On February 3, 1959, famed musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P "The Big Bopper" Richardson are killed along with pilot Roger Peterson when the Beechcraft Bonanza aircraft in which they were flying crashes in Iowa. Referred to as "the day the music died" in the Don McLean song "American Pie" due to the impact of the tragedy on the rock and roll genre, the accident was the result of the pilot's inexperience flying using instruments, poor weather conditions, and an inadequate weather report be provided to the pilot Peterson.

While the crash impacted the music industry in general, it especially impacted outlaw country musician Waylon Jennings. At the time Jennings was the bassist in Buddy Holly's band and was originally scheduled to fly that night; however, he swapped places with The Big Bopper who had come down with the flu. The decision haunted Jennings for the rest of his life.