Rock Radio Scrapbook

AIRCHECK OF THE WEEK
For week of January 31, 2010
Weekly issue #566

Subject: SNUFF GARRETT
Station: KSYD Wichita Falls, Tex. (as relayed on KBOB Brownsville, Tex.)
Date: February 3, 1959
Time: 25:04 (Part 1)
           23:18 (Part 2)

In some newspapers that day - including the New York Times - it wasn't even front-page news. But on at least one radio station, it was the only story.

Hard as it may be to believe, the deaths of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, was not the top story in the national media the day it happened. It was overshadowed by news of the deaths of 65 people in the crash of American Airlines Flight 320 on approach to La Guardia Airport in New York City (the NY Times had the deaths of the musicians on page 66!). Later of course, the date  February 3, 1959 became irrevocably associated with the deaths of the three music stars, but that's not the way it was at first.

Snuff Garrett, who would go on to a stellar career as a music producer for artists like Bobby Vee, Gary Lewis and the Playboys and Cher, was a teenager on the air at KSYD Wichita Falls, Tex., on the day the news broke of the deaths of the three music stars. Garrett, who had met Holly while deejaying and claims to be the first jock to have played "Peggy Sue", devoted his show to the deaths of the musicians. He did interviews, played their music, and waxed nostalgic about the three fallen stars. Luckily a recording of that show has survived, and we're pleased to feature it on Rock Radio Scrapbook.

Hear Snuff Garrett with Part One of his KSYD tribute show here.

Hear Snuff Garrett with Part Two of his KSYD tribute show here.

(Scrapbook archives)

(Kudos to Charlie Ritenburg - first for repairing the ancient cassette tape this show was on, then getting it "on speed", then transferring it to CD so you could hear it here. Thanks Charlie!)

More 1959 airchecks here!

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