Gary Wells: The Winter Dance Party (Supplement)

In this supplement to our episode on the Winter Dance Party tour, headlined by Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and JP Richardson (the Big Bopper), our leading contributor, Gary Wells (soulrideblog.com), joins us to discuss in more detail some of the friendships and professional relationships forged during the tour. We examine the culpability of the promoters taking into account the context of the time, and learn that the Ritchie Valens biopic, La Bamba, might have been a very different movie if not for a notable intervention. We also look at how the tragedy shaped the future of JP Richardson’s family, and share some personal thoughts on the often forgotten fourth occupant of the plane; the young pilot, Roger Peterson.

Find the original episode, additional background, as well as detailed research notes and links to our sources, with some suggestions for further reference, at a dedicated page at our podcast website.

https://dec4podcast.com/2024/02/23/gary-wells-the-winter-dance-party/