Buddy Holly and the Laramar

The Laramar Ballroom at 710 First Avenue North has a rich history. Check out this poster — believed to be a reproduction — promoting Buddy Holly's appearance at the Laramar on Jan. 30, 1959, only three days before his death in the crash of a Beechcraft Bonanza near Clear Lake.

Also on the fatal flight with Holly were J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson (of "Chantilly Lace" fame), Ritchie Valens and the 21-year-old pilot, Roger Peterson.

The book, "The Day the Music Died: The Last Tour of Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens — and the Fatal Air Crash That Took Their Lives" details the musicians' appearance at the Laramar before 1,000. Here is part of the entry:

"Fort Dodge (pop. 28,000) had come under the intense scrutiny of health officials after a mysterious virus spread rapidly through the city in November. As many as two thousand Fort Dodge residents had been stricken with the virus, which caused nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. A team of federal health officials descended on the city in January in an all-out effort to determine the source of the virus.

"When it was discovered that the pet dog in many families was stricken with similar symptoms, the Iowa state veterinarian was dispatched to the city to take case histories of the sick dogs.

"The Winter Dance Party bus with its balky heater slipped through the winter darkness in temperatures in the low teens and with two inches of freshly fallen snow on the ground, en route to a concert in a city full of sick people and dogs.

"The bus was late arriving in Fort Dodge. 'We were worried,' says Dick Derrig, an assistant manager at the Laramar Ballroom.

"Bob Geer, fifteen-year-old son of Laramar owner Larry Geer, remembers the group's arrival. 'They had a bus that smelled bad. I'm sure it was no fun traveling on.' "

Here is a link to photos of Holly's appearance in Fort Dodge.