Tommy Allsup who missed the fatal plane flight with Buddy Holly from Clear Lake Iowa to Fargo Norh Dakota--the day the music died
Tommy is pictured at Glasgow Accies with Ally Johnston and Doug Sommerville where he gave a concert recently

Allsup began his career in music in 1949 as a guitarist with the Oklahoma Swingbillies. In 1958, recording at Norman Petty's studio in Clovis, New Mexico, he met Buddy Holly, who asked him to play lead guitar in a new backup band to replace The Crickets. [citation needed] Allsup agreed, and played with Waylon Jennings, who played bass guitar, and Carl Bunch, who played the drums.

During their winter tour, Buddy Holly was killed in an airplane crash on February 3, 1959 at Clear Lake Iowa, in what has become known as "The Day the Music Died." Allsup was the person who, luckily, lost the toss of a coin to Ritchie Valens for a seat on the small airplane. The scene was depicted in the film La Bamba.

This article was originally posted on 30-Aug-2007, 15:10 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Hugh Barrow on 30-Aug-2007, 15:13.