Jiles Perry Richardson, Jr. (October 24, 1930 – February 3, 1959), called JP by his friends but commonly known as The Big Bopper, was an American disc jockey, singer, and songwriter whose big voice and exuberant personality made him an early rock and roll star. He is best known for his recording of "Chantilly Lace". On February 3, 1959, on what has become known as The Day the Music Died, Richardson was killed in a small-plane crash in Iowa, along with Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.