50th anniversary for rock 'n' roll tragedy

— -- Fifty years after The Day the Music Died — songwriter Don McLean's description of the Feb. 3, 1959, plane crash that killed musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson — rock 'n' roll fans are marking the event both in Iowa, where the private plane went down in a frozen cornfield near Clear Lake, and in Holly's hometown of Lubbock, Texas.

Clear Lake's Surf Ballroom, recently designated a landmark by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the venue for the trio's final gig the night before they died, hosts a week-long series of seminars and other remembrances that culminates with a sold-out tribute concert Monday. Next Monday and Tuesday in Lubbock, activities at the Buddy Holly Center include a fan fair, panel discussions, and screening of former Beatle Paul McCartney's film The Real Buddy Holly Story.

Information: 50winterslatercom; buddyhollycenter.org