Holly Day Popular Books
Holly Day Biography & Facts
On February 3, 1959, American rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and "The Big Bopper" J. P. Richardson were all killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, together with pilot Roger Peterson. The event became known as "The Day the Music Died" after singer-songwriter Don McLean referred to it as such in his 1971 song "American Pie". At the time, Holly and his band, consisting of Waylon Jennings, Tommy Allsup, and Carl Bunch, were playing on the "Winter Dance Party" tour across the Midwest. Rising artists Valens, Richardson, and vocal group Dion and the Belmonts had joined the tour as well. The long journeys between venues on board the cold, uncomfortable tour buses adversely affected the performers, with cases of flu and even frostbite. After stopping at Clear Lake to perform, and frustrated by the conditions on the tour buses, Holly chose to charter a plane to reach their next venue in Moorhead, Minnesota. Richardson, suffering from flu, swapped places with Jennings, taking his seat on the plane, while Allsup lost his seat to Valens on a coin toss. Soon after takeoff, late at night and in poor, wintry weather conditions, the pilot lost control of the light aircraft, a Beechcraft Bonanza, which crashed into a cornfield, killing all four on board. The event has since been mentioned in several songs and films. Various monuments have been erected at the crash site and in Clear Lake, where an annual memorial concert is held at the Surf Ballroom, the venue that hosted the artists' last performances. Background In November 1958, Buddy Holly terminated his association with The Crickets. According to Paul Anka, Holly realized he needed to go back on tour again for two reasons: he needed cash because the Crickets' manager Norman Petty had apparently stolen money from him, and he wanted to raise funds to move to New York City to live with his new wife, María Elena Holly, who was pregnant. Holly signed up with General Artists Corporation (GAC) because "he knew they were planning a British tour and he wanted to be in on that". For the start of the "Winter Dance Party" tour, Holly assembled a band consisting of Waylon Jennings (bass), Tommy Allsup (guitar), and Carl Bunch (drums), with the opening vocals of Frankie Sardo. The tour was set to cover twenty-four Midwestern cities in as many days—there were no off days. New hit artist Ritchie Valens, "The Big Bopper" J. P. Richardson, and the vocal group Dion and the Belmonts joined the tour to promote their recordings and make an extra profit. The 1959 tour began in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on January 23, with the performance in Clear Lake, Iowa, on February 2 being the eleventh of the twenty-four scheduled events. The amount of travel required soon became a serious problem. The distances between venues had not been properly considered when the performances were scheduled. Instead of systematically circling around the Midwest through a series of venues in close proximity to one another, the tour erratically zigzagged back and forth across the region, with distances between some tour stops exceeding 400 miles (640 km). As there were no off days, the bands had to travel most of each day, frequently for ten to twelve hours in freezing mid-winter temperatures. Most of the Interstate Highway System had not yet been built, so the routes between tour stops required far more driving time on narrow two-lane rural highways than would now be the case on modern expressways. GAC-Super Productions, the organization that booked the tour, received considerable criticism for their seemingly total disregard for the conditions they forced the touring musicians to endure: They didn't care. It was like they threw darts at a map ... The tour from hell—that's what they named it—and it's not a bad name. The entire company of musicians traveled together in one bus, although the buses used for the tour were wholly inadequate, breaking down and being replaced frequently. Griggs estimates that five separate buses were used in the first eleven days of the tour—"reconditioned school buses, not good enough for school kids". The artists themselves were responsible for loading and unloading equipment at each stop, as no road crew assisted them. Adding to the disarray, the buses were not equipped for the harsh weather, which consisted of waist-deep snow in several areas and varying temperatures from 20 °F (−7 °C) to as low as −36 °F (−38 °C). One bus had a heating system that malfunctioned shortly after the tour began, in Appleton, Wisconsin. Richardson and Valens began experiencing flu-like symptoms and drummer Bunch was hospitalized for severely frostbitten feet after the tour bus stalled in the middle of the highway in subzero temperatures near Ironwood, Michigan. The musicians replaced that bus with another school bus and kept traveling. As Holly's group had been the backing band for all of the acts, Holly, Valens and DiMucci took turns playing drums for each other at the performances in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Clear Lake, Iowa, with Holly playing drums for Dion, Dion playing drums for Ritchie, and Ritchie playing drums for Holly. On Monday, February 2, the tour arrived in Clear Lake, west of Mason City, having driven 350 miles (560 km) from the previous day's concert in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The town in northern Iowa had not been a scheduled stop; tour promoters hoped to fill the open date and called the manager of the local Surf Ballroom, Carroll Anderson, and offered him the show. Anderson accepted and they set the show for that night. By the time Holly arrived at the venue that evening, he was frustrated with the ongoing problems with the bus. The next scheduled destination after Clear Lake was Moorhead, Minnesota, a 365-mile (590 km) drive north-northwest—and, as a reflection of the poor quality of the tour planning, a journey that would have taken them directly back through the two towns they had already played within the last week. No respite was in sight after that, as the following day, after having traveled from Iowa to Minnesota, they were scheduled to travel right back to Iowa, specifically almost directly south to Sioux City, a 325-mile (520 km) trip. Holly chartered a plane to fly himself and his band to Fargo, North Dakota, which is adjacent to Moorhead. The rest of the party would have picked him up in Moorhead, saving him the journey in the bus and leaving him time to get some rest. Their gig in Moorhead was to have been a radio performance at the station KFGO with disk jockey Charlie Boone. Flight arrangements Anderson chartered a plane from Dwyer Flying Service in Mason City, to fly to Fargo's Hector Airport, the closest one to Moorhead; the pilot was Roger Peterson, a 21-year-old married man who had "built his life around flying". The flying service charged a fee of $36 (equivalent to $380 in 2023) per passenger for the flight on the 1947 single-engined, V-tailed Beechcraft 35 Bonanza (registration N3794N), whi.... Discover the Holly Day popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Holly Day books.
Best Seller Holly Day Books of 2024
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The Year of Surprising Acts of Kindness
Laura Kemp'Witty, Warm, and Wonderful. I loved it!' Milly JohnsonSometimes all it takes to make the world a better place is a small act of kindness...'A truly wonderful and heartwarming read...
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All On The Board
All on the BoardA BOOK TO BRIGHTEN YOUR DAY A GIFT OF HOPE, COMFORT, POSITIVITY, OPENNESS AND LOVE FOR ANY OCCASION INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES FROM THE TFL UNDERGOUND DUOTransport for London employees...
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If Harry Met Sally Again
Annie RobertsonThe perfect feelgood romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally for the 21st centuryCan you write your own happy ending...?When Nina discovers her boyfriend in bed with another woman, s...
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Finding Love at the Christmas Market
Jo Thomas'It's Christmas in a book!' Katie Fforde'Sprinkled with Christmas magic!' Milly Johnson'A scrumptious seasonal treat!' Heidi SwainResidentialhome caterer Connie has had one onlined...
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One Christmas Kiss in Notting Hill
Mandy BaggotA feelgood festive romance to curl up with this Christmas'Magical, heartmelting fiction at its best!' Samantha TongeImagine the perfect Christmas Kiss…His strong arms around her wa...
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The Vintage Dress Shop in Primrose Hill
Annie DarlingPART ONE of the heartwarming and romantic new fourpart series from Annie Darling perfect for fans of Cressida McLaughlin and Holly Hepburn!'The sweetest, most delicious book . . ....
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The Little Cottage in Lantern Square
Helen RolfeLooking for a fresh start? Welcome to Butterbury... A delightfully heartwarming story, perfect for fans of Holly Hepburn and Cathy BramleyStep into the magic of Lantern Square... H...
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The New Beginnings Bridal Boutique
Kellie Hailes'You know for an owner of a bridal shop you're awfully cynical about marriage.'As the owner of a secondhand bridal boutique in the little village of Alfriston, Paige Alby has seen ...
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The Bad Luck Day
Holly AnnaEvery kid in the world has had a Bad Luck Day, but Daisy Dreamer’s might be the unluckiest Bad Luck Day ever in this eleventh chapter book in the series.It started with a broken mi...
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Saving Buddy Holly - Blue Days Black Nights
Gerald I. GoldlistA rock scientist is tortured by depression. He falls in love with the music of famed rock star Buddy Holly, who had died in 1959 at the age of 22 with so many plans and so much to ...
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All On The Board - Your Daily Companion
All on the BoardFROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERS, ALL ON THE BOARD, COMES YOUR DAILY COMPANION BRINGING YOU COMFORT AND INSPIRATION FROM MORNING THROUGH TO NIGHT, FOR YOUR EVERY MOOD, EMOTION AN...
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The Vintage Dress Shop in Primrose Hill
Annie DarlingPART FOUR of the heartwarming and romantic new novel from Annie Darling perfect for fans of Cressida McLaughlin and Holly Hepburn!Second chances never go out of style . . . As th...
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Faeries Never Lie
Zoraida Cordova, Natalie C. Parker, Nafiza Azad, Holly Black, Dhonielle Clayton, Tessa Gratton, Kwame Mbalia, Ryan La Sala, L.L. McKinney, Anna-Marie McLemore, Kaitlyn Sage Patterson, Rory Power, Chloe Gong & Christine DayFaeries Never Lie, the next young adult collection in the Untold Legends series edited by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker, is filled with fourteen short stories to revel in, ...
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The Vintage Dress Shop in Primrose Hill
Annie Darling'The sweetest, most delicious book . . . Such a gorgeous love story' Marian Keyes'Funny and heartwarming with great characters' Reader review 5 stars'Absolutely gorgeous, swoon wor...
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The Ice Castle
Holly AnnaHi! I’m Daisy Dreamer and my totally true imaginary friend Posey and I are going on a winter adventure! Oh, and you’re totally invited, too!I love snow days! I mean, who doesn’t? B...
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Down the Rabbit Hole
Holly MadisonThe real, untold, and unvarnished story of life inside the legendary Playboy Mansionand the man who holds the keyfrom the woman who was Hef’s #1 girlfriend and star of The Girls Ne...
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Waylon
Terry Jennings & David Thomas"This book is a terrific tribute, from a son to his father."Willie Nelson"I'm so excited about Terry's new book."Dolly PartonFrom the Foreword by Ken Mansfield"There are many stori...
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The Space Between
Zara Mcdonald & Michelle AndrewsThere’s this weird gap in life that’s fuelled by cheap tacos and even cheaper tequila – also known as our twenties. It’s a specific limbo between being a teenager and a Proper Adul...
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A Day at the Beach Hut
Veronica HenryDON'T MISS THE STUNNING AND ROMANTIC NEW NOVEL FROM SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR VERONICA HENRY ORDER THE SECRET BEACH NOW!Escape to the coast with this delicious collection of...
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Excess Baggage
Judy AstleyLet bestselling author Judy Astley sweep you away with this insightful, uplifting and hilarious novel where a family holiday turns into more of a torment than a treat... Perfect fo...
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The Wren in the Holly Library
K.A. LindeCan you love the dark when you know what it hides?Some things aren’t supposed to exist outside of our imagination.Thirteen years ago, monsters emerged from the shadows and plunged ...
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What Happened That Night
Sheila O'Flanagan'A fabulous tale with refreshingly inspiring heroines' Heat Sheila O'Flanagan is the bestselling author of THE MISSING WIFE, and her new bestseller WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT will e...
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Before the Garden on Holly Street
Megan AttleyGet a taste of the coming series about how 'family' can come from the most unlikely of places from debut talent, Megan Attley. It's Valentine's Day and Abby is ready to celebrate w...
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The Vintage Dress Shop in Primrose Hill
Annie DarlingPART THREE of the heartwarming and romantic new novel from Annie Darling, perfect for fans of Cressida McLaughlinSecond chances never go out of style . . . Spring is blooming in Pr...
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The Day Holly Took on the Government
Holly HailWhen my grandson is of age and able to read this book, he will know how much I love him and how I fought for his freedom to be with his mum. I am deeply saddened that my grandson n...
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Just For Today
Nell Hudson'A yearning, tenderly bruising beauty of a book and a brilliant portrayal of friendship in the roaring noughties' Rhik SamadderIt was a time of drinking too much and staying out al...
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The Xmas Factor
Annie SandersThank goodness Christmas comes just once a year...! 'A heartwarming and sparkly comedy ideal for the time of year' WOMAN'S OWN'A funny festive read' HEAT'A book you'll enjoy long ...
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The Atlas of Christmas
Alex PalmerDiscover the fascinating (and sometimes downright odd!) ways that people and nations celebrate the holiday season and share this festive compendium's unique traditions together wit...
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A Town Called Treachery
Mitch JenningsA deadbeat dad. A curious boy. A journo drowning in the past ... and a town full of secrets. Can the truth ever be found in a town called Treachery?'One of a kind' Malcolm Knox'The...
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The Vintage Dress Shop in Primrose Hill
Annie DarlingPART TWO of the heartwarming and romantic new fourpart series from Annie Darling perfect for fans of Cressida McLaughlin and Holly Hepburn!Second chances never go out of style . ....
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Heartwishes
Jude DeverauxFrom New York Times bestselling author Jude Deveraux, a suspensful romance about a woman who uncovers a powerful treasureand to protect it, she’ll need the help of the ma...
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The Christmas Carrolls
Mel Taylor-Bessent‘A Christmas book about kindness and cheer to make even Scrooge’s heart melt’ Dame Jacqueline WilsonFunny festive middle grade about the world's most Christmassy family from the fo...
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Holly-Day Dining Set
AlysTracewellThis holly centerpiece doily with matching coasters and napkin rings is sure to lend festive highlights to your holiday table. Our designs are crocheted using bedspread weight cott...
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The Astor Orphan
Alexandra AldrichThe Astor Orphan is an unflinching debut memoir by a direct descendant of John Jacob Astor, Alexandra Aldrich.She brilliantly tells the story of her eccentric, fractured family; he...
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The Kindness Club on Mapleberry Lane
Helen Rolfe'A warm, comforting tale of family and community which brims with kindness and love' Annie Lyons'A heartwarming story about family, forgiveness and the importance of kindness... If...
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The Winter Wedding
Abby ClementsGorgeous and romantic festive fiction from the author of The Heavenly Italian Ice Cream ShopHazel plans perfect weddings. But life is full of surprises... Hazel never set out to be...
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Five-Day Course in Thinking
Edward de BonoFirst published in 1967, this remarkable title from one of history’s greatest minds remains a mustread in the world of creative thinking. Based on the tenet that an error can lead ...