The Big Bopper

Jiles Perry Richardson Jr. (October 24, 1930 – February 3, 1959), better known by his stage name The Big Bopper, was an American musician and disc jockey. His best-known compositions include "Chantilly Lace", "Running Bear", and "White Lightning", the last of which became George Jones's first number-one hit in 1959. A native of Southeast Texas, Richardson began working for a local radio station while studying at Lamar College. He then served two years in the United States Army from 1955 to 1957 before resuming his radio career. Richardson soon began writing songs for other artists before starting his own career as a performer. Richardson achieved his breakthrough with the song "Chantilly Lace", which was the lead single from his 1958 debut album of the same name. Richardson was killed in a plane crash in Clear Lake, Iowa, in February 1959, along with fellow musicians Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens, and the pilot, Roger Peterson.