article_snippet.sent: It has long been known that the song about 'the day the music died' refers to February 3, 1959, when rock n' roll icon Buddy Holly and fellow singers Ritchie Valens and J.P. 'Big Bopper' Richardson died in a plane crash.
article_snippet.sent: American Pie mourns the death of late-50s rock n' roll icon Buddy Holly,  who died in a plane crash on February 3 1959, aged just 22, which is what McLean refers to as 'the day music died'
article_snippet.sent: J.P. 'Big Bopper' Richardson and Ritchie Valens Valens also died in a plane crash .