The Big Booper's Son - Katy Man Honors the Father He Never Knew

In the song American Pie, Don McLean sings about the day the music died, “February made me shiver with every paper I delivered” and how he felt sad for his “widowed bride.” He was referring to the fateful plane crash on February 3, 1959, that ended the lives of singers Ritchie Valens and Buddy Holly, making a widow out of Buddy Holly’s new bride. Another widow was made that day– Mrs. J.P. Richardson.

Better known as “The Big Bopper,” Richardson was also onboard and died in the crash. At the time, his wife was pregnant with a son, Jay P. Now in his forties, Jay P. Richardson continues his quest to learn about the famous father he never knew. A Beaumont disc jockey at KTRM radio in 1957, J.P. Richardson earned early success as a country western singer-songwriter. He was encouraged by the radio station to develop an on-air personality that would attract a young audience, so he invented “The Big Bopper.” The popularity of his radio show soared, and he recorded a single called Chantilly Lace that is now one of America’s 800 most played songs. Chantilly Lace became Richardson’s break-out hit, spending 22 weeks on the national Top 40. The Big Bopper was on his way to stardom as a rock’n roll singer. Selling more than a million records, Chantilly Lace earned him a gold record that the young star never got to see.

After the plane crash, the loss was too painful for Jay P.’s mother who put away all of his father’s things. Growing up, the only time Richardson ever heard about his father was when he visited his grandparents. “My mother felt that the music business had taken away my dad,” he explains. “So she led me away from a music career.”

Rock ’n Roll Roots
In 1984, Richardson moved to Houston to start his own flooring business. “My company was doing a floor for a house in Katy and I decided to buy it,” says Jay P. “We’ve been here ever since.” Soon after, he began getting more interested in learning about his father and his career. At the age of 28, he made his first trip to Clear Lake, Iowa, the site of the plane crash. A monument was being unveiled at the Surf Ballroom. “It was a cryfest for the weekend,” says Richardson. “It was quite an emotional weekend to hear stories about my dad for the very first time.” At the event, he also met Mrs. Buddy Holly and members of Ritchie Valens’ family.
Richardson began collecting everything he could find. Much of the family’s memorabilia is now on loan for exhibits honoring the Big Bopper at the Museum of the Gulf Coast in Port Arthur and the Texas County Music Hall of Fame in Carthage. A few years later, Richardson opened a nightclub in the Katy area called The Little Bopper. He booked ‘50s and ‘60s era rock’n’roll acts. One night after closing, Richardson was singing along with his dad’s song on the jukebox and performer Frankie Ford (Sea Cruise) was impressed. “He told me ‘you look like your dad, sound like your dad, you ought to consider a tribute tour,’” explains Richardson. A few days later, Ken Keene, Frankie’s manager, invited Richardson to be a part of a show hosted by Fabian. Intrigued and amused by the idea, Richardson asked for a year to practice. A year later, Keene called again. Before accepting Keene’s offer, Richardson decided to consult his friend Mike Franklin, former music director for Wolfman Jack. Richardson traveled to Franklin’s Florida studio for an assessment of his talents. “I’d never been to Florida before. I figured if I wasn’t any good, we’ll just go bass fishing,” says Richardson “So, I sang for Mike and he stopped me and I figured well, looks like we’re going fishing. To my surprise, Mike says, ‘I didn’t know you could sing!’”

Taking the Stage for Dad
The next thing Richardson knew he was performing in North Carolina along with 19 other acts from the ‘50s. “The crowd loved us and really responded,” says Richardson In 1999, forty years after the plane crash, the new Winter Dance Party Tribute Tour debuted. It travels to the same Midwest venues of the original tour, including the Surf Ballroom, the site of the group’s last performance. The Winter Party Tribute Tour features Ray Anthony as Ritchie Valens and John Mueller as Buddy Holly. When he was approached to join the tour, Richardson felt filling his father’s shoes was impossible and he didn’t want to tarnish his dad’s image. In his leopard-skin jacket, Richardson bears a striking resemblance to his dad. He has performed throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe, getting rave reviews wherever he performs, and keeping his dad’s memory alive. Today Richardson and his wife Patty have three children: Ashlyn, 18; Jay P. Jr., 16; and Thomas, 11. Thomas occasionally shares the stage with his dad, and brings him the telephone for his signature “Hello, Baby” start to Chantilly Lace. At a
Meet and Greet session after a concert, fans were asking for both of their autographs.
“I score big points with the kids when it helped them get backstage passes at Backstreet Boys or Gretchen Wilson concerts,” adds Richardson At her graduation from Calvin Nelms High
School, daughter Ashlyn got the star treatment. As a surprise, the principal arranged for her dad to serenade her with Chantilly Lace. Richardson has even appeared with Dick Clark of American Bandstand fame as his dad did decades earlier. He is thrilled to be sharing his dad’s music with both old fans and new ones. He enjoys performing and entertains the idea of playing for his neighbors at a Katy venue someday, perhaps at the next Rice Harvest Festival? One thing’s for sure, you won’t want to miss it, baby!

A Rock ‘n Roll Visionary
On the 40th anniversary of the plane crash, VH-1 interviewed Richardson. “This is how I found out about Dad’s TV music videos he had filmed 40 years earlier,” says Richardson “These films pre-date the first music video done by Ricky Nelson and demonstrate what a visionary Dad was and why I think he deserves to be in the Rock‘n Roll Hall of Fame.” His father already has been inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
To learn more about the Big Bopper’s music legacy and the tribute tour, visit www.officialbigbopper.com.

Melissa Landrum is a Katy-based freelance writer. She and her husband have lived in Katy since 1985. They have three children.