1 of 1- aflem
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Did The Big Bopper Almost Invent Music Videos?
I stumbled across this article from a Texas newspaper about the family of J.P. Richardson, aka The Big Bopper, trying to get a statue erected of him in his hometown of Beaumont. It comes, of course, on Feb. 3rd, the anniversary of the Day The Music Died.
I thought there was nothing new to learn about the three stars that died in that infamous plane crash, but I've never heard this before. The family claims that had Richardson lived, he might well have invented the music video long before anyone ever heard of MTV.
"Richardson, a US Army veteran, coined the phrase, “music video" and as the Big Bopper shot the first music videos in November 1958 just before he headed out for the fateful Winter Dance Party Tour that came to a tragic end in Clear Lake, Iowa.
“He’s the first person to create that type of content — for promotion is what he wanted it for — he’s not being recognized for that either. He’s the father of music videos,” Adams said. “He was in the process of buying a TV station so he could produce music videos for other artists, he created Bopper Vision, which would’ve been like MTV 32 years before MTV.
“...He even mentioned a tape device you hook to your TV -- long before VCRs -- and watch your favorite music video by your favorite music artist. He was far ahead of us all."
Big Bopper's' family wants statue, Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame Induction
- gopher
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- From: charleston, west virginia usa
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Re: Did The Big Bopper Almost Invent Music Videos?
no, not even close. edison made music videos, with sound supplied by his audio recording devices. when motion picture sound was introduced, music video became widely available almost instantly, as "shorts." and, as far as i can tell, evolution of the medium has little or nothing to do with the media, except in the percieved quality of its presentation.
Last edited by gopher (February 3, 2022 11:03 am)
- Flo
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- From: Coshocton, OH
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Re: Did The Big Bopper Almost Invent Music Videos?
I have no idea about the music videos. But I do feel strongly about this - he would have gone on to be the most successful of the three. There are many ways to be successful, In addition to his own songs, he already had two major hits under his belt as a writer - White Lightning and Running Bear. He was in Beaumont, Texas, as were George Jones and Johnny Preston. So if he had just gone back to Texas and radio, and kept writing, and his friends would have recorded everything he wrote.who knows, he could have ended up in Harlan Howard territory.
As for videos, I've been surprised lately, seeing clips from Dick Clark's Saturday Night Show, how so many of the performances seemed to be forerunners of today's videos.
- aflem
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Re: Did The Big Bopper Almost Invent Music Videos?
Actually, I think Scopitones may have been the first real music videos. The machine came out around 1959, the same year the music died.
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Thread Starter- G.
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Re: Did The Big Bopper Almost Invent Music Videos?
Flo wrote:
he would have gone on to be the most successful of the three. There are many ways to be successful, In addition to his own songs, he already had two major hits under his belt as a writer
Old musicians never die; they just decompose