The Big Bopper 103549 223213857 2008-07-03T02:18:15Z Wordbuilder 1261707 [[WP:UNDO|Undid]] revision 223209059 by [[Special:Contributions/98.223.10.215|98.223.10.215]] ([[User talk:98.223.10.215|talk]]) '''Jiles Perry "J. P." Richardson, Jr.''' ([[October 24]], [[1930]] – [[February 3]], [[1959]]), called '''JP''' by friends but commonly known as '''The Big Bopper''', was an [[United States|American]] [[disc jockey]] who parlayed a big voice and exuberant personality into a career as an early [[rock and roll]] star. He is best known for his song "[[Chantilly Lace (song)|Chantilly Lace]]". ==Early years== Richardson was born in [[Sabine Pass, Texas]], the oldest son of Jiles Perry, Sr. and Elise (Stalsby) Richardson. His father was an oil field worker and driller. He had two younger brothers, Cecil and James. Within a short time the family moved to [[Beaumont, Texas]]. He graduated from [[Beaumont High School]] in 1947 and was a member of the "Royal Purple" football team, wearing number "85" as a defensive lineman. [[Image:JilesPerryRichardson1.jpg|161px|left|thumb|Hellooo Baby!: The Best of the Big Bopper, 1954–1959, Rhino / Wea Records]] Richardson later studied pre-law at [[Lamar University|Lamar College]], and was a member of the band and chorus. During this time he worked part time at [[KTRM (FM)#KTRM (AM) Beaumont|KTRM]] radio, where in 1949 he was hired full-time and left school. On [[April 18]], [[1952]], Richardson married Adrianne Joy Fryou from [[Montegut, Louisiana|Montegut]], [[Louisiana]]; in December 1953 their daughter, Debra Joy, was born. Earlier that year Richardson was promoted to Supervisor of Announcers at KTRM. In March 1955 he was [[conscription in the United States|drafted]] into the [[United States Army]]. His basic training was at [[Fort Ord]], [[California]] after which Richardson spent two years as a radar instructor at [[Fort Bliss]] in [[El Paso, Texas]]. Upon his discharge at the rank of [[Corporal]] in March 1957, Richardson returned to KTRM radio, where he held down the "Dishwashers' Serenade" shift from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. One of the station's sponsors wanted Richardson for a new time slot and suggested a gimmick for the show. Richardson noticed all the college kids doing a dance called The Bop, so he decided to become known as "The Big Bopper". He kicked off a new radio show from 3 to 6 p.m., and soon The Big Bopper became the station's program director. In May of 1957, he broke the record for continuous on-the-air broadcasting by eight minutes. He went a total of five days, two hours and eight minutes, playing 1,821 records and taking showers during five-minute newscasts. During the marathon, he lost 35 pounds (16 kg). KTRM paid Richardson $746.50 for his overtime and he slept 20 hours. Richardson is credited with coining the term ''[[music video]]'' in 1959, and recorded an early example himself. However, his business plans in this area were cut short by his death. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.accuracyproject.org/cbe-Richardson,J.P.TheBigBopper.html|title=J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson|publisher=Internet Accuracy Project|accessdate=2007-01-21}}</ref> ==Musical career== Around this time, Richardson&nbsp;&mdash; who played [[guitar]]&nbsp;&mdash; started writing more songs. [[George Jones]] later recorded Richardson's "White Lightning", which became Jones' first #1 country hit in [[1959 in music|1959]] (#73 on the pop charts). Richardson also wrote "Running Bear" for [[Johnny Preston]], his friend from [[Port Arthur, Texas]]. Inspiration for the song came from Richardson's childhood memory of the [[Sabine River (Texas-Louisiana)|Sabine River]], where he heard stories about [[Native Americans in the United States|Indian]] tribes. Richardson sang background on "Running Bear", but it wasn't released until September 1959, after his death. Within several months it went to #1. The man who launched Richardson as a recording artist was [[Pappy Daily|Harold "Pappy" Daily]] from [[Houston, Texas]]. Daily was promotion director for [[Mercury Records|Mercury]] and [[Starday Records]] and signed Richardson to Mercury. Richardson's first single, "Beggar To A King", had a country flavor, but failed to gain any chart action. He soon cut "[[Chantilly Lace (song)|Chantilly Lace]]" as "The Big Bopper" for Pappy Daily's [[D (record label)|D label]]. Mercury bought the recording and released it during the summer of [[1958 in music|1958]]. It reached #6 on the pop charts and spent 22 weeks on the national Top 40. It also inspired an [[answer record]] by [[Jayne Mansfield]] titled "That Makes It". In "Chantilly Lace", Richardson pretends to have a flirting phone call with his girlfriend; the Mansfield record suggests what his girlfriend might have been saying at the other end of the line. Later that year he scored a second hit, a raucous novelty tune entitled "The Big Bopper's Wedding," in which Richardson pretends to be getting cold feet at the altar. With the success of "Chantilly Lace," Richardson took some time off from KTRM radio and joined [[Buddy Holly]] and [[The Crickets]], [[Ritchie Valens]] and [[Dion & the Belmonts]] for a "Winter Dance Party" tour. On [[February 2]] [[1959]], Buddy Holly chartered a [[Beechcraft Bonanza]] to take him and his new Crickets band ([[Tommy Allsup]] and [[Waylon Jennings]]) to [[Fargo, North Dakota|Fargo]], [[North Dakota]]. Richardson came down with the flu and didn't feel comfortable on the bus, so Jennings gave his plane seat to Richardson. Valens had never flown on a small plane and requested Allsup's seat. They flipped a coin, and Valens "won" the toss. ==Death== {{main|The Day the Music Died}} In the early morning of [[February 3]], [[1959]], after a performance at the [[Surf Ballroom]] in [[Clear Lake, Iowa]], the small four-passenger Beechcraft Bonanza took off from the [[Mason City, Iowa|Mason City]] airport during a blinding snow storm and crashed into Albert Juhl’s corn field several miles after takeoff at 1:05 a.m. Richardson was in the seat that Waylon Jennings was supposed to have occupied. The crash killed [[Buddy Holly]], [[Ritchie Valens]], Richardson and the 21-year-old pilot, Roger Peterson. In his 1971 hit song "[[American Pie]]," Don McLean referred to this event as "[[The Day the Music Died]]". The label has stuck. Richardson was survived by his wife, Adrianne, and 4-year-old daughter Debra Joy; a son, Jay Perry Richardson, was born in April 1959. At the time of his death, Richardson had been building a recording studio in his home in [[Beaumont, Texas]], and was also planning to invest in the ownership of a radio station. In addition, he had written 20 new songs with plans to record by himself and with other artists. Son Jay P. Richardson took up a musical career inspired by his father and is known professionally as "The Big Bopper, Jr." He has performed at venues around the world. Notably, he has toured on the "Winter Dance Party" tour with Buddy Holly impersonator John Mueller on some of the very same stages as his father. On [[January 17]] [[2007]] it was reported that Jay, his son, wanted an [[autopsy]] of his father in order to settle the rumor whether a gun was fired, or that Richardson survived the crash initially <ref>{{cite news|title=Autopsy of 'Big Bopper' to Address Rumors About 1959 Plane Crash|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/17/AR2007011701976.html||publisher=Associated Press|date=[[2007-01-18]]}}</ref>. The autopsy was performed by Dr. [[Bill Bass]], a [[forensic anthropologist]] at the [[University of Tennessee]], [[Knoxville, Tennessee|Knoxville]]. His findings indicated there were no signs of foul play. He was quoted as saying "There are fractures from head to toe. Massive fractures. ... (He) died immediately. He didn't crawl away. He didn't walk away from the plane."<ref name="Rumors">{{cite news|last=Davis|first=Elizabeth A.|title=48 Years Later, Big Bopper Rumors Buried|work=Associated Press| date=2007-03-07|url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070307/ap_en_mu/big_bopper_autopsy;_ylt=AiuEThYrYavV4isgGgMkAfEDW7oF| accessdate=2007-03-08}}</ref> Jay was present with Dr. Bass throughout the entire autopsy and observed as the casket was opened; both men were surprised to find the remains preserved enough to be recognizable as those of the late rock star. "Dad still amazes me 48 years after his death, that he was in remarkable shape," Richardson told the Associated Press. "I surprised myself. I handled it better than I thought I would."<ref name = "Rumors"/> After the autopsy, Richardson's body was placed in a new casket made by the same company as the original, then was reburied next to his wife at a new burial site in Beaumont's Forest Lawn Cemetery. J.P. Jr. then allowed the old casket to be put on display at the [[Texas Musician's Museum]].<ref>[http://setxbayou.blogspot.com/2007/10/out-of-box-boppers-casket-hits-road.html The Bayou: <font color=red>Out of The Box: </font>Bopper's casket hits the road<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> ==Tributes== [[Image:HollyMonument.jpg|thumb|right|Monument at Crash Site, [[September 16]] [[2003]]]]In 1988, Ken Paquette, a Wisconsin fan of the ’50s era, erected a stainless steel monument depicting a steel guitar and a set of three records bearing the names of each of the three performers.<ref>[http://www.findadeath.com/Deceased/h/Buddy%20Holly/buddy_holly.htm Findadeath]</ref> It is located on private farmland, about one quarter mile west of the intersection of 315th Street and Gull Avenue, approximately eight miles north of Clear Lake; this is where the plane crash occurred. He also created a similar stainless steel monument to the three musicians near the Riverside Ballroom in [[Green Bay, Wisconsin]]. That memorial was unveiled on [[July 17]], [[2003]].<ref>[http://www.articlestree.com/music/the-day-the-music-died-tx390707.html The Day the Music Died - Music Articles]</ref> J.P. Richardson's pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the [[Rockabilly Hall of Fame]]. The Big Bopper is fondly remembered not only for his distinctive singing and songwriting, but also as a humorist who combined the best elements of country, R&B and rock 'n' roll. His name is mentioned as one of the upcoming musical acts in both the print and television versions of [[Stephen King]]'s [[short story]] ''[[You Know They Got a Hell of a Band]]'' about a town inhabited by late musical legends. [[Buddy Holly]] is subsequently featured in the story. ==Film== In film, Richardson has been portrayed by Gailard Sartain in ''[[The Buddy Holly Story]]'' and Stephen Lee in ''[[La Bamba (film)|La Bamba]].'' On the London stage, Richardson has been portrayed by John Simon Rawlings in the musical, ''Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story''. ===The Day the Music Died=== An upcoming film, ''[[The Day the Music Died (film)|The Day the Music Died]]'', will pay tribute to Richardson. It is slated to be released on [[February 3]], [[2009]], the 50th anniversary of the crash that took the lives of Richarson, Holly, and Valens.<ref>[http://www.bigboppermovie.com The Day the Music Died<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> ==Cover versions The Big Bopper's songs== *"White Lightning" was released as a [[Single (music)|single]] by [[The Fall (band)|The Fall]] in 1990, and is also included on the [[compact disc|CD]] version of their album ''[[Shift-work]]''. *A 1960 recording by [[Eddie Cochran]] and [[Gene Vincent]] doing a duet of "White Lightning" has also been released. *"Running Bear" is often performed by the comedy duo [[Williams and Ree]]. *[[Rocket From The Crypt]] recorded a semi-cover of "Chantilly Lace". "Chantilly Face", which appears on "[[All Systems Go!]]" features RFTC singer Speedo, talking over the phone, answering the Big Bopper's questions, and playing guitar over the chorus. *[[Jerry Lee Lewis]] recorded a version of "Chantilly Lace". *[[Doc Cox|Ivor Biggun]] performed a cover of "Chantilly Lace" on his ''More Fruity Bits! The Rest of Ivor Biggun, Vol. 2'' album, albeit with changed dialogue between verses. *[[Sammy Hagar]] borrowed "Chantilly Lace"'s opening line of "Hello, baby!" for "Good Enough", the opening track of his first album with [[Van Halen]], ''[[5150 (album)|5150]]''. ==References== {{Refimprove|date=January 2008}} {{reflist}} *Escott, Colin (1998). "The Big Bopper (J.P. Richardson)". In ''The Encyclopedia of Country Music''. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 35. ==External links== *[http://www.officialbigbopper.com/ Official website] *[http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=1705 J. P. "Big Bopper" Richardson, Jr] at [[Find A Grave]] *{{Handbook of Texas|id=RR/fri40|name=Richardson, Jiles Perry}} *[http://www.buddythemusical.com/ Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story (London Musical Website)] {{Persondata |NAME=Richardson, Jiles Perry |ALTERNATIVE NAMES=The Big Bopper, Jape |SHORT DESCRIPTION=American singer |DATE OF BIRTH=[[October 24]] [[1930]] |PLACE OF BIRTH=[[Sabine Pass, Texas]] |DATE OF DEATH=[[February 3]] [[1959]] |PLACE OF DEATH=[[Clear Lake, Iowa]] }} {{lifetime|1930|1959|Richardson, Jiles Perry}} [[Category:American male singers]] [[Category:American novelty song performers]] [[Category:American radio personalities]] [[Category:American rock singers]] [[Category:People from Beaumont, Texas]] [[Category:People from Port Arthur, Texas]] [[Category:Texas musicians]] [[Category:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in the United States]] [[Category:Rockabilly Hall of Fame inductees]] [[Category:Mercury Records artists]] [[da:The Big Bopper]] [[de:The Big Bopper]] [[es:The Big Bopper]] [[fr:The Big Bopper]] [[is:The Big Bopper]] [[nl:The Big Bopper]] [[no:The Big Bopper]] [[pl:Jiles Perry Richardson]] [[pt:The Big Bopper]] [[fi:The Big Bopper]] [[sv:The Big Bopper]]