FIRST OFF . . .

Relatives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and “Big Bopper” J. P. Richardson were in Port Arthur, Tex., Thursday for the unveiling of life-size sculptures of the rock ‘n’ roll stars who were killed 30 years ago--Feb. 3, 1959--when their plane crashed in bad weather in Iowa en route to a concert date. The sculptures, one of the trio and one of Richardson, were made by Port Arthur artist Doug Clark. Richardson was a Port Arthur native. Holly was from Lubbock, Valens from Los Angeles. Clark said his pose of the three--with the Bopper’s arms around Valens and Holly--is intended to show the trio as they posed for a picture just before boarding the fateful flight. “I don’t know that there really is such a picture, but I could just imagine someone getting one last shot before they got on the airplane.” The city’s historical society last year began a sculpture collection with a Clark-made piece of 1960s rock queen Janis Joplin, a Port Arthur native who died in 1970.