BUDDY - THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY BACKSTAGE GUIDE 15 ABOUT THE SURF BALLROOM The original Surf Ballroom opened on April 17, 1933. It burned down on April 20, 1947 at an estimated loss of $250,000. On July 1, 1948 it reopened, having been rebuilt across the street from its original location. The Surf Ballroom is currently owned by the Snyder family of Clear Lake and is open to the public daily. The exterior of the ballroom has changed very little since the 1950s. It still hosts numerous events year round and has a seating capacity of 2,100 and a 6,300-square-foot dance floor. Backstage, in an area known as "The Green Room," acts that have performed on the ballroom's historic stage, such as Little River Band, Loverboy, The Righteous Brothers, The Temptations, The Beach Boys, Waylon Jennings, and Bobby Rydell have signed their names on the whitewashed walls, as well as have had photos of themselves placed on a wall alongside those of early rock and roll pioneers. On Monday, February 2, 1959, the “Winter Dance Party” tour—featuring Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson, and Dion and the Belmonts—arrived in Clear Lake, Iowa, having driven 350 miles from the previous day's concert in Green Bay. The town had not been a scheduled stop, but the tour promoters, hoping to fill an open date, called the manager of the local Surf Ballroom, Carroll Anderson, and offered him the show. He accepted, and they set the show for that night. By the time Holly arrived at the venue that evening, he was frustrated with the ongoing problems with the bus. The next scheduled destination after Clear Lake was Moorhead, Minnesota, a 365-mile drive north and northwest (and, emphasizing the poor planning, a journey that would take them directly back through two towns they had already played within the last week.) No let up after that was in sight, as the following day, they were scheduled to travel back almost directly south to Sioux City, Iowa, a 325-mile trip. Holly, Valens and Richardson left the Surf immediately after the show, going to the nearby Mason City airport and chartering a small plane to take them to Fargo, North Dakota to prepare for their next show at the Moorhead Armory in Minnesota. The plane took off at 12:55 AM Central Time on Tuesday February 3, 1959. Shortly after takeoff, the plane crashed, killing everyone aboard. A concrete monument was erected outside The Surf, and the ballroom is adorned with large pictures of the three musicians. A street flanking the facility's east property line is named Buddy Holly Place in his honor. Each February since 1979, the Surf Ballroom hosts a "Winter Dance Party" tribute show to honor the lives and legacies of the three stars. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum designated the Surf Ballroom a historical landmark on January 27, 2009. The Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa A promotional poster for the “Winter Dance Party” tour Buddy Holly’s final performance before his tragic death was at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa on February 2, 1959. (edited from Wikipedia.org)