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Death - Buddy Holly - The Day the Music Died
Bye, bye, Miss American Pie - Don Maclean - American Pie
Index
- Buddy Holly's background
- What makes Buddy Holly such a great example?
- What makes Ritchie Valens such a great example?
- What makes Tommy Allsup such a great example?
- What makes The Big Bopper and Waylon Jennings such a great example?
- Are Carl Bunch and Dion examples of anything?
- Roger Peterson the Pilot
Buddy Holly's background
Buddy Holly was an American singer who sang songs such as Peggy Sue with his band The Crickets, but died tragically in 1959 when the light plane that he was travelling in crashed in bad weather.
His death shocked the teens of the Western world, and was later immortalised in the Don Maclean song American Pie which has led to 3 February 1959 becoming known as The Day the Music Died
Buddy Holly had recently left the Crickets, and was touring with a new backing band, plus a number of other artistes, by bus, but the weather had been so bad his drummer had been hospitalized with frostbite, and Buddy Holly had chartered a plane to take him and his two backing musicians to the next city in Minnesota, leaving the other acts to suffer again on the bus.
Along with Buddy Holly and the pilot, the crash killed Ritchie Valens , and The Big Bopper , neither of whom were supposed to have been passengers, but who took the places of bandmembers Tommy Allsup and Waylon Jennings . Perhaps it is exaggeration on the part of anyone else on the tour to have claimed a near miss in a brush with death, but it is still worth a look at frostbitten drummer Carl Bunch , and singer Dion DiMucci .
Maybe it is impossible to be sure who was originally planned to be on the plane, and Dion is said to have not wanted to pay the $36 it would have cost him, but we can be fairly sure that Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper had to put some effort into getting their seats on it.
What makes Buddy Holly such a great example?
Death of Buddy Holly

Note. person1 had the following aspects in his birthchart:
- Sun square Buddy Holly's Jupiter
- Sun conjunct Buddy Holly's Neptune
- Moon trine Buddy Holly's Mercury
- Jupiter square Buddy Holly's Neptune
We have good timings for Buddy Holly, so can include Earth and Moon where needed. Given the preponderence of traditionally easy aspects, we might be justified in thinking that it was all very easy for Buddy Holly to hire a plane to avoid the uncomfortable journey from Iowa to .
The transits at the time of Buddy Holly's death were
- Transiting Sun trine Buddy Holly's Mercury
- Transiting Sun sextile Buddy Holly's Jupiter
- Transiting Moon square Buddy Holly's Sun
- Transiting Moon trine Buddy Holly's Mars
- Transiting Moon conjunct Buddy Holly's Jupiter
- Transiting Moon square Buddy Holly's Neptune
- Transiting Mercury trine Buddy Holly's Venus
- Transiting Mars sextile Buddy Holly's Pluto
- Transiting Jupiter trine Buddy Holly's Pluto

- Transiting Saturn conjunct Buddy Holly's Earth

- Transiting Saturn square Buddy Holly's Venus
- Transiting Chiron trine Buddy Holly's Chiron
- Transiting Uranus trine Buddy Holly's Jupiter

- Transiting Pluto trine Buddy Holly's Earth

The chart shown is Buddy Holly's birthchart, together with transits for his death, set at 1am, around the outside. Aspect lines [traditional] are between the transits and his birthchart.
What makes Ritchie Valens such a great example?
Like Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens was a successful American singer, famous for La Bamba, and for dying at 17 in the plane crash that also killed Buddy Holly. He had fought for his seat on the plane by tossing a coin with Holly's guitarist Tommy Allsup. Ritchie called 'heads' and won, but lost his life. His transits for the moment show much the harder struggle, and are really quite outstanding for it.
Note. Ritchie Valens had the following aspects in his birthchart:
- Transiting Earth square Ritchie Valens's Jupiter
- Transiting Earth square Ritchie Valens's Uranus
- Transiting Mercury sextile Ritchie Valens's Pluto
- Transiting Venus square Ritchie Valens's Mars
- Transiting Venus conjunct Ritchie Valens's Jupiter

- Transiting Venus sextile Ritchie Valens's Chiron
- Transiting Mars square Ritchie Valens's Jupiter

- Transiting Jupiter sextile Ritchie Valens's Chiron
- Transiting Jupiter conjunct Ritchie Valens's Uranus

- Transiting Jupiter trine Ritchie Valens's Neptune
- Transiting Chiron sextile Ritchie Valens's Uranus
- Transiting Chiron sextile Ritchie Valens's Neptune
- Transiting Uranus trine Ritchie Valens's Neptune
We have good timings for Buddy Holly, so can include Earth and Moon where needed.
With Ritchie Valens we see a similar Jupiter Uranus conjunction as seen with Greg Fleniken
who was shot to death is such unusual and accidental
circumstances.

The transits at the time of Ritchie Valens's death were
- Transiting Mars square Ritchie Valens's Earth

- Transiting Mars conjunct Ritchie Valens's Venus

- Transiting Mars square Ritchie Valens's Mars

- Transiting Mars conjunct Ritchie Valens's Jupiter

- Transiting Mars conjunct Ritchie Valens's Uranus

- Transiting Mars trine Ritchie Valens's Neptune
- Transiting Mars sextile Ritchie Valens's Chiron
- Transiting Jupiter opposite Ritchie Valens's Mercury
- Transiting Jupiter opposite Ritchie Valens's Venus
- Transiting Jupiter square Ritchie Valens's Mars

- Transiting Chiron sextile Ritchie Valens's Moon
- Transiting Chiron square Ritchie Valens's Sun
The chart shown is Ritchie Valens's birthchart, set at 00:56am, together with transits for his death, set at 1am, around the outside. Aspect lines [traditional] are between the transits and his birthchart.
What makes Tommy Allsup such a great example?
Coin Toss with Tommy Allsup

During the famous 1959 coin toss, Ritchie Valens called 'heads', and 'heads' came up, so he won the toss and the plane seat. Tommy Allsup , who lost the toss, later opened a saloon named 'Heads Up' in memory of the fateful event.
The transits at the time of Tommy Allsup's losing coin toss were
- Transiting Sun sextile Tommy Allsup's Mars
- Transiting Sun opposite Tommy Allsup's Chiron
- Transiting Moon trine Tommy Allsup's Chiron
- Transiting Mercury opposite Tommy Allsup's Pluto

- Transiting Venus square Tommy Allsup's Sun
- Transiting Mars conjunct Tommy Allsup's Uranus
- Transiting Jupiter opposite Tommy Allsup's Uranus
- Transiting Jupiter sextile Tommy Allsup's Neptune
- Transiting Chiron conjunct Tommy Allsup's Moon
- Transiting Uranus conjunct Tommy Allsup's Chiron
- Transiting Neptune square Tommy Allsup's Pluto

- Transiting Pluto square Tommy Allsup's Sun
The chart shown is Tommy Allsup's birthchart set at midday, together with transits for the coin toss, set for just gone midnight, around the outside. Aspect lines [traditional] are between the transits and his birthchart.
What makes The Big Bopper and Waylon Jennings such a great example?

The Big Bopper is said to have had, or at least been fighting off, the flu, and argued for his place on the plane. Waylon Jennings , who was Buddy Holly's guitar player was relegated to the bus. Perhaps it was down to the money.
The transits for the time of The Big Bopper's death in the plane crash were
- Transiting Sun sextile The Big Bopper's Uranus
- Transiting Mercury sextile The Big Bopper's Venus
- Transiting Venus opposite The Big Bopper's Neptune
- Transiting Chiron trine The Big Bopper's Mercury
- Transiting Uranus trine The Big Bopper's Uranus
- Transiting Neptune sextile The Big Bopper's Saturn
- Transiting Neptune sextile The Big Bopper's Neptune
- Transiting Pluto conjunct The Big Bopper's Neptune
The chart shown is The Big Bopper's birthchart set at midday, together with transits for the plane crash, set for 1am, around the outside. Aspect lines [traditional] are between the transits and his birthchart.

The Big Bopper is said to have had, or at least been fighting off, the flu, and argued for his place on the plane. Waylon Jennings , who was Buddy Holly's guitar player was relegated to the bus. Perhaps it was down to the money, but the aspects between them, with many trines, suggest a very easy relationship that probably would have not seen any argument from Waylon.
The aspects between Waylon Jennings and The Big Bopper were
- Waylon Jennings's Sun trine The Big Bopper's Mercury
- Waylon Jennings's Moon sextile The Big Bopper's Pluto
- Waylon Jennings's Mercury sextile The Big Bopper's Mars
- Waylon Jennings's Venus trine The Big Bopper's Saturn
- Waylon Jennings's Mars trine The Big Bopper's Jupiter
- Waylon Jennings's Mars trine The Big Bopper's Pluto
- Waylon Jennings's Saturn trine The Big Bopper's Venus
- Waylon Jennings's Chiron trine The Big Bopper's Mercury
- Waylon Jennings's Neptune trine The Big Bopper's Chiron
The chart shown is The Big Bopper's birthchart set at midday, together with transits for the plane crash, set for 1am, around the outside. Aspect lines [traditional] are between the transits and his birthchart.

Waylon Jennings was persuaded to remain on the cold bus, but still had his own transits at the time of the crash, as did millions of others around the world. These transits still involve Pluto, Mars, etc. which perhaps suggest it could have been him, or that the dead were the 'other' involved in those transits.
The transits at the time of Waylon Jennings's not being involved in the crash were
- Transiting Earth opposite Buddy Holly's Uranus
- Transiting Sun square Buddy Holly's Uranus
- Transiting Moon square Buddy Holly's Neptune
- Transiting Mercury sextile Buddy Holly's Saturn
- Transiting Venus square Buddy Holly's Mercury
- Transiting Mars trine Buddy Holly's Jupiter
- Transiting Mars sextile Buddy Holly's Pluto
- Transiting Jupiter trine Buddy Holly's Pluto
- Transiting Saturn square Buddy Holly's Saturn
- Transiting Neptune opposite Buddy Holly's Venus
- Transiting Pluto square Buddy Holly's Mercury
- Transiting Chiron square Buddy Holly's Mars
The chart shown is Waylon Jennings's birthchart set at 10:30am, together with transits for the plane crash,, set for 1am, around the outside. Aspect lines [traditional] are between the transits and his birthchart.
Are Carl Bunch and Dion examples of anything?
Carl Bunch in hospital

Carl Bunch was Buddy Holly's drummer, but missed the Iowa gig due to being in hospital with frostbite.
The transits at the time of Carl Bunch's non-involvement with the plane crash were
- Transiting Earth square Carl Bunch's Earth
- Transiting Sun conjunct Carl Bunch's Earth
- Transiting Mercury square Carl Bunch's Moon
- Transiting Venus sextile Carl Bunch's Moon
- Transiting Venus conjunct Carl Bunch's Mars
- Transiting Mars sextile Carl Bunch's Jupiter
- Transiting Mars trine Carl Bunch's Neptune
- Transiting Jupiter trine Carl Bunch's Jupiter
- Transiting Saturn sextile Carl Bunch's Mars
- Transiting Neptune opposite Carl Bunch's Moon
- Transiting Pluto square Carl Bunch's Sun
- Transiting Pluto opposite Carl Bunch's Mars
- Transiting Chiron sextile Carl Bunch's Venus
The chart shown is Carl Bunch's birthchart set at midday, together with transits for the plane crash, set for 1am, around the outside. Aspect lines [traditional] are between the transits and his birthchart.
Dion stayed on the bus

Dion and the Belmonts were one of the support acts, and whether offered a seat or not, Dion was not on the plane. The other obvious thing is that there was very little in the way of difficult transits for Dion.
The transits at the time of Dion's not being on the plane were
- Transiting Earth trine Dion's Venus
- Transiting Earth trine Dion's Chiron
- Transiting Mars sextile Dion's Sun
- Transiting Jupiter sextile Dion's Mars
- Transiting Jupiter trine Dion's Pluto
- Transiting Chiron perhaps opposite Dion's Moon
- Transiting Chiron opposite Dion's Mercury
- Transiting Chiron square Dion's Uranus
The chart shown is Dion's birthchart set at midday, together with transits for the plane crash,, set for 1am, around the outside. Aspect lines [traditional] are between the transits and his birthchart.
Roger Peterson the Pilot
Roger Peterson the Pilot

Roger Peterson was the pilot of the Beechcraft airplane, whom the Civil Aeronautics Board Report found was the probable cause of the accident in which he died.
The Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the pilot's unwise decision to embark on a flight which would necessitate flying solely by instruments when he was not properly certificated or qualified to do so.
The transits at the time of Roger Peterson's plane crash were
- Transiting Earth opposite Roger Peterson's Uranus

- Transiting Sun square Roger Peterson's Mercury
- Transiting Moon square Roger Peterson's Neptune
- Transiting Venus square Roger Peterson's Sun
- Transiting Mars opposite Roger Peterson's Mars

- Transiting Mars trine Roger Peterson's Jupiter
- Transiting Mars sextile Roger Peterson's Pluto
- Transiting Saturn square Roger Peterson's Saturn
- Transiting Chiron sextile Roger Peterson's Venus
- Transiting Chiron trine Roger Peterson's Chiron

- Transiting Uranus square Roger Peterson's Mercury
- Transiting Pluto square Roger Peterson's Sun

The chart shown is Roger Peterson's birthchart set at midday, together with transits for the plane crash, set for 1am, around the outside. Aspect lines [traditional] are between the transits and his birthchart.
The Pilot and Buddy Holly

Buddy Holly and Roger Peterson were not only of the same generation, but of the same class you might say, with the consequence that all the outer planets were conjunct, which is not always the case for people born in the same year. The result for them was that the Mars Pluto trine in Poger's birthchart, became a Mars Pluto for Buddy as well.
The aspects between Roger Peterson and Buddy Holly were
- Buddy Holly's Earth square Buddy Holly's Saturn
- Buddy Holly's Sun trine Buddy Holly's Mercury
- Buddy Holly's Sun conjunct Buddy Holly's Neptune
- Buddy Holly's Venus trine Buddy Holly's Sun
- Buddy Holly's Venus opposite Buddy Holly's Saturn
- Buddy Holly's Jupiter square Buddy Holly's Neptune
- Buddy Holly's Chiron sextile Buddy Holly's Venus
- Buddy Holly's Chiron conjunct Buddy Holly's Chiron

- Buddy Holly's Uranus conjunct Buddy Holly's Uranus

- Buddy Holly's Neptune trine Buddy Holly's Mercury
- Buddy Holly's Neptune conjunct Buddy Holly's Neptune

- Buddy Holly's Pluto perhaps trine Buddy Holly's Moon
- Buddy Holly's Pluto trine Buddy Holly's Mars

- Buddy Holly's Pluto opposite Buddy Holly's Jupiter
- Buddy Holly's Pluto conjunct Buddy Holly's Pluto

The chart shown is Roger Peterson's birthchart set at midday, together with Buddy Holly's birthday as transits, set at 1am, around the outside. Aspect lines [traditional] are between the transits and the birthchart.
The Pilot and Ritchie Valens

With the number of aspects from Roger Peterson's Mars, Jupiter and Pluto, the indication is that his actions, judgement and effect on reality where immense for Ritchie Valens.
The aspects between Roger Peterson and Buddy Holly were
- Ritchie Valens's Earth perhaps square Roger Peterson's Moon
- Ritchie Valens's Earth sextile Roger Peterson's Venus
- Ritchie Valens's Earth square Roger Peterson's Mars
- Ritchie Valens's Moon trine Roger Peterson's Venus
- Ritchie Valens's Moon opposite Roger Peterson's Chiron
- Ritchie Valens's Venus opposite Roger Peterson's Mars
- Ritchie Valens's Venus trine Roger Peterson's Jupiter
- Ritchie Valens's Venus sextile Roger Peterson's Pluto
- Ritchie Valens's Mars perhaps square Roger Peterson's Moon
- Ritchie Valens's Mars square Roger Peterson's Mars
- Ritchie Valens's Jupiter perhaps opposite Roger Peterson's Moon
- Ritchie Valens's Jupiter opposite Roger Peterson's Mars
- Ritchie Valens's Jupiter trine Roger Peterson's Jupiter
- Ritchie Valens's Jupiter sextile Roger Peterson's Pluto
- Ritchie Valens's Chiron perhaps trine Roger Peterson's Moon
- Ritchie Valens's Chiron trine Roger Peterson's Mars
- Ritchie Valens's Chiron opposite Roger Peterson's Jupiter
- Ritchie Valens's Chiron conjunct Roger Peterson's Pluto

- Ritchie Valens's Uranus perhaps opposite Roger Peterson's Moon
- Ritchie Valens's Uranus opposite Roger Peterson's Mars
- Ritchie Valens's Uranus trine Roger Peterson's Jupiter
- Ritchie Valens's Uranus sextile Roger Peterson's Pluto
- Ritchie Valens's Neptune perhaps sextile Roger Peterson's Moon
- Ritchie Valens's Neptune sextile Roger Peterson's Mars
- Ritchie Valens's Neptune sextile Roger Peterson's Pluto
- Ritchie Valens's Pluto sextile Roger Peterson's Sun
- Ritchie Valens's Pluto trine Roger Peterson's Saturn
The chart shown is Roger Peterson's birthchart set at midday, together with Ritchie Valens's birthday as transits, set at 1am, around the outside. Aspect lines [traditional] are between the transits and the birthchart.

Roger the pilot has the clearest connection to the The Big Bopper's Mercury, which at first sight appears innocuous
enough, until we see that it [Bopper's Mercury] is square his own conjunction of jupiter and pluto, especially so bearing
in mind that it was his Mercury that was the connection to Waylon Jennings and his
- a case of ask and you shall
receive, or perhaps be careful what you ask for.
The aspects between Roger Peterson and The Big Bopper were
- The Big Bopper's Mercury opposite Roger Peterson's Venus
- The Big Bopper's Mercury trine Roger Peterson's Chiron

- The Big Bopper's Mars sextile Roger Peterson's Sun
- The Big Bopper's Mars trine Roger Peterson's Saturn
- The Big Bopper's Chiron conjunct Roger Peterson's Mercury

- The Big Bopper's Chiron trine Roger Peterson's Neptune
The chart shown is Roger Peterson's birthchart set at midday, together with The Big Bopper's birthday as transits, set at 1am, around the outside. Aspect lines [traditional] are between the transits and the birthchart.
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This page is /menu/examples/death/buddyholly.php and it was last updated on Saturday 1st of November 2025 01:52:42 PM