The son of iconic '50s rock n' roller the Big Bopper has said he plans to sell his late father's casket--which he was buried in for 48 years--on eBay in the next few weeks.
The Big Bopper, real name J.P. Richardson, died along with Buddy Holly and Richie Valens in a plane crash in 1959. The accident has since become known as "the day the music died" after Don McLean recalled the incident in his massive-selling 1972 U.S. number one "American Pie."
The 16-gauge steel casket was exhumed from its original resting place in 2007, because Richardson's son wanted to move his father to a more visible location, reports The Beaumont Enterprise.
"I have no personal use for the casket," Richardson said. "When you get down to it, it is just a metal box. More important is what this particular metal box represents.
"In another 200 years, will people care about rock 'n' roll?" he continued. "Who knows? But why would I want to destroy it? Even though it was dad's resting place for 48 years, it's also a unique opportunity to learn more about the early years of rock 'n' roll."
Richardson, who was born three months after his father's death, said he saw his body for the first time in person after it was exhumed. Buried in a black suit with a blue-and-grey striped tie and socks, the Big Bopper's thick, brown hair was reportedly still in perfect condition. He has since been reburied in a new casket.
Richardson says he plans to use the money raised from the eBay auction to fund a musical show about his father.
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