[PHOTOS] Buddy Holly – 59 Years Ago Today in 1959

Next year will be the 60th, but today is the golden anniversary of the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, the Big Bopper, and their pilot in in northern Iowa.

It was 59 years ago today in 1959 that we lost one of rock n roll's most promising stars.

One of my first road trips after arriving in Iowa a few years ago was to the crash site in the farm field where the wreckage was discovered the morning after their last show at the Surf Ballroom in nearby Clear Lake..

I was touched by the fact that the location has been left in it's near original state, not commercialized with garish, over-the-top monuments.

Just a small marking adorned with simple mementos left by family and fans over the years as a tribute to their lives.

My photos reflect the mood of that simple shrine. It was truly a humbling experience to visit the place where "the music died"