore Drive, Clear Lake, Iowa. The Surf is closely associated with
the event known colloquially as "The Day the Music Died" - early rock and
roll stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper"
Richardson gave their last performances at the Surf on February 2, 1959
as part of the "Winter Dance Party Tour".
I remember that day well. I was just an early teenager but I cried (and
stil do) when I think about that great loss.... Buddy Holly was a true
innovator when it came to the advent of Rock 'n Roll.... Alan Freed,
Ike Turner, Jerry Lee (The Killer) Lewis, Elvis, Chuck Berry, Richard
Penniman (Little Richard), Antoine (Fats) Domino and a few others who
defined the music of the 1950's.
What a great time to be growing up in America!
On September 6, 2011, The Surf Ballroom was added to the National Register
of Historic Places.
The Day the Music Died
Holly, Valens and Richardson left The Surf immediately after the show,
going to the nearby Mason City airport and chartering a small plane to
take them to Fargo, North Dakota to prepare for their next show at the
Moorhead Armory in Moorhead, Minnesota. The plane took off at 12:55 AM
Central Time on Tuesday February 3, 1959. Shortly after takeoff, the
plane crashed, killing everyone aboard.
A concrete monument was erected outside The Surf, and the ballroom is
adorned with large pictures of the three musicians. A street flanking
the facility's east property line is named Buddy Holly Place in his honor.
Crash site:
22728 Gulf Ave, Clear Lake, Iowa 50428
I-35S (coming from I-90), exit 300th St.
These images were made with my Nikon D810 camera and my
Zeiss Planar T* 50mm F/1.4 ZF.2 manual focus Lens.
It's about a 1/4 mile easy stroll from the road to the actual crash site
I left Minnesota well before daybreak so I could get to the crash
site early and get good light..... and no people. Surprised and
bummed that there was already a car there when I arrived.
While I was setting up my tripod a very nice girl came out of the
cornfield and we chatted some. She's on a mission to visit all 50
states and is on her way to Duluth.... saw her again at the Surf
Ballroom. Hope she has an exciting adventure.
If you like and appreciate this site, please consider making a small donation
to keep it going after I'm gone. Please click on the DONATE button above. Every
little bit helps. Your donations will only be applied after I am no longer around
to make payments on this account.
HOME
These pages were designed for high resolution, wide screen monitors
on computers with a high speed Internet connection
Copyright 1990-2020 Easyrider LAN Pro
All rights reserved - may not be copied without permission