The Big Bopper

The Big Bopper
Richardson in 1958
Background information
Birth name	Jiles Perry Richardson Jr.
Also known as	J.P. Richardson
Born	(1930-10-24)October 24, 1930 Sabine Pass, Texas, U.S.
Died	February 3, 1959(1959-02-03) (aged 28) Clear Lake, Iowa, U.S.
Genres	Rock and roll, rockabilly, country
Occupations	Musician singer songwriter disc jockey
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Years active	1949–1959
Labels	Mercury Records

Jiles Perry Richardson Jr. (October 24, 1930 – February 3, 1959), better known by his stage name The Big Bopper, was an American musician and disc jockey. His best-known compositions include "Chantilly Lace," "Running Bear", and "White Lightning", the latter of which became George Jones's first number-one hit in 1959.

A native of Southeast Texas, Richardson began working for a local radio station while studying at Lamar College. He then served two years in the United States Army from 1955 to 1957 before resuming his radio career. He soon began writing songs for other artists before starting his own career as a performer, achieving his breakthrough with the song Chantilly Lace, which was the lead single from his 1958 debut album of the same name.

Richardson was killed in an airplane crash in Clear Lake, Iowa, in February 1959, along with fellow musicians Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens, and the pilot, Roger Peterson.^[1]