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 Juhlβs 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 β50s 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.
Little Red Riding Hood
The Big Bopper Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why it's Little Red Ridin' Hood
Hey there Little Red Riding Hood
You sure are lookin' good
You're everything a big bad wolf could want
Listen to me, Little Red Ridin' Hood
I don't think little big girls should
Go walkin' in these spooky old woods alone
What big eyes you have
The kind of eyes that drive wolves mad
So, just to see that you don't get chased
I think I ought, to walk, with you for a ways
What full lips you have
They're sure to lure, someone bad
So, untill you get to grandma's place
I think you ought, to walk, with me and be safe
I'm gonna keep my sheep suit on
Till I'm sure that you've been shown
That I can be trusted walkin' with you alone
Little Red Ridin' Hood
I'd like to hold you if I could
But you might think I'm a big bad wolf, so I won't
What a big heart I have
The better to love you with
Little Red Ridin' Hood
Even bad wolves can be good
I'll try to keep satisfied
Just to walk close by your side
Maybe you'll see things my way
Before we get to grandma's place
Little Red Ridin' Hood
You sure are lookin' good
You're everything a big bad wolf could want
I mean... Baa... baa... baa
The Big Bopper's Little Red Riding Hood tells a familiar story of the fairy tale, but with a twist. The song is about a seductive wolf trying to lure Little Red Riding Hood into his trap. The wolf meets her in the woods and tells her that it's not safe for her to walk alone in the spooky woods. He offers to walk with her and keep her safe. As they walk, Little Red's assets catch the wolf's attention - her big eyes and full lips. He tries to persuade her to walk with him to her grandma's place, where they can have a good time. Little Red Riding Hood is hesitant, but the wolf promises to keep her safe and be good. At the end of the song, the wolf reassures Little Red that he is just a sheep in wolf's clothing.
The song is a clever take on the traditional Little Red Riding Hood story by portraying the wolf as a charming gentleman instead of a sneaky villain. It's an interesting twist that highlights the importance of not falling prey to a stranger's charm. The lyrics use metaphors and playful language to create a sense of danger and temptation, making it a unique and captivating story.
Line by Line Meaning
Who's that I see walkin' in these woods?
The singer is asking who they see walking in the woods.
Why it's Little Red Ridin' Hood
The singer has recognized that the person walking in the woods is Little Red Riding Hood.
Hey there Little Red Riding Hood
The singer is greeting Little Red Riding Hood.
You sure are lookin' good
The artist is complimenting Little Red Riding Hood on her appearance.
You're everything a big bad wolf could want
The artist is implying that Big Bad Wolf would find Little Red Riding Hood desirable.
Listen to me, Little Red Riding Hood
The singer is asking Little Red Riding Hood to pay attention to what he has to say.
I don't think little big girls should
The singer doesn't believe that young girls should be walking in spooky old woods alone.
Go walkin' in these spooky old woods alone
The artist is advising Little Red Riding Hood not to walk alone in the spooky old woods.
What big eyes you have
The artist is commenting on the size of Little Red Riding Hood's eyes.
The kind of eyes that drive wolves mad
The artist is implying that Big Bad Wolf would be attracted to Little Red Riding Hood's big eyes.
So, just to see that you don't get chased
The singer wants to make sure that Little Red Riding Hood isn't chased by Big Bad Wolf.
I think I ought, to walk, with you for a ways
The artist thinks he should walk with Little Red Riding Hood to make sure she is safe.
What full lips you have
The singer is commenting on the fullness of Little Red Riding Hood's lips.
They're sure to lure, someone bad
The singer is implying that Little Red Riding Hood's lips may attract unwanted attention from Big Bad Wolf.
So, untill you get to grandma's place
The singer wants to accompany Little Red Riding Hood until she reaches her grandmother's place.
I think you ought, to walk, with me and be safe
The artist thinks Little Red Riding Hood should walk with him to ensure her safety.
I'm gonna keep my sheep suit on
The artist will keep his sheep suit on to avoid alarming Little Red Riding Hood.
Till I'm sure that you've been shown
The singer will only take off his sheep suit when he's sure that he can be trusted.
That I can be trusted walkin' with you alone
The singer wants Little Red Riding Hood to know that he can be trusted to walk with her alone.
Little Red Riding Hood
The artist is addressing Little Red Riding Hood.
I'd like to hold you if I could
The artist would like to hold Little Red Riding Hood if possible.
But you might think I'm a big bad wolf, so I won't
The artist recognizes that Little Red Riding Hood might view him as the Big Bad Wolf and won't attempt to hold her.
What a big heart I have
The singer is pointing out the size of his heart.
The better to love you with
The artist's large heart will allow him to love Little Red Riding Hood more.
Even bad wolves can be good
The singer believes that even Big Bad Wolf can do good things.
I'll try to keep satisfied
The singer will do his best to keep Little Red Riding Hood happy.
Just to walk close by your side
The singer wants to accompany Little Red Riding Hood closely.
Maybe you'll see things my way
The artist hopes that Little Red Riding Hood will agree with his intentions.
Before we get to grandma's place
The artist hopes to convince Little Red Riding Hood to trust and be comfortable with him before they reach grandmother's house.
You sure are lookin' good
The singer once again compliments Little Red Riding Hood on her appearance.
You're everything a big bad wolf could want
The singer implies that Little Red Riding Hood possesses all the qualities that Big Bad Wolf would desire.
I mean... Baa... baa... baa
The artist is indicating that he is a sheep and therefore not a threat to Little Red Riding Hood.
Lyrics Β© BMG Rights Management, GLAD MUSIC CO.
Written by: J.P. RICHARDSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jackspry9736
RIP and long live The Big Bopper (October 24, 1930 β February 3, 1959), aged 28
You will always be remembered as a legend.
@r4h4al
Didn't know he was only 28 that's awful.
@ludogayko2512
Bopper bopped..im 65 now , first heard in 72..loved the guy ever since, and holly yep even valens...such a bloody shame..
@jerrysharpnack4010
They need to make a movie about the big bopper, it's overdue
@alishataylor6017
Jerry Sharpnack I agree
@gerrycarrick8335
Defo
@alishataylor6017
Gerry Carrick I hope
They do soon!.
@alishataylor6017
Gerry Carrick who do u think would play the big bopper in a movie?
@gerrycarrick8335
@@alishataylor6017 that's a tricky one. Any ideas ?? . Is Chris Moyes up to anything at the minute.
@GaryLudlam
His music always puts a smile on my face