The boppers last tour was the Winter Dance Party of 1959. The tour was scheduled to play in remote locations throughout mid-west United States, and the mid-west was suffering a harsh winter. The bus provided to the musicians had engine problems and no heating system. For this last reason The bopper had caught the flu. When the tour rolled into Clear Lake Iowa, Buddy Holly chartered a plane to fly his band to the next gig. The bopper approached Buddy's bass player, Waylon Jennings, and asked for Jennings seat on the plane, so that Bopper could get some rest and make a doctors appointment. Waylon agreed and gave his seat to the Bopper, a decision that saved him, but killed the Bopper. Waylon would feel guilty for this for some time. The plane took off from Mason City Airport around 1:00 the morning of February 3rd, 1959, and crashed 8 miles after takeoff, killing The Bopper, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the pilot Roger Peterson.

The Big Bopper  was Jiles Perry Richardson J

He was 28 years old

Chantilly Lace