This page will contain blogs about The Big Bopper, as they become available.

The Big Bopper

Jiles Perry Richardson, Jr. (October 24, 1930 - February 3, 1959), better known as The Big Bopper but called Jape by his friends and who wrote songs as J.P. Richardson, was a disc jockey who parlayed a big voice and exuberant personality into a career as an early rock and roll star.

He was born in Sabine Pass, Texas, the oldest son of Jiles Perry, Sr. and Elise (Stalsby) Richardson. His father was an oil field worker and driller. He had two younger brothers, Cecil and James. Within a short time the family moved to Beaumont, Texas. He graduated from Beaumont High School in 1947 and was a member of the "Royal Purple" football team, wearing number "85" as a defensive lineman.

Richardson later studied law at Lamar College, and was a member of the band and chorus. During this time he worked part time at KTRM radio. On April 18, 1952, Richardson married Adrianne Joy Fryou from Montegut, Louisiana, and by 1955 he had joined the United States Army, where he spent two years as a radar instructor at Fort Bliss. Upon his discharge, he began working at KTRM radio, where he held down the "Dishwashers' Serenade" shift from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

One of the sponsors wanted Richardson for a new time slot and suggested a gimmick for the show. Richardson noticed all the college kids doing a dance called The Bop, so he decided to become known as "The Big Bopper!" He kicked off a new radio show from 3 to 6 p.m., and soon The Big Bopper became the station's program director.

In May of 1957, Jape Richardson broke the record for continuous on-the-air broadcasting by eight minutes. He went a total of five days, two hours and eight minutes, playing 1,821 records and taking showers during five-minute newscasts. During the marathon, he lost 35 pounds (16 kg). KTRM paid Richardson $746.50 for his overtime and he quickly hit the sack for 20 hours.

Around this time, Richardson -- who played guitar-- started writing more songs. George Jones later recorded Richardson's "White Lightning", which became his first #1 country hit in 1959 (#73 on the pop charts). Richardson also wrote "Running Bear" for his friend from Port Arthur, Texas, Johnny Preston. Inspiration for the song came from Richardson's childhood memory of the Sabine river, where he heard stories about Indian tribes. Jape sang background on "Running Bear", but it wasn't released until September 1959, after his death. Within several months it went to #1.

The man who launched Richardson as a recording artist was Harold "Pappy" Dailey from Houston. Dailey was promotion director for Mercury and Starday records and signed Richardson to Mercury. Richardson's first single "Beggar To A King" had a country flavor, but failed to gain any chart action. He soon cut "Chantilly Lace" as "The Big Bopper" for Pappy Dailey's D label. Mercury bought the recording and released it during the summer of 1958. It reached 16 on the pop charts and spent 22 weeks on the national Top 40.

With the success of "Chantilly Lace," Richardson took some time off from KTRM radio and joined Buddy Holly and The Crickets, Ritchie Valens, and Dion & the Belmonts for a "Winter Dance Party" tour. On February 2nd, 1959, Buddy Holly chartered a Beechcraft Bonanza to take him and his new Crickets band (Tommy Allsup and Waylon Jennings) to Fargo, North Dakota. Richardson came down with the flu and didn't feel comfortable on the bus, so Waylon gave his plane seat to him. Valens had never flown on a small plane and requested Allsup's seat. They flipped a coin, and Valens called heads and won the toss.

In the early morning of February 3, following a February 2nd performance at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, the small four-passenger Beechcraft Bonanza took off into a blinding snow storm and crashed into Albert Juhl’s corn field several miles after takeoff at 1:05 a.m. The crash killed Holly, Valens, Richardson and pilot Roger Peterson. This event would become known as "The Day the Music Died".

At the time of his death, Richardson, 28, left behind his wife Adrianne Joy, four-year-old Debra Joy, and a baby son who was born after his death, Jay P. Richardson. Richardson had been building a recording studio in his home in Beaumont, Texas before that last tour and was also planning to invest in the ownership of a radio station. In addition, he had written twenty new songs with plans to record by himself and with other artists. Richardson was a well-loved figure who was known to care deeply about his family.

Monument at Crash Site, September 16, 2003

In 1988, Ken Paquette, a Wisconsin fan of the ’50s era, erected a stainless steel monument depicting a steel guitar and a set of three records bearing the names of each of the three performers. It is located on private farmland, about one quarter mile west of the intersection of 315th Street and Gull Avenue, approximately eight miles north of Clear Lake. He also created a similar stainless steel monument to the three musicians near the Riverside Ballroom in Green Bay, Wisconsin. That memorial was unveiled on July 17, 2003.

The Big Bopper is fondly remembered not only for his distinctive singing and songwriting, but also as a humorist who combined the best elements of country, R&B and rock'n'roll.

Quotation

  • "Oh, baby, that's what I like!"

This page about The Big Bopper includes information from a Wikipedia article.
Additional articles about The Big Bopper
News stories about The Big Bopper
External links for The Big Bopper
Videos for The Big Bopper
Wikis about The Big Bopper
Discussion Groups about The Big Bopper
Blogs about The Big Bopper
Images of The Big Bopper

The Big Bopper is fondly remembered not only for his distinctive singing and songwriting, but also as a humorist who combined the best elements of country, R&B and rock'n'roll. The same has become true of the shaving off of unwanted body and facial hair, though removal of the latter has long been common among men in many cultures. That memorial was unveiled on July 17, 2003. (Doing so is known as cross-dressing, and is generally stigmatised.) Fashions change, however: whereas wearing jewelry was formerly associated with females, today in Western cultures it is common for men to wear earrings without being perceived as cross-dressing. He also created a similar stainless steel monument to the three musicians near the Riverside Ballroom in Green Bay, Wisconsin. In terms of outward appearance, few men in Western cultures wear cosmetics or clothing generally associated with female gender roles. It is located on private farmland, about one quarter mile west of the intersection of 315th Street and Gull Avenue, approximately eight miles north of Clear Lake. Men are often considered to be more:.

In 1988, Ken Paquette, a Wisconsin fan of the ’50s era, erected a stainless steel monument depicting a steel guitar and a set of three records bearing the names of each of the three performers. Certain characteristics generally associated with men may be delineated; it is important to remember that the following are generalizations (even stereotypes) and are by no means true of all men. Richardson was a well-loved figure who was known to care deeply about his family. In terms of gender, men differ from women by a variety of behaviours. In addition, he had written twenty new songs with plans to record by himself and with other artists. Overlaps exist between these identities and their nature is a subject of controversy. Richardson had been building a recording studio in his home in Beaumont, Texas before that last tour and was also planning to invest in the ownership of a radio station. Significant numbers of men who otherwise identify as heterosexual have engaged in non-heterosexual behavior.

Richardson. Smaller percentages consider themselves bisexual. At the time of his death, Richardson, 28, left behind his wife Adrianne Joy, four-year-old Debra Joy, and a baby son who was born after his death, Jay P. An estimated 1% to about 5-10% of all men are mostly or exclusively homosexual, meaning that they prefer sexual and/or romantic relationships with other men. This event would become known as "The Day the Music Died". Additionally, 20% of males, particularly in the U.S., the Philippines, and South Korea, as well as Jews and Muslims from all countries, have experienced circumcision, a process of altering the penis from its natural state by removing the foreskin. The crash killed Holly, Valens, Richardson and pilot Roger Peterson. (See also gender identity, gender role and transman.).

In the early morning of February 3, following a February 2nd performance at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, the small four-passenger Beechcraft Bonanza took off into a blinding snow storm and crashed into Albert Juhl’s corn field several miles after takeoff at 1:05 a.m. For example, several men have been born without a typical male physiology (that is, they are transgendered or transsexual men; estimates range between 1:2.000 and one in 100,000), or some men can have an abnormal hormone or chromosomal difference (such as androgen insensitivity syndrome), or another intersex condition; some of those intersex people who have had a female sex assigned at birth sought to reassign their sex later in their lives (or vice versa). They flipped a coin, and Valens called heads and won the toss. Biological factors are usually not the sole determinants of whether a person considers themselves as man or is considered a man or not. Valens had never flown on a small plane and requested Allsup's seat. As well, some age-related disorders such as Alzheimer's disease appear to be more common among men, though whether this is due to a genuinely higher incidence or because men have lower life expectancies than women is uncertain. Richardson came down with the flu and didn't feel comfortable on the bus, so Waylon gave his plane seat to him. For example, autism and color blindness are more common in men than women.

On February 2nd, 1959, Buddy Holly chartered a Beechcraft Bonanza to take him and his new Crickets band (Tommy Allsup and Waylon Jennings) to Fargo, North Dakota. However, there are some sex-related illnesses that occur only, or more frequently, in men. With the success of "Chantilly Lace," Richardson took some time off from KTRM radio and joined Buddy Holly and The Crickets, Ritchie Valens, and Dion & the Belmonts for a "Winter Dance Party" tour. In general, men suffer from many of the same illnesses as women. It reached 16 on the pop charts and spent 22 weeks on the national Top 40. Most, but not all, men have the karyotype 46/XY. Mercury bought the recording and released it during the summer of 1958. The study of male reproduction and associated organs is called andrology.

He soon cut "Chantilly Lace" as "The Big Bopper" for Pappy Dailey's D label. In contrast to women, men have sex organs that are mostly considered to be external, although many parts of the male reproductive system are internal as well (such as the prostate). Richardson's first single "Beggar To A King" had a country flavor, but failed to gain any chart action. But these secondary traits are also often related to reproduction in some manner. Dailey was promotion director for Mercury and Starday records and signed Richardson to Mercury. The secondary sex characteristics, such as body hair and muscle growth, are involved in attracting a mate or in defeating rivals. The man who launched Richardson as a recording artist was Harold "Pappy" Dailey from Houston. The concept of fatherhood, though, exists in every human society.

Within several months it went to #1. Since sperm that enters a woman's uterus and then fallopian tubes goes on to fertilize an egg which develops into a fetus or child during gestation, men play no further necessary role in the creation of offspring. Jape sang background on "Running Bear", but it wasn't released until September 1959, after his death. The male reproductive system is oriented around producing and ejaculating semen which carries sperm and thus genetic information. Inspiration for the song came from Richardson's childhood memory of the Sabine river, where he heard stories about Indian tribes. Just as in women, the sex organs of a man are part of the reproductive system, consisting of the penis, testicles, vas deferens and other sperm cords, and the prostate gland. Richardson also wrote "Running Bear" for his friend from Port Arthur, Texas, Johnny Preston. In terms of sex, men have various sexual characteristics that differentiate them from women.

Around this time, Richardson -- who played guitar-- started writing more songs. George Jones later recorded Richardson's "White Lightning", which became his first #1 country hit in 1959 (#73 on the pop charts). For this reason, many avoid using either man or boy to describe a young man and prefer colloquial terms such as bloke, chap, fellow, guy or the like. KTRM paid Richardson $746.50 for his overtime and he quickly hit the sack for 20 hours. For many, the word man implies a certain degree of maturity and responsibility that young men in particular often feel unprepared for; yet they may also feel too old to be called a boy. During the marathon, he lost 35 pounds (16 kg). For example, the word boy is also commonly used when discussing adult males in relationships, such as in the word boyfriend. Sometimes the word is also used disparagingly for a black man or male slave. He went a total of five days, two hours and eight minutes, playing 1,821 records and taking showers during five-minute newscasts. There are various colloquial exceptions to this usage.

In May of 1957, Jape Richardson broke the record for continuous on-the-air broadcasting by eight minutes. After a boy matures, he is called a man. Richardson noticed all the college kids doing a dance called The Bop, so he decided to become known as "The Big Bopper!" He kicked off a new radio show from 3 to 6 p.m., and soon The Big Bopper became the station's program director. The term boy is used to indicate biological sex distinctions, cultural gender role distinctions, or both. One of the sponsors wanted Richardson for a new time slot and suggested a gimmick for the show. A boy is a male human child, in contrast to an female child, which is a girl. to 12:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Many cultures have rites of passage to symbolize a man's coming of age, such as confirmation in some branches of Christianity, bar mitzvah in Judaism, or even just the celebration of the eighteenth or twenty-first birthday.

Upon his discharge, he began working at KTRM radio, where he held down the "Dishwashers' Serenade" shift from 11 a.m. Manhood is the period in a male's life after he has transitioned from a boy. On April 18, 1952, Richardson married Adrianne Joy Fryou from Montegut, Louisiana, and by 1955 he had joined the United States Army, where he spent two years as a radar instructor at Fort Bliss. The term man (irregular plural: men) is used to indicate biological sex distinctions, cultural gender role distinctions, or both. During this time he worked part time at KTRM radio. A man (from Proto-Germanic mannaz "man, person") is a male human adult, in contrast to an adult female, which is a woman. Richardson later studied law at Lamar College, and was a member of the band and chorus. prone to abstract thinking than women.

He graduated from Beaumont High School in 1947 and was a member of the "Royal Purple" football team, wearing number "85" as a defensive lineman. technically and organizationally skilled than women. Within a short time the family moved to Beaumont, Texas. self-controlled and less emotional (sometimes to the point of being perceived as cold and unloving) than women. He had two younger brothers, Cecil and James. self-confident (even arrogant) and exhibit better leadership skills than women. His father was an oil field worker and driller. competitive but also more stubborn than women.

and Elise (Stalsby) Richardson. courageous and adventuresome than women; the negative side of this image is the perception that men may be more prepared to abandon their families. He was born in Sabine Pass, Texas, the oldest son of Jiles Perry, Sr. Men do tend to be more aggressive outside of the home. Richardson, was a disc jockey who parlayed a big voice and exuberant personality into a career as an early rock and roll star. However, in interpersonal relationships, most research has found that men and women are equally aggressive. Jiles Perry Richardson, Jr. (October 24, 1930 - February 3, 1959), better known as The Big Bopper but called Jape by his friends and who wrote songs as J.P. aggressive than women.

"Oh, baby, that's what I like!".