April 27 , 2023 The Beacon • 11

By Josie Sellers

In 1959 Coshocton was scheduled to be a stop on the Winter Dance Party tour featuring some of the hottest musicians of the time , Buddy Holly and the Crickets and Frankie Avalon . Unfortunately , the lineup for that February concert was changed after a plane crash claimed the lives of Buddy Holly , Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper .

Sevan Garabedian from Montreal , Canada is a Buddy Holly historian and does research of his final tour in 1959 . He plans to be in Coshocton Monday and Tuesday , May 8-9 with other researchers from Minnesota to learn more about the show that took place Feb . 12 , 1959 , at the Coshocton Armory .

“ It took place nine days after the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly , Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper on Feb . 3 , 1959 ,” Garabedian said . “ The tour continued with a few replacement artists , and they played the armory . I have spoken to at least two dozen fans that attended and have scores of photos and autographs from the show .”

On May 9 Garabedian will visit the former armory and meet with some of the people who attended the concert . The researchers also plan to visit some spots the musicians went to while in Coshocton .

“ In other words it will be like going back in a time machine and reliving a show and a tour that have both stood the test of time and reflect a more innocent time in rock ‘ n ’ roll history ,” Garabedian said .

He was aware of songs from the 1950s , but as a child of the 1980s , he grew up with different music . Garabedian ’ s interests changed one morning when the radio station he listened to switched to oldies .

“ This was a real oldies

Submitted

Sevan Garabedian from Montreal , Canada is a Buddy Holly historian and does research of his final tour in 1959 . He plans to be in Coshocton Monday and Tuesday , May 8-9 .

station that focused on the ‘ 50s and ‘ 60s , and I immediately fell in love with the songs , lyrics and singers / groups as I visited record stores — back when they were still around — and started buying all the cassettes and CDs I could ,” Garabedian said . “ I studied

the songs , charts , everything . I appreciated the simplicity of the songs but also the purity of the rock ‘ n ’ roll , its simple messages of falling in love , getting one ’ s heart broken , et cetera .

“ I started appreciating all of them , from Elvis to Chuck Berry , Fat Domino , The Everly Brothers , Buddy Holly , The Big Bopper , Ritchie Valens , Gene Vincent , Little Richard , The Beatles , and on and on and on .”

Every January and February , the station brought up “ The Day The Music Died ” and the tour that cost the lives of Buddy , Ritchie and The Bopper . Garabedian got more and more interested about the era of music and started doing research .

“ Eventually , I learned of the tribute concerts that have been taking place in Clear Lake , Iowa ( where the last show took place ) since

1979 and made my first trip there in 2004 and have returned faithfully another 12 times since ,” he said . “ It is literally like going back in time during those tributes , with ‘ 50s music playing everywhere , ‘ 50s and ‘ 60s singers / groups in town to perform and the innocence of those days reborn .”

Garabedian started his research with the first 11 shows of the tour and then began to wonder about the shows after the plane crash .

“ I wanted to get the perspective of teens that were so looking forward to seeing their idols and never got the chance ,” he said . “ They instead saw teen idols that , although were extremely popular , were not the same as rockers like Buddy and Ritchie . I have been to 21 of the 24 cities and towns the tour played . The three remaining towns are Coshocton , Louisville , Kentucky — both of which

I will complete this May — and Muskegon , Michigan .”

Garabedian plans to put together a book featuring all the shows , postcrash . He is still looking for more people to interview on May 9 while in Coshocton . Those interested in sharing their memories from the concert must contact Garabedian in advance for a quick chat to schedule and approve a visit . He can be emailed at sevan1 @ sympatico . ca or called or texted at 514-970-1959 .

“ It is very important to document this very important tour and its place in rock ‘ n ’ roll history ,” Garabedian said . “ It is incredible that a tour that resulted in three deaths from a plane crash would not only continue , but not miss one single show on their itinerary . I am also offering a reward for any photos from the show that have not surfaced yet .”

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