Rod Lucier Dies; Fargo-Moorhead Broadcaster Promoted Concert Buddy Holly Was To Headline The Night After Fatal Crash

Condolences to family and friends of former longtime KVOX-A and KFGO-A/FARGO-MOORHEAD radio personality and sportscaster ROD LUCIER, who died SUNDAY in MOORHEAD, MN at 82, according to the FARGO FORUM.

LUCIER, then PD at KVOX, was the promoter for a concert in MOORHEAD on FEBRUARY 3, 1959 that was supposed to be headlined by BUDDY HOLLY with RITCHIE VALENS and J.P. "THE BIG BOPPER" RICHARDSON on the bill; HOLLY, VALENS, and RICHARDSON died early that morning when their plane crashed after a performance in CLEAR LAKE, IA, but the show went on with a local band, THE SHADOWS, fronted by BOB and BILL VELLINE (BOB VELLINE was later better known as pop star BOBBY VEE), who responded to a general call for performers to fill the bill (the late CHARLIE BOONE, the longtime WCCO-A/MINNEAPOLIS host who passed away in NOVEMBER, was enlisted to help LUCIER as emcee and to send out the call for talent on rival KFGO).

LUCIER was also known as one of the radio voices of MOORHEAD STATE football.

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