The triple-digit day the music died

Feb 3, 2009 will mark 50 years since a plane carrying rock 'n rollers Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and J.D. (The Big Bopper) Richardson crashed into the Earth, forever immortalizing the trio in the minds and hearts of rockers everywhere.
While I was only a young lad of 2 when the crash occurred, the effect on rock music has been long lasting -- especially since several movies have been made about the famous occupants of the single-engine plane that went down, and even one about the famous person, Waylen Jennings, who lost out to Richie Valens for the last seat on the doomed plane.
But my older sister Carol (who was 13 years older than I) and older brother Jim (who was 11 years older) were devotees of Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and J.D. Richardson and I heard their music for many years while growing up.
Then while in my teen years, Don McLean paid homage to these early rockers with his "American Pie" magnum opus that continues to get me humming and singing along though I've heard it probably a million times.
Though the three most definately died too early, their music lives on, and on, and on.