Three Stars
Encyclopedia
"Three Stars" is a song
written
by Tommy Dee in 1959, as a tribute to Buddy Holly
, Ritchie Valens
, and J.P. Richardson (The Big Bopper), who died in an airplane crash earlier that year. The song was recorded by Tommy Dee with Carol Kay and first released on April 5, 1959 by Crest Records. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
.
The lyrics
suggested the three "stars" represent the three musicians that died in the crash.
"Three Stars" was covered
by both Ruby Wright
and Eddie Cochran
. A year after Cochran recorded the song, he died in a car accident on his way to an airport. Although recorded in 1959, Cochran's version was not released until 1966 as a UK
single.
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
written
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
by Tommy Dee in 1959, as a tribute to Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...
, Ritchie Valens
Ritchie Valens
Ritchie Valens was a Mexican-American singer, songwriter and guitarist....
, and J.P. Richardson (The Big Bopper), who died in an airplane crash earlier that year. The song was recorded by Tommy Dee with Carol Kay and first released on April 5, 1959 by Crest Records. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
.
The lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
suggested the three "stars" represent the three musicians that died in the crash.
"Three Stars" was covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by both Ruby Wright
Ruby Wright
Ruby Wright was an American singer and songwriter.-Biography:Born in Anderson, Indiana, she began singing with a trio of college girls in Lake Manitou, Indiana....
and Eddie Cochran
Eddie Cochran
Eddie Cochran , was an American rock and roll pioneer who in his brief career had a small but lasting influence on rock music through his guitar playing. Cochran's rockabilly songs, such as "C'mon Everybody", "Somethin' Else", and "Summertime Blues", captured teenage frustration and desire in the...
. A year after Cochran recorded the song, he died in a car accident on his way to an airport. Although recorded in 1959, Cochran's version was not released until 1966 as a UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
single.