Jiles Perry "J.P." Richardson, Jr. was born on October 24, 1930 to Jiles and Elsie Bernice (Stalsby) Richardson in Sabine Pass, and the family moved to Beaumont when he was six. As a teenager, he began writing songs with country and western influences. After graduating from Beaumont High School in 1947, he attended Lamar College, where he sang in the choir, played in the band, and became a disc jockey for radio station KTRM. There he developed his "Big Bopper" character, and his musical style shifted toward rockabilly, combining country and western with rock and roll. He served two years in the Army, then returned to radio work in Beaumont, and in 1957 he raised money for charity by spinning records continuously for more than 122 hours. Around the same time, Mercury Records executive Shelby Singleton signed him to a contract, and he went on tour along the east coast. His recording Chantilly Lace topped the charts for six weeks in 1958 and earned him a gold record after remaining among the Top 100 for 25 weeks. At age 28, married and the father of two children, he joined a group of young musicians on another national tour. On February 3, 1959, their plane crashed in Iowa, killing him and fellow artists Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens. His body was returned here for burial. In addition to the 21 songs he recorded as the Big Bopper, he wrote many more, including Running Bear and White Lightnin', which were made popular by other singers. He is remembered for his musical talent and his larger-than-life persona as the Big Bopper.