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RIP, the guy who wasn't Waylon Jennings

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by britwrit, Jan 16, 2017.

  1. britwrit

    britwrit Well-Known Member

    Tommy Allsup, a guitarist who lost a coin toss and got booted off the plane carrying Buddy Holly et al on its last flight, has passed on at 85.

    (I'd always thought it was Waylon Jennings who'd lost that coin toss but it turned out he voluntarily gave up his seat to The Big Bopper, who was suffering from a head cold.)

    https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/13/...coin-toss-saved-his-life.html?ref=todayspaper
     
  2. da man

    da man Well-Known Member

    Glad you clarified that. I thought I was dead. Or maybe David Allan Coe died.
     
  3. Jake_Taylor

    Jake_Taylor Well-Known Member

    David Allan Coe was my guess too. Then I wondered why he's not playing the inauguration.
     
  4. Baron Scicluna

    Baron Scicluna Well-Known Member

    Valens also was sick, and was the one who won the toss. The singers had complained about the bus for days because there was no heat, and complained that the tour organizers didn't have a clue because they weren't booking dates in a geographically-logical way.

    Jennings said in one anniversary-date interview that Holly (I think) had joked that he hoped Waylon would freeze on the bus. Jennings said he had joked back that he hoped Holly's plane would crash. When it did, he was devastated.

    Interestingly-enough, the ballroom where they played still exists, and has a bunch of memorabilia from that night.
     
  5. micropolitan guy

    micropolitan guy Well-Known Member

    Surf Ballrom in Clear Lake, Iowa. It's a pretty cool place, they've preserved it very well and still host events. The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra was playing there the night I visited about 30 years ago.
     
    I Should Coco likes this.
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