In 1959, as part of a rock show, Holly toured with Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson "The Big Bopper." From performance to performance they rode in buses, which kept breaking down. One day, after a concert in Clear Lake, Iowa, Holly chartered a small plane to get to the next town with some extra time to rest. On the morning of February 3rd, the plane carrying Holly, Valens, and Richardson took off from Mason City, Iowa, and crashed after eight miles, killing everyone on board.