The Day the Music Died

I lost my best friend on March 21, 1964. Brian Patrick Durant, just 17 years old, ended his life with a gunshot to his head on a cold Saturday Night.

I’ve thought about Brian often in the last 47 years, his smile, how he loved to dance, how he would spend hours combing his hair until it was just right. Brian loved music, his favorite recording artist was Bobby Darin. Brian would sing “Dream Lover” until all his friends couldn't stand hearing that song anymore.

Besides Bobby Darin Brian liked: Dion and the Belmonts, Bobby Rydell, Del Shannon, and Chubby Checker. Some of his favorite songs were: “Runaway”, “The Wanderer”, “Dreamin’”, “Good Timin’” and “Raindrops”. Brian loved to dance. He was a wonderful dancer and could imitate all the dances we would see on "Bandstand".

Brian and I were best friends from the time we were toddlers. We did everything together, rode bikes, climbed trees, went to the Saturday matinee at the Grand Theater, went to the carnival, hiked to the power damn and played kick ball. Our mom’s knew if they were looking for us, if they found one of us, there would be there other one. We were never apart.

I loved Brian with all my heart and soul. There aren’t many days when he’s not in my thoughts, even after all these years. I wonder what his life would have been like if he had not made that terrible decision to take his life? Would he be married? Would he have children? What kind of career path would he have taken?

He was very creative and he loved to draw. His grandfather worked at Hughes Printing Press and would bring us these wonderful drawing tablets. We would sit under the apple tree in my back yard, in the summer and spend all day drawing planes, and castles or whatever we were into at that time.

Brian died not realizing how much he was loved. To this day his friends still miss him. I know I do, and I always will. When he died he took a piece of my heart with him. I grew up awfully fast on that cold Saturday night in March.

Suicide doesn't take away the pain, it just gives it to someone else.

I hope we meet again dear friend.