J.P. Richardson, Jr: The Big Bopper
Beaumont, Jefferson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Jiles Perry "J.P." Richardson, Jr. was born on October 24, 1930 to Jiles and Elsie Bernice (Stalsby) Richardson in Sabine Pass (26 mi. SE); the family moved to Beaumont when he was six. As a teenager, Richardson began writing songs with country and western influences. Following graduation from Beaumont High School in 1947, he attended Lamar College, where he sang in the choir and played in the band. He also became a disc jockey for radio station KTRM. It was there he developed his "Big Bopper" character and his musical style shifted toward rockabilly, combining country and western with rock and roll. He served two years in the Army but returned to radio work in Beaumont, and as a DJ in 1957 Richardson raised money for charity by spinning records continuously for more than 122 hours. Around the same time, Mercury Records executive Shelby Singleton signed him to a contract, and the Big Bopper went on tour along the east coast. His recording Chantilly Lace was on the top of the charts for six weeks in 1958 and earned him a gold record after being listed among the Top 100 for 25 weeks. At the age of 28, married with two children, rock and roll star J.P. Richardson joined a group of young musicians on another national tour. Tragically, on February 3, 1959, their plane crashed in Iowa, killing him and fellow artists Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens. Richardson's body was returned here for burial. In addition to the 21 songs he recorded as the Big Bopper, he wrote many more, including Running Bear and White Lightnin', made popular by other singers. J.P. Richardson, Jr. is remembered for his musical talent as well as his larger-than-life persona as the Big Bopper. (2006)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Born in Sabine Pass in 1930 and raised in Beaumont, J.P. "Big Bopper" Richardson turned a radio DJ's showmanship into rockabilly stardom, once spinning records for more than 122 hours straight for charity. His 1958 hit "Chantilly Lace" topped the charts and earned a gold record, and he wrote hits like "Running Bear" and "White Lightnin'" for other artists. On February 3, 1959, he died in the Iowa plane crash that also killed Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens, and his body was returned to Beaumont for burial.
Why it matters
Richardson helped shape early rock and roll, and his death in "the day the music died" became one of the defining moments of American popular music.
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Related people
- · J.P. Richardson Jr.
- · Buddy Holly
- · Ritchie Valens
Related events
- · 1959 Iowa plane crash
Themes & tags
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