`BIG BOPPER' WOULD HAVE BEEN 70 (OCT. 24)

`BIG BOPPER' WOULD HAVE BEEN 70 (OCT. 24)

KATY, Tex. (Wireless Flash) -- Tomorrow (Oct. 24) is a good day to wear "Chantilly Lace" -- it's the 70th anniversary of the Big Bopper's birth. The Bopper -- whose real name was J.P. Richardson -- is most famous for being the third singer who died in the 1959 plane crash that killed Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens. However, his son, J.P. Richardson, Jr., says the Bopper also coined the term "music video" and wrote hits like "Running Bear" for Johnny Preston and "White Lightning" for George Jones. Richardson was born 3 months after his Dad's death, but performs as the Big Bopper, Jr. to stay in touch with his pop star papa. In fact, he recently recorded some of his father's hits for a possible Big Bopper bio-pic and wants either Drew Carey or Smash Mouth lead singer Steve Harwell to play the title role.