By: Joe Strupp From Iowa to Texas, the 50th anniversary of "The Day the Music Died" was front page news this morning as several newspapers noted their link to the tragic plane crash on Feb. 3, 1959, that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson.
The Globe Gazette of Mason City, Iowa, the daily paper closest to Clear Lake, where the tragedy occurred, led today's paper with stories on a 50th anniversary concert Monday night at the Surf Ballroom where the musicians last played the night before they died.
An online package included original photos of the crash scene, stories from the Globe Gazette reporting the crash and video of recent dance parties at the same location.
Further south, the Des Moines Register, Iowa's largest daily paper, made a story about the anniversary concert its center spread article and art, with a lengthy online video presentation (go to E&P Pub blog to view it) that offered memories and interviews from friends and relatives of the deceased rockers.
In true online use of background documents, the Register also posted death certificates, coroners reports and the official government investigation into the crash.
Meanwhile, in Lubbock, Texas, hometown to Holly, the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal declared on Page One, "Legends Live On" with two stories about the anniversary and the commemorative concert.
Online, the paper, which offers regular coverage of the nearby Buddy Holly Center, provided various tributes and photos, as well as a reprint of the paper reporting the deaths 50 years ago.
Avalanche-Journal Editor Terry Greenberg also narrates a video he shot while visiting Clear Lake, in which he shows the location where the crash occurred and various memorials at the site.
Video at http://www.eandppub.com
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