Our Monthly Club Meeting will be this Sunday, January 11th at the Homewood Public Library. 2:00 PM
*****Next club meeting will be February 8th, 2008, the second Sunday******

IN-HOUSE RECORD & CD SHOW THIS SUNDAY
At this month’s meeting we will have an In-House Record & CD Show. This started out to give our members a time to dig for records during the winter months and not have to wait for the summer show. It has evolved into a time where we invite some non-members, friends and local dealers to the meeting and give them the same opportunity we as members are afforded.
If you have some records for sale or trade, bring them to the meeting, pick out a table and join in the fun. We do want our members to bring some items to sell so our guests will have plenty to look through.
From 2:00 – 2:30 we will be setting up and then our guests should start arriving. Drop by, bring a friend, bring some records and enjoy the fellowship.
See you there.

Jim Olson, who will be going to the 50th anniversary tribute of the death of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper in Cedar Lake, Iowa is looking for the items listed below. He plans on being at our meeting this Sunday so you can bring them then.
1st Priority:
Non-collectible LP/45/Picture discs suitable for framing
of Holly, Valens and Bopper

2nd Priority:
non-collectable LP/45/picture discs of scheduled entertainers:
Bobby Vee, The Crickets, Johnny Tillotson, David Sommerville, The Tymes, Johnny Preston, Chris Montex, the Comets, Dodie Stevens

3rd Priority:
Don McClean American Pie LP/45

Please Contact Jim Olson (The Frame Guy) at
jacao@bellsouth.net or home phone 850-492-4686

AUGUST SHOW PREPARATIONS HAVE BEGUN
A letter has been sent out to all dealers from last year’s show asking them to go ahead and reserve tables now. We have had quite a bit of interest from other dealers about the show so we needed to see who planned on returning and reserve their table. So far we have had 8 dealers respond. We are already listed on the website, recordshowsofamerica.com. More updates next month. If you were a dealer at last year’s show and did not receive a letter, let me know.

50 years ago………FEBRUARY 3RD, 1959
On a cold winter's night a small private plane took off from Clear Lake, Iowa bound for Fargo, N.D. It never made its destination.

When that plane crashed, it claimed the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. "Big Bopper" Richardson and the pilot, Roger Peterson. Three of Rock and Roll's most promising performers were gone. As Don McLean wrote in his classic music parable, American Pie, (annotated) it was "the day the music died."
Performing in concert was very profitable, and Buddy Holly needed the money it provided. "The Winter Dance Party Tour" was planned to cover 24 cities in a short 3 week time frame (January 23 - February 15) and Holly would be the biggest headliner. Waylon Jennings, a friend from Lubbock, Texas and Tommy Allsup would go as backup musicians.

Ritchie Valens, probably the hottest of the artists at the time, The Big Bopper, and Dion and the Belmonts would round out the list of performers.

The tour bus developed heating problems. It was so cold onboard that reportedly one of the drummers developed frostbite riding in it. When they arrived at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, they were cold, tired and disgusted.

Buddy Holly had had enough of the unheated bus and decided to charter a plane for himself and his guys. At least he could get some laundry done before the next performance!

That night at the Surf Ballroom was magical as the fans went wild over the performers.

Jiles P. Richardson, known as The Big Bopper to his fans, was a Texas D.J. who found recording success and fame in 1958 with the song Chantilly Lace.

Ritchie Valenzuela was only 16 years old when Del-Fi record producer, Bob Keane, discovered the Pacoima, California singer. Keane rearranged his name to Ritchie Valens, and in 1958 they recorded Come On, Let's Go. Far more successful was the song Valens wrote for his girlfriend, Donna, and its flip side, La Bamba, a Rock and Roll version of an old Mexican standard. This earned the teenager an appearance on American Bandstand and the prospect of continued popularity.

Charles Hardin "Buddy" Holley (changed to Holly due to a misspelling on a contract) and his band, The Crickets, had a number one hit in 1957 with the tune That'll Be The Day. This success was followed by Peggy Sue and an appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. By 1959, Holly had decided to move in a new direction. He and the Crickets parted company. Holly married Maria Elena Santiago and moved to New York with the hope of concentrating on song writing and producing.
Dwyer Flying Service got the charter. $36 per person for a single engine Beechcraft Bonanza.

No, the plane wasn't named American Pie. It only had serial numbers, N3794N.

Waylon Jennings gave his seat up to Richardson, who was running a fever and had trouble fitting his stocky frame comfortably into the bus seats.

When Holly learned that Jennings wasn't going to fly, he said, "Well, I hope your old bus freezes up." Jennings responded, "Well, I hope your plane crashes." This friendly banter of friends would haunt Jennings for years.

Allsup told Valens, I'll flip you for the remaining seat. On the toss of a coin, Valens won the seat and Allsup the rest of his life.

The plane took off a little after 1 A.M. from Clear Lake and never got far from the airport before it crashed, killing all onboard.

A cold N.E wind immediately gave way to a snow which drastically reduced visibility. The ground was already blanketed in white. The pilot may have been inexperienced with the instrumentation.

One wing hit the ground and the small plane corkscrewed over and over. The three young stars were thrown clear of the plane, leaving only pilot Roger Peterson inside.

Over the years there has been much speculation as to whether a shot was fired inside the plane which disabled or killed the pilot. Logic suggests that encased in a sea of white snow, with only white below, Peterson just flew the plane into the ground.

Deciding that the show must go on at the next stop, Moorhead, MN, they looked for local talent to fill in. Just across the state line from Moorhead, in Fargo ND, they found a 15 year old talent named Bobby Vee.

The crash that ended the lives of Holly, Valens and Richardson was the break that began the career of Vee.

Tommy Allsup would one day open a club named "The Head's Up Saloon," a tribute to the coin toss that saved his life.

Waylon Jennings would become a hugely popular Country singer.

Dion di Mucci would enjoy a long lived solo career.

Inscribed on Ritchie Valens' grave are the words, "Come On, Let's Go."
(article from fiftiesweb.com)

Peggy Sue http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhgO8rZs1Fg
Raining In My Heart http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKEHWXsxlr4
Think It Over http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI4lj1FvvDU
Rave On http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nM5Mrsivy44
That’ll Be The Day http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sH3zmPwVgA

La Bamba (live interview & song) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMOBBho_Y3I&feature=related
Donna (live) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mKHkz6A3Fk&feature=related
Ooh My Head http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cd3UNP4dAF0&feature=related

Chantilly Lace http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TcC_ni0ojo
Teenage Moon http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78Ez6gxzP0w&feature=related
Crazy Blues http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrEAw_zlYBc&feature=related

Tommy Dee sings Three Stars http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZg7uTIq67g

UPCOMING PROGRAMS AT THE BRC CLUB MEETINGS

Looking for some interesting websites that are dedicated to searching for songs, doing some research on recording company labels, stations that play oldies or obscure songs or just need an update on how to navigate through the BRC website and maybe do your own radio show? A program is being planned that will help you. If you are new to the computer or can operate one blindfolded, this will be a helpful program for all. Tentatively planned for February or March.

What recordings that are relevant to Alabama do you consider the most important? Club member Andy Millard, who is employed at UAB and is currently writing a book on the local music scene, has picked his top 5. Put your thinking cap on and be prepared to give your top 5. COMING EARLY 2009.
We also have tentative plans on getting Jerry “Boogie” McCain to come and talk to us at a meeting in the near future. More info as soon as it is confirmed.

See ya,
Charlie