The Big Bopper | |
---|---|
![]() Richardson in 1958 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Jiles Perry Richardson Jr. |
Also known as | J.P. Richardson |
Born | Sabine Pass, Texas, U.S. | October 24, 1930
Died | February 3, 1959 Clear Lake, Iowa, U.S. | (aged 28)
Genres | Rock and roll, rockabilly, country |
Occupation(s) |
|
Instruments |
|
Years active | 1949–1959 |
Labels | Mercury Records |
Jiles Perry "J.P." Richardson Jr. (October 24, 1930 – February 3, 1959), better known by his stage name The Big Bopper, was an American musician and disc jockey. His best-known compositions include "Chantilly Lace," "Running Bear", and "White Lightning", the latter of which became George Jones's first number-one hit in 1959.
Richardson was killed in an airplane crash in Clear Lake, Iowa, in February 1959, along with fellow musicians Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens, and the pilot, Roger Peterson.[1]