Five days after ‘The Day the Music Died’

Future country star Waylon Jennings (left) and rock icon Buddy Holly in a photo booth in 1959. A month before the “Winter Dance Party” tour began, Holly asked his friend Jennings to learn the bass guitar so he could join the band. (Sun-Times files)

Today is Feb. 8, 2023, probably, if you are reading this in a physical, ink and wood pulp newspaper on Wednesday, and not stumbling across it on the internet some other day in the tractless span of time before, or after.

Whatever day it is, were I to ask you what significant event occurred on Feb. 8, you might be stumped.