Dion DiMucci

Dion DiMucci, known as Dion, is a singer-songwriter who played a key role in rock and roll music. Dion first rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group Dion and the Belmonts. With Dion's captivating voice, the group achieved success with hits like "A Teenager in Love" and "I Wonder Why" in the late 1950s. Dion DiMucci, best known simply as Dion, had recently parted ways with The Belmonts, he then joined the Winter Dance Party tour. On February 3, 1959, Dion was offered a seat on the plane to get to the concert. But when he learned the ticket would cost $36, he declined. That amount was the same as his parents’ monthly rent back in The Bronx. He then gave up his seat to Valens. The plane crashed shortly after takeoff, killing Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, The Big Bopper (J.P. Richardson), and pilot Roger Peterson. The tragedy shocked the nation and later immortalized it as "The Day the Music Died.”