Richardson 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, where in 1949 he was hired full-time and left school. On April 18, 1952, Richardson married Adrianne Joy Fryou from Montegut, Louisiana; in December 1953 their daughter, Debra Joy, was born. Earlier that year Richardson was promoted to Supervisor of Announcers at KTRM. In March 1955 he was drafted into the United States Army. His basic training was at Fort Ord, California after which Richardson spent two years as a radar instructor at Fort Bliss, Texas. Upon his discharge at the rank of Corporal in March 1957, Richardson returned to 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 station's 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, he 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.
According to the Internet Accuracy Project website, Richardson is credited with coining the term "rock video".
Around this time, Richardson -- who played guitar -- started writing more songs. George Jones later recorded Richardson's "White Lightning", which became Jones' first #1 country hit in 1959 (#73 on the pop charts). Richardson also wrote "Running Bear" for Johnny Preston, his friend from Port Arthur, Texas. 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 #6 on the pop charts and spent 22 weeks on the national Top 40. It also inspired an answer record by Jayne Mansfield titled "That Makes It". In "Chantilly Lace", Richardson pretends to have a flirting phone call with his girlfriend; the Mansfield record suggests what his girlfriend might have been saying at the other end of the line.
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 2, 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 Jennings gave his plane seat to Richardson. 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, after a performance at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, the small four-passenger Beechcraft Bonanza took off from the Mason City airport during 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 the 21-year-old pilot, Roger Peterson. This event would become known as "The Day the Music Died".
Richardson, 28 when he died, left behind his wife, Adrianne, and 4-year-old daughter Debra Joy; a son, Jay Perry Richardson, was born in April of 1959. At the time of his death, Richardson had been building a recording studio in his home in Beaumont, Texas, and was also planning to invest in the ownership of a radio station. In addition, he had written 20 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.
Son Jay P. Richardson took up a musical career inspired by his late father and is known professionally as "The Big Bopper, Jr." He has performed at venues around the world. Notably, he has toured on the "Winter Dance Party" tour with Buddy Holly impersonator John Mueller on some of the very same stages as his father.
In film, The Big Bopper has been portrayed by Gailard Sartain in The Buddy Holly Story and Stephen Lee in La Bamba.
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, this is where the plane crash was situated. 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.
J.P. Richardson's pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
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.
Chantilly Lace
The Big Bopper Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah, this is the Big Bopper speakin'
Ha ha ha ha ha, oh you sweet thing
Do I what?
Will I what?
Oh baby, you know what I like
Chantilly lace and a pretty face
And a pony tail a-hangin' down
That wiggle in the walk
And giggle in the talk
Makes the world go 'round
There ain't nothin' in the world
Like a big-eyed girl
That makes me act so funny
Make me spend my money
Make me feel real loose, like a long necked goose
Like a girl, oh baby, that's what I like
What's that baby, but, but, but?
Oh honey
But?
Oh baby, you know what I like
Chantilly lace and a pretty face
And a pony tail a-hangin' down
That wiggle in the walk
And giggle in the talk
Makes the world go 'round
There ain't nothin' in the world
Like a big-eyed girl
That makes me act so funny
Make me spend my money
Make me feel real loose, like a long necked goose
Like a girl, oh baby, that's what I like
What's that, honey?
Pick you up at eight and don't be late?
But, baby, I ain't got no money, honey
Ha ha ha ha ha
Oh, all right, baby, you know what I like
Chantilly lace and a pretty face
And a pony tail a-hangin' down
That wiggle in the walk
And giggle in the talk
Makes the world go 'round
There ain't nothin' in the world
Like a big-eyed girl
That makes me act so funny
Make me spend my money
Make me feel real loose, like a long necked goose
Like a girl, oh baby, that's what I like
In the song "Chantilly Lace" by The Big Bopper, the singer is talking to a girl on the phone, and she tells him that she wants to see him later that night. The Big Bopper responds in a playful and flirtatious way, telling her that he likes her Chantilly lace, her pretty face, her ponytail hanging down, and that special wiggle in her walk and giggle in her talk. He goes on to explain that there's no one in the world like a big-eyed girl who can make him act so funny and make him spend all his money. He finishes the song by agreeing to meet the girl later that night, and admitting that he can't resist her because she's exactly what he likes.
One of the main themes in this song is the attraction between men and women, and the way that certain physical attributes and behaviors can be very seductive to men. The Big Bopper is clearly very turned on by the girl he's talking to, and he can't wait to see her later that night. The lyrics are playful and flirtatious, but also reflect a certain amount of male chauvinism and objectification of women. The girl is reduced to a series of physical attributes, rather than being treated as a whole person with thoughts, feelings, and desires of her own.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello, baby
The Big Bopper is greeting someone affectionately.
Yeah, this is the Big Bopper speakin'
The Big Bopper is introducing himself.
Ha ha ha ha ha, oh you sweet thing
The Big Bopper is laughing and complimenting the listener.
Do I what?
The Big Bopper is pretending to be ignorant of what the listener is referring to.
Will I what?
The Big Bopper is asking for clarification on what the listener wants.
Oh baby, you know what I like
The Big Bopper is suggesting that the listener already knows what he likes.
Chantilly lace and a pretty face
The Big Bopper is listing his preferences in a woman's appearance.
And a pony tail a-hangin' down
The Big Bopper adds one more physical feature to his list.
That wiggle in the walk
The Big Bopper likes women who walk in a certain way.
And giggle in the talk
The Big Bopper likes women who have a certain way of speaking.
Makes the world go 'round
The Big Bopper believes that women with these qualities are essential to the world functioning properly.
There ain't nothin' in the world
The Big Bopper emphasizes his point by saying there is nothing in the world better than his ideal woman.
Like a big-eyed girl
The Big Bopper is specifically interested in women with large eyes.
That makes me act so funny
The Big Bopper is admitting that women with these features can have a powerful effect on him.
Make me spend my money
The Big Bopper is willing to buy things for women who fit his ideal description.
Make me feel real loose, like a long necked goose
The Big Bopper is suggesting that women with these qualities can make him feel carefree and uninhibited.
Like a girl, oh baby, that's what I like
The Big Bopper is emphasizing his preference for a specific type of woman.
What's that baby, but, but, but?
The Big Bopper is feigning confusion.
Oh honey
The Big Bopper is expressing affection.
But?
The Big Bopper is pretending to be confused again.
Oh baby, you know what I like
The Big Bopper is once again suggesting that his listener is aware of his preference.
Pick you up at eight and don't be late?
The Big Bopper is asking the listener for a date.
But, baby, I ain't got no money, honey
The Big Bopper is implying that he can't afford to take the listener out.
Ha ha ha ha ha
The Big Bopper is laughing.
Oh, all right, baby, you know what I like
The Big Bopper is agreeing to the date and suggesting that the listener already knows what he likes.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, GLAD MUSIC CO., Peermusic Publishing
Written by: J.P. Richardson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Richie Goodson
on Monkey Song
you made a monkey out of me