|
January 2nd, 2009
02:14 PM ET
Need a 'Big' casket?There are any number of unusual pop music artifacts - pieces of Beatle sheets, Britney Spears’ gum - but not even Gene Simmons has considered selling a used casket. So keep an eye on eBay: the Big Bopper’s family is planning to auction the late rock ‘n’ roller’s casket in the next few weeks. According to the Beaumont (Texas) Enterprise, J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson's casket, made of 16-gauge steel, was exhumed last year so the singer's remains could be moved to a more visible location with a statue and historic marker. The Big Bopper, once a Texas DJ, was killed in the plane crash that also took the lives of Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens near Clear Lake, Iowa, on February 3, 1959, a day since called "the day the music died." He was 28, and had just had his first major hit, “Chantilly Lace.” He was also the songwriter of George Jones’ “White Lightning” and Johnny Preston’s “Running Bear.” After the casket was removed, the “Chantilly Lace” singer’s remains were exhumed - an autopsy showed that he did, indeed, die of crash-related injuries - and placed in a new casket. The old one, according to the Enterprise, has been in public display at the Texas Musicians Museum in Hillsboro, Texas, since last year. It’s apparently in good condition, with just some minor rust spots and a white lime stain where water rose against, but did not enter, the casket. (Indeed, Richardson’s body was said to have stayed in excellent condition.) Jay Richardson, the singer’s son (born three months after his father’s death), told the paper he had “no personal use” for the casket. “When you get down to it, it is just a metal box,” he said. But it could be worth some money, says Texas Musicians Museum founder Tom Kreason. “Certainly there’ll be some distaste, but I think this is a piece of history that is very special,” he told the Enterprise. And if it doesn’t sell? “We’ve made a point about the historical value of J.P. Richardson.” – From news services |
  About this blog
Our daily cheat-sheet for breaking celebrity news, Hollywood buzz and your pop-culture obsessions.  |
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertise with us | About us | Help | Advertising Practices
You could definitely see your skills in the work you write. The world hopes for even more passionate writers like you who are not afraid to say how they believe. At all times follow your heart.
i found these postings when i was doing a search over the Big Bopper...it seems none of u bothered to read or research the story...
first of all the autopsy was carried out due to the fact one wasnt performed in the first place, secondly Buddy Hollys gun was found in the field beside the crash site 2 months afterwards..... plus the Boppers body was found at least 40 feet from the others... stories have raged for years that the gun was fired inside the plane causing it to crash, and that the Big Bopper perhaps walked from the crash to try and get help.....
the main reason for the graves being opened was to move both of his parents to a new area within the graveyard... it perhaps was a perfect time to set the record straight on a few things, not just for him, but for anybody in doubt about that night so long ago.
this man never met his father, as he was born three months after the accident, and i commend him for wanting closure.... Granted i do find selling the coffin something of an odd thing, as it could have been resealed and reburied, but then the company who made the original donated a new one.
im not sure what i would do if it were me, and i find no moral issues with any of it.... respect was given at all times from what i have read to the body and memory of the late dj/singer.... the catholic church have opened graves, displayed bodies for years of their saints and made lots of money from this excerise... nobody bats an eyelid.... there is no difference from what i can see between this story and the churchs activities.
Aftermath: GET OVER IT AND STOP LIVING IN THE PAST WHOPPER JR. AND LET YOUR FATHER REST IN PEACE WITH HIS HOMIES!
Re: Golden Globes
It is about time "Brangelina" got their due.
Eastwood is great, but having seen the "Brangelina" movies alot of us are tired of the media portraying them as Hollywood Royalty. Eastwood is Hollywood Royalty. He is a Legend. Pitt and Jolie will be remembered for their quirky lifestyle and their "choosy" humanitarian events. (My brother lives in New Orleans, went through Katrina and everyone there wants Pitt to just go home and stop grandstanding).
Let's not confuse a timely (not private at all) contribution to New Orleans, et.al. with the profession of acting.
I didn't say he wrote only three songs, but only three HITS. Songwriters, especially in that day, made very little money for songs, and rarely if ever got residuals for songs that others recorded. They were lucky if they got residuals for songs THEY recorded. Therefore, JP's family did not inherit a big estate. I'm not saying that the family is in dire straits, but that we don't know what their situation IS, and it is none of our business. I have family heirlooms (which you could stretch to mean a left-over casket!) that are well over 200 years old, and if my situation got bad enough, I'd have no choice but to sell. The number of years since his death has nothing to do with anything.
As for your point about Buddy, that's true, but the reason that JP and Ricky were on it with him was to save a little money by pooling their resources. They had already come close several times to not making it to concerts on time due to bad weather, and couldn't afford the penalties. Concert promoters back then held all the cards, and the perfomers were often treated very badly, especially since at the time none of them were of the stature of say Frank Sinatra or Bobby Darren. There were fines for being late, for missing a performance, for not singing the songs agreed on, even for missing a show because of illness! And when you consider that they weren't paid all that much to begin with, and many times had to pay all of their own expenses, that didn't leave much to pay late penalties! While those tours certainly helped the careers of the young stars, they were very taxing, often meaning that the only sleep the performers got were in the car, bus, or whatever manner of transport they could get in between small towns. They didn't stay at high-class hotels, trashing suites, and flying private jets - sometimes they did up to 25 concerts in as little as 20 days (often doing two in one day).
Jackie, you are wrong on your first point, The bus had no heat and Buddy wasn't feeling well, thats why they chartered the plane,so he could fly ahead and get some rest. And jape wrote more than 3 songs. The contention of dire straits for the family 48 years after japes death! Gimme a break!
P.S. Yes, I found the story creepy, myself. But I felt like it was important to address commenters who really should think before they hit the Submit key.
One, for all the commenters about the shame of the family making money on this...the Big Bopper had one hit, and wrote two other hit songs in the days way before that meant big money payouts and residuals. The three musicians were on tour together, and shared a ride on a small plane to to save money and to make their next concert on time and therefore not be financially penalized for breach of contract. You have no room to comment on the family's greed, when their financial situation is totally unknown to you. They may be on the verge of losing their home, in bankruptcy, whatever. Even if they are not in financial need, what business is it of yours?
Two, for all the commenters about the health issues. I'm sure that the laws and proper procedures were followed, and that the casket has been stripped of all fabric and well sanitized. And if I were buying it, I'd make sure that whoever took possession of it for me took proper precautions and resanitized it.
Three, for all the commenters about reuse of it. If someone who lived in that era and appreciated the music of the Big Bopper wanted to buy the casket and have it made ready for their own internment, I say, go for it. It is less creepy that displaying it in public, and no different in grossness or creepiness that a lot of the stuff on eBay. And more practical, too.
Dude, that's just plain morbid.
This is not about the value of the Big Bopper, but the Values of his boy Jay.
Hmm. (For Terry, way back up the thread) – Erm, Britney Spears? Seriously? Yeah, sold lotsa albums. No accounting for taste, I guess, and she does wear some... interesting clothes...
But really, seriously, putting her into the same category as Richie Valens, et al.?
Honestly?
Let's hand it to her publicists, producers, media reps, and image consultants. You think she wrote all those songs herself?? I am doubtful.
You might want to pick up a Dylan album, or some Stones, or perhaps Janis Joplin. Let's keep some perspective, shall we??
Roberta, have you ever heard of metaphor? Both are very personal items, intimately asssociated with ones personal needs and private use.
If you really want to save your family money, donate your body to medical science.
Donate the thing to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Oh wait, I forgot to ask
David, how is this comparable to using someone's toothbrush? A dead person is not gonna get cavities or gingivitis from using someone's previously used casket.
Hmm, I wonder if this is something Alice Cooper would be interested in.
I would only buy a used casket if I could get it for a major discount. That way I could save my family some money when I kick off. Hee hee hee.
Ouch! deceased, not disceased.
I wonder on whose authority the casket is being sold. If the casket/embalming/assorted interment costs were paid for with Richardson's own money, from his estate, then the casket obviously belongs to him and I doubt that he authorized its sale if it should ever be vacated. Does the estate's executor have authority to dispose of funeral equipment which, again presumably, was paid for by the disceased? Who will get the money?
I own my own casket...in fact, I built it from English oak. I wonder under what circumstances my own casket could lawfully be sold from under me, so to speak, in the event that I am disinterred, transferred and rehoused in a new casket.
But I doubt the issue will arise, since I am also declining any embalming whatsoever - I imagine the mess I will quickly leave in the box would discourage any buyers.
"Health codes" and "historic value" notwithstanding, being buried in a previously used casket is just plain tacky, for exactly the same reasons that it would be tacky to use someone else's toothbrush.
Yes, health codes – even though he is dead, living people are handling the coffin.
That being said... talk about greed.
I'll chip in a buck if Blogojevich will use it!! Clearlake, IA. ain't that far away from Springfield, IL.
It's not so strange to think there are health code violations involved with this. The funeral industry is highly regulated with just such types of restrictions. I know that reuse of a casket after a body has even been momentarily placed inside of it is an infraction in some states. Maybe that is relaxed elsewhere.
Why not put it on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with a wax replica inside? It could be a tasteful tribute and morbid curiosity.
I know, it's only rock and roll, but I like it.
sounds like a deal....what's the asking price?
RE: wonder if the box will be haunted
So will the next dead person who goes in the box get scared? Who cares if it is haunted, if they sell it or not. SICK INDIVIDUALS!
May I ask a series of questions?
Who? Who would ever buy this?
Why? Why would they buy it?
And also, I have never heard of "Big B" What is his real name?
I still can't get over the Health Code Comment!!!...Maybe the American Medical Association does!!...LMAO!!!
Extraordinarily unethical. I hope they find the courage in thier little minds to reverse this monumental dis-honour to the Big Bopper.
Maybe his family didnt like him when he was alive and this is thier revenge. Or are they just blind with greed?.
Crush it and recycle.
Autopsy? You gotta be joking.
In any case,
Cheers! to the Big Bopper!.
as far as HEALTH codes LOL they still swab the arm with betadine and alcohol before administering a lethal injection --go figure....
Possible Uses:
Mixing tub for booze or beer in an Irish or Aussie bar.
A place to bury most of the product they call "music" today.
The most prized location for action in a mosh pit.
For Ozzie – a most perfect gift living or dead.
A dessert/wine or beer cooler at any Hard Rock Cafe.
If the casket is haunted, then the lucky deceaced will be at a rock cocert for eternity
Deplorable. I'm sure if The Big Bopper heard this he would be rolling over in his grave- wait...
They should donate the casket to a homeless person that has no means of ever paying for one.
They should put it in the "trade" section of craigslist. I've got some sweet used socks and underwear I would trade for that puppy!
wonder if the box will be haunted
It is a sad article. I believe it should be compacted down into a cubicle and reburied in the big boppers plot without fanfare. Somethings are better done in privacy. But sadly enough money talks and good taste walks.
dig up Waylon Jennings and bury him in it he was to be on the plane... but took the bus ....
I think the sick part is that they bothered to perform an autopsy on a corpse... when they already knew how he died. WTF?
So they want to sell a used casket... big deal. If it goes for less than the cost of the scrap metal, I'll buy it, repaint it, and be buried in it myself some day.
totally neutral gets it.
I love reading blogs like these. It helps me out with my depression. Thanks guys.
julie: what is LMAO?
U Know What I Like – & this ain't one of them!!
This incursion of Isreali troops into Gaza is just.......oh wait, wrong blog? How many more people have to die in Darfur before.....what, still wrong? Another 500,000 people have filed for unemployment benefits, making the total the largest since.......huh?.......Who?.......The Big What?.....his whaaaat???......oh....... Didn't CNN used to stand for Cable NEWS Network? (yeah, this'll make it on the blog!)
I'm sure Jerry Jones will buy it.....
eric, you are just plain rude
what do you know about music talent? nothing
anyways, he was talented, he was a writer for other artists as well as a hitmaker himself. I wouldn't want his casket , but you are just plain attacking his musical talent.
Thinking about health codes is correct. Before, bodies were wrapped in rags or wooden coffins. The decay of the bodies into the earth, compounded with rain, and run-off into nearby drinking water, caused cholera. That's why bodies are now "processed" before burial, and are buried in metal caskets.
And yes, I would be concerned about what's in the casket. Streptococcus, e. coli, etc. Hopefully no bacteria survived, but if some did, people could get very, very sick before someone realized that the casket should be checked out for any anaerobic, aggressive bacteria.
"Health Code" concerns mean- is it dangerous for the living to handle a casket where a corpse lay in for 50 years? I'm not sure. If it is sold for display somewhere else and it is under glass, I imagine it's fine. If it is sold to be used as a weird piece of furniture, I would say it is not fine- for many reasons.
They really needed an autopsy to show that someone taken out of a plane in chunks did indeed die in a plane crash?
a snot rag contains DNA, something very useful these days if you OWN a sample of it from someone famous. like savings bonds, it can certainly come in useful some day...sold to the highest bidder during a dispute.
I wonder how long until we see a market for used celebrity caskets. Will there be vintages – the longer a celebrity rots in it, the more valuable?
This is very disrespectful but it's not surprising at all. As far as all the health concerns go ease up with the comments you're making yourselves look stupid. I believe what Andy meant was health codes for the people who will be handling the used casket and if and when it sells for the people who will be either living or working around it. Making sure there aren't any dried fluids of any kind inside or even mold or mildew would be a very good idea. So the ones who were bashing on Andy's comment I personally think you are very ignorant and believe that the comment was definetely something that should be concidered.
http://www.inquisitr.com/14021/death-merchandise-you-can-buy-the-big-boppers-casket/
here it is for all to see
This is absolutely disgusting. These people are looking to capitalize on this singer's demise.
You're wrong. At the time of the crash, the Big Bopper was the biggest star of the three. His death was the most mourned. He was an up and coming songwriter and a great singer who would have accomplished so much more. Chantilly Lace was a great song, and a lot of people like it. Every song does not have to be Stairway To Heaven.
Now, that being said, selling his coffin is just plain ridonkulous, and it cheapens the Bopper's legacy. Which has already sank pretty much into the swamp of obscurity, to judge by the comments of a couple readers left on this page.
First of all, there are spores and microbes IN THAT CASKET from the body and earth even though the body was embombed. It's NOT GERM FREE by any means. The water level on the outside and the statement (water didn't get inside the casket) should tell you something. Rust spots and "staining" mean GERMS!
This thing should be melted down and forgotten. Anyone trying to make a buck from the death of his father no less is a SICKO and hopefully the state board of health will intervene! Dead is dead but beware ANYONE putting their face or hands or letting little kids "explore" it is putting themselves in danger of all kinds of sickness!
You people are awfully concerned about an item you don't own, don't intend to own, and are utterly unaffected by. What's it to you? If somebody was willing to pay for my used toilet paper, you can bet your sanitary napkin I'd take their money.
The dead get richer and the poor get poorer. Blah...It all comes out of the tax payers pockect anyway.Sell the casket ...get the money and give it back to the tax payers for cryin out loud...good grief !
I do believe you can not use a previously-used coffin for burials... there are rentable coffins for viewings, if the person is to be buried and/or cremated elsewhere... but yeah...
Michael Jackson would buy it, after all, he has the elephant mans bones, SICKOS....And yea there are health codes for used caskets, comes under BIO HAZARDS, what a bunch of idiots, you could sell your mother on ebay for a buck
I wonder how much Michael Jackson will bid on this one?
Actually there are quite a few health code involved with the handling of items used in the industry, They have more to do with the living coming in contact with, ahem, fluids which may still reside in the coffin. To make matters worse, the things are usually lined with cloth so the image of a sanitized metal box is inaccurate. The reality is that ebay prohibits the sale of such items because it contains human tissue or remains.
Andy is right. National law probibits using any casket or part of a casket which had previously been used in connection with the burial of a dead human body. If somebody wishes to put the coffin on display, that's one thing, but someone else may not be buried in it, period.
Perhaps if these writers had walked a mile in Jay Richardson's moccasins, they might have a frame of reference. As the screenwriter/playwright and co-producer of THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED (www.bigboppermovie.com) and CHANTILLY LACE(www.chantillylacethemusical.com), I've been privy to emails from every age group & from every country around the world praising Jay's efforts to keep his dad's memory alive. The Big Bopper was NOT a one-hit wonder – he wrote three #1 songs (CHANTILLY LACE, RUNNING BEAR, WHITE LIGHTNIN') to Holly's one and is now credited as a visionary who was the first to record a music video; I've watched Jay suffer fools gladly as they offered conspiracy crash theories and his frustrating inability to counter because so few facts existed – until the exhumation. Controversial, yes, but also a difficult and life-changing event for the son who never knew his dad. As to the casket, Jay has two options: destroy it (or store it which amounts to the same thing) or add it to the parade of music memorabiliia available to the world. From all accounts, the museum re-creation of the funeral was done tastefully and in the right spirit, without compensation to Jay of any kind. As a storyteller, I found the poignancy of the exhumation to be the final piece of the puzzle, the satisfying ending that has prevented the Bopper's story from being complete – until now. I see the same big heart, spirit and humor in Jay that I hear in his dad's music – and applaud his untiring efforts to keep that timeless music available to each new generation.
TO:
Benton Indianapolis, In
I say send it to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. I think they have the bed John Leanon and his wife used for their piece sit in.
Who is John Leanon (Lennon) and what is a piece sit in? No wonder there is no PEACE in this world. Everybody just wants their PIECE. You irreverent moron!
Seriously- why are we even commenting on this??? Still, made me chuckle, the comments that is.
WOW! I'm actually amazed that most of the responses here appear to see this as a tacky thing. In our current money, money, money mindset this goes against the grain, maybe there is a little hope. Then again, who is the manufacturer of the casket? This might start a rush to buy their products and there stock value might go up. Then, if they haven't already sent their manufacturing overseas and decide to do so, it could be a real lucrative proposition. Buy, buy, buy.
MOVING THE BODY TO A NICER LOCATION OK... SELLING THE CASKET... DISGUSTING
HEY, don't blame the BIG BOPPER for his family's morbid habits. they dug him up because buddy holly's pistol was found in the plane wreckage and there was a rumor that a shooting on the plane had caused the plane crash. as for the coffin, they should have re did the inside and buried the man back in the same coffin.
I agree with the rock -n- roll hall of fame. Or...... how about a halloween display somewhere? A real casket with famous connections (even if the occupant was mediocre at best) would certainly be of note for any halloween haunt..
Sick seller. Sicker buyer.
Some news shouldn't even get reported. This is a prime example.
bruce- i think i love you
eric- you're an idiot. he may have only had a few hits (the ones he wrote or the ones he sang) but he definately helped rock n' roll get the foot hold it needed. and i love him just as much as the boppoer- but can you honestly say "la bamba" or "oh donna" was all that deep lyrics-wise?
early rock n' roll and rockabilly weren't that deep- they were more about rebellion and having a good time.
why are some of you critisizing Mr. Richardsons career and talent ? He is not the one who is trying tto sell the darn thing.
Just when I thought I seen it all....dang!
the day the music died,,,,,,,,,,
C'mon people, it's a metal box. If the owner is willing to sell and finds a willing buyer, who cares? Get a grip people, everybody has different tastes, likes and dislikes. Some people like to watch football on television, others like to collect stamps or coins or beer bottles. Who are you to decide what people should be interested in?
J.P. Richardson – A.K.A “The Big Bopper”, may have not been well known to you younger folk, but is was his song "Chantilly and Lace", that my husband and I fell in love to. We danced to it the first time we went out. He would hold me later on in our marriage and sign a few bars. It brings tears, chills and giggles everytime I hear it.
"Chantilly lace and a pretty face
And a pony tail hanging down
That wiggle in the walk and giggle in the talk
Makes the world go round
There ain't nothing in the world like a big eyed girl
That makes me act so funny, make me spend my money
Make me feel real loose like a long necked goose
Like a girl, oh baby that's what I like"
The son has a point. They have this used casket. They have no use for it, and someone else might think it the coolest thing in the world to someday be buried in the "Big Bopper's box". I find nothing wrong with it. No moral code is being broken. Get over it.
cool story.
i hope it gets sold.
maybe it could be used as a fallout shelter!
Get ready for even more stories like this, with the way the economy's going. Some people will do anything for a few bucks...
I'd buy it. It would make a great cooler to ice down some beers at the summer cookouts.
Or you could make a nice planter.
Feed trough for horses?
Hello son, yeah, this is the Big Bopper speaking
Oh son you greedy thing
You did what
with what
Oh son I know what you want
Chantilly lace and a greenback face
my casket for a pound
That wiggle in your walk, when money talks
Makes the world go round
There ain't nothing in the world, like a golddigging girl
That makes family act so funny, gotta get more money
Greed is on the loose, cashing in on my cooked goose
Like a greedy bastard, oh money that's what you like
What's that son
But, but, but, oh money
But, oh greedy, I know what you like
MULCH!!!!!!!
Revolting, and disrespectful.
Well, I`m sure some idiot will buy it. Probably worth more than Boppers career was.
Don't criticize Andy for questioning the health-related issues. There are very strict rules regarding the transport of corpses and human remains, and I suppose there could be some health concerns regarding the casket if it wasn't properly sanitized. As for where it should go, I see no problem with it going to a museum such as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Really, it should have been offered to a museum directly (for a fee) rather than placed on Ebay.
I was scrolling through articles on CNN this evening and came across one that drove me into a blinding rage. Growing up musical, you spend a portion of your time learning your craft as well as (hopefully) the history of those that came before you. In that time, you find those that you admire and wish to emulate as well as those you think about while scratching your head wondering how the hell they ever got to where they wound up in life. One of the big stories you eventually learn or hear (depending on what movie you saw or song you heard) is the plane crash that killed Richie Valens, Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper in 1959. As said in the song “American Pie,” it was the day the music died.
When I came across the article on CNN tonight, my heart stopped. Who the hell would do this and what possessed them to even think it was a good idea? When I found out that so-called family members came up with this, I became even further disgusted. The family of the Big Bopper exhumed his body to move it to a more scenic location with a statue and a historic marker. The part that really gets me is that they put him in a new casket, put the old one that had been in the ground for 50 years on display at the Texas Musicians Museum in Hillsboro and have now decided to auction off the old casket to some lucky fan! The article has quotes from the dead singer’s son who states he has no use for the old casket (Good Lord!!) and the article continues to rave about the great condition of the casket and even the condition of the Big Bopper when they exhumed him! Where, oh where do I begin with this one??
Let me begin my response to all this by saying I fully understand they loved their family member and wanted to give him a more fitting tribute. He died very suddenly under tragic circumstances in a national spotlight, which, is still remembered in the music business today. I get all that! Having said that, what the hell kind of family member allows the auctioning of something that their dead family member rested in for 50 years?? What kind of a profiteering, money hungry jerk would do that to a loved one?? Better question…what sick, twisted and totally demented fan would purchase this item?? What the hell are you planning to do with a 50-year old used casket?? Where do you plan on storing this collector’s item?? I’ve heard of crazy fans buying crazy things of deceased performers but this one truly beats every one of those all to hell!!
Look, I’m not trying to get on a soapbox or take a higher morale ground here but this whole idea takes it way too far. I’ve had my heroes in life. If we were talking about an instrument they might have played or an outfit they might have worn in a show, I’d be OK with stuff like that. Considering even putting a bid on an item like this is going too far with your claim of being a fan and if you’re one of the family members putting this item on the auction block, you aught to be ashamed of yourself. That night in 1959 was one of the most tragic nights in the history of music and this whole story makes a total mockery of it. You’re not honoring your loved one…you’re embarrassing him!
After all ...... it is just a steel box. The rest is all in your head.
wow, i figured there is something more important other than trying to sell a used casket to write about.
Perhaps they could use the casket for the burial of those unidentified bodies from Hurricane Ike ...Galveston needs all the help they can get to recover .....recycle the casket ...
great prop for you next haloween party fill it with ice and beer
I am curious to know how this decision came to be made. Did they dig him up and bury him in a cheaper coffin with the intention of selling the old one? Or was he exhumed for cause of death questions? If so, at what point did his family say, "Wait! I have an idea! Lets buy a cheap coffin to rebury him in and sell the old gross one on eBay!" And how did the rest of the family think that was a great idea? People continue to amaze me.
I think this is pretty cool! I'd buy it if I had the money & the space for it.
Wow...how about Kurt Cobain's brain matter scraped up at the crime scene by CSI...or the stomach pump contents from Mama Cass, oooh or some of the vomit that AC / DC front man Bon Scott choked on.... OR a used condom from a Heath Ledger tryst with the Olsen twins....
This nation has a serious, serious celebrity worship problem and a beyond perverted desire for money... But with the swearing in of Saviour Obama in a couple of weeks I feel most confident that this nation will quickly become a beacon of hope, decency and moral strength to the entire world.
Is this any different than someone seeing the Virgin Mary in a grilled cheese sandwich and making thousands off of it. Someone will by it like they always do. Yeah it's kinda morbid and disgusting, but humans have turned that way, oh well!!
I find the whole thing absolutely disgusting. Not only for digging him up in the first place but for the timing. Doesn't his family or anyone else think that all 3 victims of "The Day The Music Died" will be remembered or are they just getting in first
People, we live in a sick world.
There are many obscene things that happen around us every day.
Most of them do not make the headlines.
Do not concentrate on worldly things but look to the heavens.
Whether you want to believe in God or not, the world is in
serious trouble and it is time for all of us to get our caskets ready.
well I think the most obvious question is wth didnt they just reuse it?
what are they having, a second funeral?
for gods sake people, no one is talking about health violations for dead people, they mean for the person buying it, possibly getting sick from anything left behind.
HAhaha. Awesome.
It's scary to think what people will do for money. Texas Musicians Museum founder Tom Kreason says "if doesn’t sell....we’ve made a point about the historical value of J.P. Richardson.” No, my dear, that's NOT what you've done at all. The point made will be that it's in poor taste to exploit a sad story and lost life in such a disgusting manner.
Ya know, I can see some room, all over the place to argue as to how weird or greedy or whatever it is to offer a used coffin up for sale...
ok, so it is human nature. I guess the first think that stikes me odd is nobody seems to be worried that they waited till the guy had been burried all these years to dig him back up and confrim he died from his injuries...
Like they were really expecting something else?
Loved the comment about asking Michael Jackson if he'd like to purchase the casket! I was thinking the very same thing! After all, look at all the other weird purchases he's made, and this odd purchase might come in handy if we're to believe all the stories about his declining health and finances.
Is anything sacred any more? I hope the person who is selling this casket ends up getting buried in it himself..........This is plain sick. I agree there must be a health code against this. If someone really buys it to be buried in it, I don't think they will have a peaceful death.
I guess the economy really is getting bad if we have to sell used caskets.
Does "rest on peace" mean anything anymore?
there ARE codes with how to deal with remains and the things that hold them, but i'm not sure they're called health codes. especially if the deceased had a communcable disease. the brother of a friend from high school had to be cremated because of the type of disease he had, don't recall what it was. and there are also rules about how you can dispose of those remains. that i remember from a "death and dying" class in college.
on the subject of the story, however, i agree with the person who said gross, gross, gross, gross, GROSS! and might i add, EEEEEEWWWW!
There is a buyer out there for everything and this would be no exception. Really weird and bizarre as it is, it would probably be worth something to someone. If it was offered to a museum without a price tag, then the intentions of the family member would be more honorable. It would at least say that there was some form of sentiment attached other than a monetary one. Geeze Louise!
I liked the comment about burying Britney Spears' career in it. It may be a bit too small, though.
How 'bout Kanye West's ego?
Someone will buy it.
Andy just gave me the first best laugh of the day! He wrote:
"This is acceptable? Isn’t there health codes or something like that preventing this?"
Bwaaaa haha ha ha ha. Oh my goodness. Whew that was funny!
Okay, in all fairness, perhaps Andy meant that there should be health codes to protect anyone (living) handling the casket and not any to be residents of the casket.
On a separate note, perhaps one of the Wax museums should buy it and put a celebrity wax figure in it.
LMMFAO at asking Michael Jackson !!!
But really folks this raises the bar on disgusting things to try to make a dollar on!
Now if it was just a stage prop like from Ozzie Osborne then it might be something cool for some die-hard rocker.
Otherwise, someone should only buy it for their own final resting place.
I bet you all that Micheal Jackson buys it and sleeps in it. SICK FREAK
What someone will do for money!!!! THE SAD PART IS WHAT HIS SON COMMENT WAS "IT JUST A BOX" IT WAS HIS DAD CASKET that should mean something to him SAD SAD SAD
Guess what folks... all bodies in a casket for Memorial Viewing are 'Rented' if the person is going to be cremated after the funeral
AND who really cares what my body is in AFTER I've died... my soul is no longer there anyway! 
I bet you all that micheal jackson buys it and turns it into a bed . SICK FREAK
That is SICK
Does anyone wonder why CNN allows us to comment on the media fodder like this story, but not on stories with any relevant impact to our lives?
I think the health code questions are in reference to live people purchasing it, not future residents of the casket.
The Chicago Cubs should buy it and bury the team jersey's in it from 2008. The team is so cursed that anything and everything must be tried. This might be crazy and might be sick, but have you ever met a real Cubs fan?
Uh...you people that are questioning health codes...uh... do you think a dead person is going to personally handle the casket for shipping and take delivery of the casket when it shows up? Might there be curious children in the household where it shows up that are looking for a hide-and-go-seek place? In some cities, it is illegal to sell even a used mattress, cuz someone other than zombies might handle it or sleep on it...
To all who say "ill" things of "The Big Bopper," - WHO KNOWS WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN...???? If he wrote hits while still here, who knows what new songs he "could have" written and performed if here were still here, even today...??????
Keep in mind one fact,,,,,, his body was quite well preserved, as the article writes... This says well of the quality of a 16 guage steel box, as a casket,,,,,, that the grave was awash with water,,, but the body was not affected...... I think this fact has a validation to need to preserved our loved ones through lifes "eternity."
But the son said,,,,,, if it gets no bids,,,,, well, we'll know the value of JP Richardson's life as an icon!!!!
So to make a son "proud" of his father's memory,,,,,, whatever the publics opinion,,,,,, The Rock-n-Roll Hall of fame,,,,,,, should do right by the "Big Bopper" and outbid anyone,,,,, to bring this "item" of renoun, to display along side the other items of times legends......
Just my opinion......... W.R.Fries, Sr...... Los Angeles (born 1947) and still "kickin"
Just think if all three were still alive and producing hits today !!!!!!!!!!!
Ebay would never allow a used coffin to be sold on their site, who are they kidding. There are health code violations, not so much for the dead, Who is going to transport it? Are they dead as well? How about the buyer, is he going to only look at it in a biological recovery suit? Live people have to move it and prep it for any further uses, that's the health risks, not for the dead people you morons. You're right there is no health violations for the dead, well, becauswe they are dead and aren't going to come back to life and get sick.
Why didn't they just reuse the casket when they rebury him? If it has little or no damage, then why bother buying a new one? It's not like he's going to care.
If it's just a box of metal, recyle the thing and see how much the scrap metal will get you. It's just plain psycho to have someone else's casket used for a second burial. So much for reverence for the dead. (interesting – only two positive comments so far.)
THe article should be re-written, wIth focus placed on the greedy disgusting people trying to sell it. If he was not to be buried in it again, then it should have been destroyed.
The article notes he was exhumed to be relocated to a more visible location and that his cakset was not damaged.
If that was the case why did his body need to be placed into a new casket? Is his new casket on visual display?
Big Who? Are you kidding me? 1 hit and they're digging up his remains to sell his coffin?
Ick. Might make an interesting coffee table, though, if you could get your guests to quit gagging long enough to enjoy it.
Ahhhhhh, to have this auctioned ebay or anywhere else is totally insane – Yikes!!
Okay weird, distasteful and lame but not illegal. You just can't use the casket again. That's when it becomes illegal.
What's next.... a corpse?
Wonders never cease!
Will somebody have some BODY stuffed and sell it?
Oh, yeah, we do keep mummies!
I wasn't even conceived when The Big Bopper expired – I was born 11 years later. However, the movie "La Bamba" made a lasting impression on me. After reading this article, I decided to Google images of the fabulous personality of his time. There were a couple images of his son viewing his father in the original casket, the one that is up for sale. I can understand why his son doesn't want to have anything to do with the casket never mind the amazing history behind his father. Placing myself in his shoes, I imagine his son, having met his father for the first time in his own casket, wanted to move on and make something better for him, which he did. I just wish the media would leave the sensitive subject alone!
Health issues: this body has been dead for too long, for anything contageous to be present. Most pathogens are gone from a dead body after 48 hours.
he must be hard up for cash.....sickkkkkkkkkkkk!
Ok people....think.
Regarding the health code issue: It's not about the next dead person who uses the casket. It's about the LIVE people possibly handling a casket that has contained a dead body for almost fifty years. They say his body was in "excellent condition" yes...but the fact is, he was still dead. There has got to be bacteria or something in there. So YES...I would think there could be health concerns there.
Who cares. It's just a box. Geez.
While appearing macabre, this is just another form of recycling. In fact, I am surprised Wall Street hasn't identified this as another investment opportunity – they could buy and securitize Ms. Johansson's snot tissue, the Big Bopper's casket and a slew of other celebrity "knick knacks." Somebody is always looking for the next best investment opportunity – hell, Bernie Madoff peddled his garbage to some of the savviest people around.
OK – enough – I need a life.
sucks
At first I agreed with all of the comments already posted...I mean it's just distasteful whether he knew his father or not. It's almost as bad as selling the body...he just wants to make some money off of his father's "fame".
But then again, people are morbid so he will probably make some money. Nothing says "where did you get that interesting couch?" like a big converted "big metal box". Then again, you might be in for a big surprise the next time you take that booth seat at your local Hard Rock.
May not be the "Phaorah's Curse" but OF COURSE these Health-Codes are for the LIVING, of course there are health-code concerns for the LIVING PEOPLE who come into contact with items that have held corpses for over 50 years, come on folks, doesn't anyone remember what happeded in EGYPT when they first exhumed mummy's
Andy is right, there should be health code concerns for the LIVING people who come into contact with items that have held corpses, why do you think we bury corpses anyway, corpses are the ULTIMATE in HUMAN WASTE and BIO-HAZARD.
FORGET AIDS, what you can catch from BIO-HAZARD corpses is much worse... FLESH-EATING bacteria anyone??
EBAY should BAN this item, hopefully they will.
If I am not mistaken, I believe it is illegal to sell a used casket. I can think of at least 5 health and safety code violations. twisted and sick
Who cares i think thare are more important things to report on than this crap the mans dead and let his family do as they wish with it and the body!
They did an autopsy? So...they dug the guy up after fifty years and confirmed that, yup, he died of crash related injuries. I mean...why did they bother? Did they think maybe that Buddy Holly poisoned him or something?
J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson’s casket, made of 16-gauge steel, was exhumed last year so the singer’s remains could be moved to a more visible location with a statue and historic marker.
I wonder if the money-diggers even thought they were having an awkward conversation about digging up the casket, or if it was just business......
"Hey, ya know we could maybe have a museum or something! Too bad he was buried near the back where nobody can see him".
"Well let's dig him up then".
Sick. Trying to live off your dead relatives or whatever name recognition still exists is shameful.
The entire family should be put in that box.
i think scrap steel prices are up, who cares about a one hit wonder.
And why on earth did they need to do an autopsy all these years later? I could (maybe) see relocating the remains, but good grief, he died in a plane crash–there has never been any mystery that he would have died from plane crash-related injuries!
This story is disturbing on many levels.
Anyway, I am so getting cremated! I have it spelled out in a legal will. Nobody is digging me up!
I should think it could be donated to a museum somewhere. This is history. He may be the least known of the 3 now but back then he was up and coming and who knows how far he could have gone. If I had the bucks I would buy it and donate it to a museum somewhere. Perhaps in Clear Lake Iowa.
Are there pictures of his exhumed body??
that is nasty...just nasty
Gene Simmons would pimp his own dead mother if he had the means, and the publicity to do so.
Today's celebrities are the equilvalent of lepers.
Candy:
Would you by any chance be a blonde?
I think it would be a health risk if someone bought it and used it for some type of Halloween display or something along those lines. But I don't think it would be a health risk to put a deceased person in it. I wonder why they did not reuse it for the person they took out of it? Maybe it would not seal properly. So who would want to put their loved on it a casket that did not seal properly? I don't think it really is a health risk since we dig up all these mummies and put them on display.
What Next? Why didn't they just put him back in the same one in the first place. What a waist of money on his sons part. It is bad enough that he could not let his dad rest and then have to do something like this.
Next thing someone will have Elvis exhumed and his casket up on ebay of which I am surprised has not happened already. Good Grief!!!
This is just something for the next generation to talk about for years to come....
In Andy's defense... I think he means health codes for the LIVING people who are touching the casket, buying the casket, potentially displaying the casket in their home that used to contain a decaying body. Human decay may pose a health risk to others. Remember how it's socially unacceptable to touch dead things? That's because a corpse can carry any number of diseases. So what about the goo in the casket?
I think that's what Andy meant about health codes...
I suppose the more "green" we go, the more bizarre!
ewwwww!!!!
Why not? If they could freeze Ted William's head, why not this?
Wow, his family must be desperate for some cash...
I think the person worried about health codes was worried about the live people that are exposed a metal box that has held a decomposing corpse for the last 40 years or so. Maybe the same guy that buys Kacee Anthony's used car would want it.
I agree Candy.
While creepy to think about, I too think it should end up if the Rock and Roll Museum
Will the elephant man fit in it?
Sincerely,
MJ
I doubt any individual would buy it unless they're reeeeally weird like Michael Jackson (as someone mentioned) or Prince or that guy that comes around my house to collect the aluminum. However, a bizarre collector's museum might. I'd suggest they call House on the Rock in Wisconsin – a museum started by architect Frank Lloyd Wright and is packed with bizarre things from circuses and weird collectors. It might be just the right amount of creepiness for them.
Or they could just donate it to a fat guy to help cover funeral costs when hedies. lol
Must be a slow news day, Huh boys ?
That's just wrong in a no. of ways but WRONG, no matter what!
ewwwww
My goodness enough of this crap. Don't we have better things to do in our lives. To me this is just wrong and morbid.
I'm surprised they don't dig up the other 2 and have a reunion casket:
HAHAHAHAHAHHAHHA
Should have left him alone in the first place...........
Um...I think Andy meant health codes to protect the person who will be buying it. Ultimately, someone live will handle it before someone dead goes in it.
Morons.
Y'all just goofy.
to Benton In., Lennon's bed? and they may have got a "piece" in the Peace bad. Long live the Big Booper
Maybe we can use it here in Illinois for our "soon to be departed" governor.
Donate it to a charity so it can be used to bury someone that can't afford a casket. Selling it is pretty.... well.....stupid.
what if he had been killed in the crash alone........nobody would have known it
LBW: you made me laugh out loud. Thanks!
And if this thing actually goes up for auction, it will mark the day our contiences died!!!!!!!
...i think the reference for health codes stems from the fact that you can't just bury grandma in your front yard. Something about decaying human flesh and the proximity to living people who can get sick. Here you had a corpse rotting in the thing for 50 years along with any caustic emblaming fluids mixed with it. Surely some code somewhere prevents that muck with those potential germs coming in contact with the general public.
"told the paper he had “no personal use” for the casket.
“When you get down to it, it is just a metal box,” he said.
But it could be worth some money,"
Well Duh!
Thats all this is about. Making a buck. This isnt only nasty, but disrespectful to his father.
Why dont you sell other things while you are at it? You know something like hair or fingernail clippings. I personally want the clothes he was wearing. Where are those? You know some funeral home employee is going, "Hmm" Im going to make some money off this. If you take them out of the trash, they werent stolen. Its just a matter of time before something else pops up.
I would like to buy it and convert it into a bed for my musically inclined child.
Ok, I just want to comment about the people laughing at the health codes remark. Who says whoever buy this is only going to use this for a dead body? Most likely it won't be. It would be put on display somewhere. So I think it's a little ridiculous to laugh at such a question. It's not like corpses are the cleanest things and I'd assume a casket that was used for so long would have a lot of bacteria and mold and whatnot. There are health codes and laws regarding dead body disposal even for animals, so it's a perfectly logical and good question.
PATHETIC & Completely UNIMPORTANT! This guy was NOTHING to music. Not a Jimi Hendrix, or John Lennon, or Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin or Otis Redding...
It's just a sad example of a GREEDY & USELESS son trying to 'make a quick buck' off his dead dad's 15 minutes of fame SOOOOooooooo long ago that NOBODY CARES ANYMORE!
Next!
Who cares if they sell the coffin or if they suddenly decided to sell the Big Booper's remains: the coffin is a metal box and the Big Booper is dead neither are being used at the present time so let the people with the appetite for that fascination get their fill.
It's just a casket people. I personally wouldn't buy it, but if you have the money and want it...why not? Put glass on top and make a dinner table. You would have great conversations with visitors to your home! If it's the body is a temple, soul thing...then it's just a body, the soul is long gone. Germs and disease thing? Who cares, are you buying it? If so, have it sanitized! Respect? Do you think he cares? We shouldn't be wasting land to bury people anyway. Not to mention all of the chemicals that seep into the ground from the body and casket! Peace, Love, Vegan!
I knew someone back in college whose father was a mortician and he had a casket in his dorm room which had black lights and his stereo system inside. Creepy but effective.
Maybe some museum in the boondocks could use it as a fundraiser...$5 will get you five minutes to lie in it and have a Polaroid taken so you can see what you will look like when you're dead and rotting.
Gotta love the spirit of it all...
That has got to be the most distasteful news I've heard of in years. YUK . . . who'd want a used casket for any reason? The Big Bopper rots just like everybody else and all that rotted matter is most definitely inbedded in the fabric.
That just gives me the "willies".
This is very sad. People should not profit from a tragedy.
At least the snot rag money supposedly went to charity.
For all questioning health codes for the dead...umm...for the living people. You need a license to handle a corpse; I'm sure health concerns would be at least part of that rationale. Haven't you heard they used to catapult corpses over castle walls as an early and crude form of biological warfare?
Anyways, I agree with a few of the other comments. Somebody should definitely tell Michael Jackson about this for sure. He could use it to hide the beatles songs he stole AND bury Britney's career; along with his own.
I'm ashamed to say I'm a human being anymore; honestly, isn't it embarassing to you when you see others of your own species doing these kinds of things. Unfortunately, the aliens do not appear to be hostile, but that's ok, we'll commit self-extinction soon enough as it is.
Peace and Love to all the good souls, sympathy for the rest.
Is nothing sacred anymore? Just lose the casket and don't sell it to some crazy person who will do Lord knows what with it. People and their stupid ideas just to make a buck!
There are health concerns–not for the dead, but for the living. The casket will have human decomp fluids in it, and who knows what kind of toxic molds growing in or on it.
That's just NASTY !!!!
Can you say creepy? And what would you do with a slightly used coffin, anyway–save it until somebody dies? No thanks!
Throw his son in it, and drop in from a plane in Iowa, then put it on eBay.
Get 4 more and have the Crypt Kicker 5...
Who in their right mind would call themselves 'Big Bopper', sounds like a hamburger. Why would they do an autopsy to confirm he died from the crash, it would be pretty obvious just looking at his mangled carcass. Unless maybe Buddy beat him over the head with his guitar on the way down.
what is cute good?
so britney is read good.
I'm pretty sure that the people asking about health codes are more concerned for the living people who will handle the casket. Gram negative bacteria, and other spore-forming bacteria associated with decay are not something you want to be exposed to.
As for selling the Big Bopper's used casket...that's the ultimate in tackiness. I hope his spirit bops his son right in the nose.
Cool......I hope they just make tacos out of me and feed me to the unwitting public!!I'd buy his casket and make a bed out of it..............-
Why even report this kind of garbage, nobody cares about this loser. Yes, if you want to put the metal box to good use, then throw mister molester michael jackson, o.j., and oprah in it and light it on fire.
I'm 99% sure Andy who asked about health codes was talking about there being something growing in or around the casket that could affect the buyer or anybody viewing, NOT for anybody being dead and buried in it. Morons. Don't jump on a guy without using your brains. Ooops, too late.
they do rent casket for creamations., after showings, the body is removed and burned.
It is against the law. You don't know what disease or what embalming fluid could do. That's why they do not rent caskets, because of the ebalming fluid. I don't think Ebay will do it, because it's illegal. Yuk tacky anyway.
EW!
It does strike me as somewhat distasteful to sell a used casket; after all, most of us aren't exactly comfortable shopping for a new coffin, and I doubt most people would knowingly buy a second-hand coffinb except, perhaps, in a case like this.
I do have to admit I'd likely give anyone who bought a used coffin, for whatever motivation, at least a long look, and likely a wide berth.
There seems to be a bit of confusion among some contributers here regarding health codes. I tried to find out something, without success, but at a guess I'd say there may be local laws requiring, say, a disinfecting of a coffin so *living* people won't be placed at risk. Sort of like some places require proof of disinfecting of used bedding before it can be sold.
On another point, it's true BB was the least well-known of the three aboard the aircraft, but he was, and remains, somewhat iconic in his own right, nearly 49 years after his death.
For Jamie F
Well you certainly know nothing about Britney Spears career. Her album Circus just went multi-platinum. She has sold over 1 million copies of her DVD Circus in the US, over 550,000 in about 36 hours. Not only that she has broken all the records on digital downloads with Circus and two singles Womanizer and Circus.
"Womanizer", debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Circus her next single debuted at number three on the Hot 100 chart. In less than a month she has been declared Gold and Platinum in multiple countries.
Circus debuted on the Billboard 200 at number one, making it her fifth number-one album. She is only act in Nielsen SoundScan history to have four albums debut with 500,000 or more copies sold.
Prior to Circus coming out she was ranked as the eighth best-selling female recording artist in the United States according to the Recording Industry Association of America with 31 million certified albums and one of the world's best-selling music artists having sold an estimated 83 million records worldwide. Britney Spears holds the title to multiple Guinness World Records.
Besides that she is on practically every magazine list of top bodies and most beautiful women in America and many other lists. Her concerts are selling out faster than they can add more. She has a following of fans that no other artist can even compare to. So do not speak like that about Britney Spears. That is a woman who has achieved more success in her young life than anyone else has ever done to date at her age. Just because you judge her for things that may have happened does not make them so. Britney Spears is a legend in the industry. She does not belong in a casket and neither is her career anywhere near close to being over. Her new album Circus is very good. Womanizer the video is absolutely hysterical. Circus is also very good. Britney fans all across the world love and support her because she is a human being who made poor choices but she is not sitting around judging you is she. You probably have some issues or yoou would not say such things. Poor you.
It does sound pretty tasteless. I'm surprised no one has stolen it to be sold for scrap, like the brass vases at cemeteries. May be the Smithsonian would be interested.
Never heard of him, therefore he is irrelevant.
I think this is weird and opportunistic but if it's for sale somebody will buy it. I was 6 at the time and I have vivid recollections of an older cousin playing Ritchie Valens record Donna over and over . It was a big deal then and still is now. Buddy Holly was like Elvis or the Beatles or Selena, gone too soon.
wow!!!!! No shame at all. SAD
I'm willing to bet that Rob Zombie will buy it.
UGH – does it get any more disgusting than that? I don't think it should be trashed, but it also shouldn't be sold. I don't understand why they couldn't just rebury him in the same casket, even if they moved him somewhere more visible. Weird.
I am living proof that people will literally buy ANYTHING.
I'm an above-the-knee amputee, and learned that there are weirdos out there who get their rocks off over people with missing limbs. To that end, I put up several of my old, nasty, stinky, used stump socks, and SOMEONE BOUGHT THEM!!!
My wife just wanted them out of the house, and was going to throw 'em away. I told her "No, Don't!!! I'll stick them on EBay, and some weirdo will buy them," She thought it was a disgusting thing to do, and wagered me that they would go unsold.
I sold 6 of them for $55. Not bad for nasty trash. However, as long as there are humans roaming the earth, then you can rest assured that there will be weirdos of every size, shape, and fascination walking amongst them.
It may be strange to all of you but if you were growing up in those days as I was, you wouldn't just want this "thing " destroyed and trashed. His earthly remains resided within it for a long period. That must mean something to someone. Maybe Cleveland 's rock and roll museum is where it should end up. He WAS a great and talented human being and was taken from us all too soon. It truly was "the day that music died!!!"
the health codes are to protect you, not the dead people. there's a reason you can only bury people in certain places. it has to do with the embalming fluid leaking out into the soil and stuff. all those chemicals can be dangerous. although, it is a casket, so i suppose if you just admire it and don't stick your head in it, you should be good to go.
Could the fact that with the expiration of the copyright (and the royalty payments) approaching on the 50th anniversary of his death, that the someone is attempting to squeeze a few last cents out of the work of The Big Bopper?
OH This is just way to wrong. Really sick.
This is so wierd but I guess it's not too crazy since funeral homes rent caskets for viewing before they cremate someone. (Health codes? For DEAD people? Gimme a break!)
I'm back, baaaabyyyyyy !!!!
i bet somebody is gonna get into some high bidding to win this auction!
you already suggested Gene Simmons
(who is in Whistler now, – "Hey Gene, shovel your drive for $10?)
Last summer, my wife and I visited the museum where the casket is displayed. The town of Hillsboro is not far from Austin, and the museum is impressive.
it's a free market. It sounds gross to me, but might be a treasure to the person who buys it.
FYI–there ARE laws governing used caskets. DEAD people's bodies leak fluids into the casket which makes them illegal to reuse in some states. GROSE!
Health issue comment . . . I think this is for the living who may be exposed to the item if contaminated with body fluids. Since the body was well preserved from embalming, probably no health risk but there may be exposure to molds, etc.
Snot rag for sale comment . . . Scarlett Johannson blew her nose into a tissue on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The tissue was placed on ebay and was sold. Most anything can be sold on ebay.
One Hit Wonder or a nobody comment . . . he was very young when he died and was touring with a several well known artists upon his death. These people must have appreciated his music and talents. Who knows how popular he could have become or what great works he could have written, produced, etc.
It sounds strange but in fact there are 'rental caskets" for those who want a public viewing in a VERY nice casket and then are cremated in a cardboard or inexpensive wood material casket / coffin.
Not sure if it is allowed in the US. In many European countries it is permitted.
Some places where cemeteries are full, you RENT the burial spot for 50 -100 years then the remains are placed in a common grave after the younger generations have also passed on so someone else can use it for emotional comfort.
It's all what a person is use to.
As for health issues. Don't think it is the dead that have to worry. I would be much more concerned about the LIVING and bacteria concerns.
Dr. Terrie Modesto
Thanatologist (critical incident specialist in death, dying, bereavement and loss)
http://www.drterriemodesto.com
Ok.. Let's face it... we all clicked this story on to see who the rocker was and what the hell the deal was. Did anyone stop to think that it is just for publicity sake? We gave it attention and the old saying, no such thing as bad publicity! Hey it worked.
Personally I believe that having your body is exhumed for any other reason other then a suspicious death, it just down right horrific and the person/ people that are doing it ,should be haunted.. who allowed the body to be exhumed? Why did he need a new casket? Were his wishes attended to when someone did this?
The last thing is to respect wishes of the dead, do it, mourn, and get on with it. The Big B was known for his music, (not my generation) but his music was fast, rebellious, like most of that generation. Many people loved him,including Buddy Holly, Richie Valens or why the hell else would he be on that plane with them? Many people will consider this option, hey who knows, maybe someone really needs the money! One last cash grab! Got to go, one more chill to the spine. Is it cold in here or did someone just try to sell a USED CASKET!!
Truely tacky!!!!! Lets dig up a musician who died over 50 years ago and still make a buck off of him! Gross, Sick, Perverted and STUPID! A son that never knew his father wants to cash in? Sounds so typical of the way people put $$ first, common sense last! What a moron! Yes I heard about the snot rag too, whats next? someones TP after they wipe?
are you KIDDING me??????
Just one word on my mind:
Febreeze!!! (that thing's gotta smell....)
AWESOME!
It would make a great coffee table!
Who cares? It's just not that important.
Andy...health codes for who? It isn't like the dead person they put in it can get sick. I still don't think they should really be able so sell a used casket though lol...crazy people.
You people that are laughing at the health concern comment... do you think that a decaying corpse lying in a box for 50 years, letting off toxic fumes, escaping bacteria, and god knows what else, is not a reason for concern? Sure, it's been a long time, but the first thing that came to my mind was that this was perhaps a potentially unhealthy thing. You should know what you are talking about before making fun of someone. I'm not saying that I do know, but as an educated person I would speculate as to how long toxins and such can survive in those conditions. People CAN catch illness from a corpse.
I say sell it. Everybody is sick to a certain extent. They will do anything for MONEY. Money is the answer to all problems and any way to make MONEY will solve any problem. There are no morals anymore, if it feels good do it, If it makes money, sell it– Anything for MONEY.
The dead are not usually concerned with health issues. Assuming the next occupant of the casket is also dead, one imagines health concerns will continue to be a minimalized.issue.
hey, agreed this is pretty gross, but let's have a little sympathy for the memory of this poor guy. it sucks the way he went out and sucks even more that his family wants to exhume and re-autopsy him and sell his casket 50 years later. maybe he wasn't as talented or great as the other two, but man, have some respect for the dead. it's not as if he's trying to sell it himself!
I'm a big Big Bopper Fan, and I'll buy it in a heartbeat, if I can afford it. Sure hope everyone else is grossed out, so I can get it cheap!
Actually, it is against the law in many (if not all?) states to reuse a casket... unless it is a rental casket specifically designed for reuse through removal of the lining.
I bet that thing stinks like hell.
If it makes money, do it.
We should all take up a collection .... and buy it for OJ ! He's so dense, he'd feel honored.
It's my understanding that they have removed the original bedding and pillow and sanitized the metal.
Actually, there ARE health codes against re-using coffins. In New Orleans' above-ground cemeteries, families use a vault for dozens of people over many, many years. To bury someone, you bring them in a pine box, open the vault, push the old bones to the very back, and slide the new body in. The heat and humidity in New Orleans is such that after a year and a day, by law, you can use the vault again, because the person in it is pretty much reduced to bones. [If more than one member of your family died in a year, you had to rent a vault or have a second one.] Anyway, once the body is deposited, the cheap pine box is simply thrown in a dumpster, because by New Orleans' health code, it cannot be re-used. The NOPD says they receive calls every month from tourists alarmed to see coffins in dumpsters, and they have to explain the city's burial practices and health codes to them. Cemetery tours in New Orleans always explain this as well. So, yeah - it's not so much that the next corpse can catch something as that the living people who handle a coffin that absorbed body fluids from the last corpse could get sick.
To Eric...what do you think Elvis was but a big fat bloated no talent?
Correction to: Benton Indianapolis, In
John Lennon and his wife used for their PEACE sit in. First glance at your sentence made me think of "piece of sh*t" which is what this story is.
My apologies to the "Big Bopper", this is dedicated to his family...
Old musty lace and a rotted face,
And a bony nose hanging down.
That digging in the dark, the shovel making sparks,
A big old hole in the ground....
There ain't nothing in the world like a moldy stiff,
Gonna buy his used coffin and get a real good sniff.
I like bopping, some real grave robbing!
Oooh baby, that's what I like!
I'd buy that for a dollar.
Did they not know the first time how he passed? Let the man rest in peace.
I'll use it to put my beer cans in!
i'd buy THAT for a dollar!
Why not toss in the suit he was buried in to round out the deal? I know, also auction off the pictures of what's left of him too! DISGUSTING!
How low can you go. Who would want to be buried in a casket where someone else was already rotting.
Desperation for money has no boundaries for some people.
No-one finds it odd that they are actually spending all the money they might get from selling his old coffin.......to remove his remains and put them in a new coffin??? I guess FINAL resting place is not really FINAL after all LMAO. Maybe he wasn't as famous as Buddy or Richie. But I think he should have atleast the same respect as the others he parished with. Leave the man alone and let him R.I.P.
I say send it to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. I think they have the bed John Leanon and his wife used for their piece sit in.
Health reasons?!?! If anyone is going to put it to use, I think their health is the least of their concerns!
OMG, what's next, someone will find a piece of used toilet paper from Paul Newman and sell it on ebay, poop and all...
Of course there is a Health and Safety code used for the dead. Even thought they're embalmed most of the time, they still have bacteria that can harm the living, and can be transferred by tough or by having become airborne. I'm quite sure Mr. Richardson wasn't wrapped neatly in plastic when he was buried, and it's been a loooong time since 1959. There had to be seepage of both bodily fluids AND enbalming fluid. I have to say I hope it sells and stays in a sealed display.
Has anyone asked Michael Jackson?
I got some tolet paper Elvis wiped his ass on if someone wants to buy it!
"Sanitary napkins"? Did you really say that? Do they even make those anymore?
Nah Michael Jackson will probably bid on it. After all, he was the sicko who wanted the elephant man's bones. Takes all kinds I guess. Perhaps findadeath.com will buy it. Those are some strange folks.
"After the casket was removed, the “Chantilly Lace” singer’s remains were exhumed — an autopsy showed that he did, indeed, die of crash-related injuries"
Were they debating a different cause of death?
To KAT: You may have heard that Scarlett Johansson sold Her snot rag a few weeks ago! On Dec. 19, Ms. Johansson sneezed into a tissue on The Tonight Show. She then put it up the used tissue for auction on E-bay. The winning bid going to charity. The person who won it, paid $5,300.00. That's right–someone paid Five Thousand Three Hundred USA Dollars for Ms. Johansson's boogers!
Next thing you know, someone famous will offer for sale, a used sanitary napkin, or used toilet tissue.
AND SOMEBODY ELSE WILL BUY IT!
"Bah! Lame lame lame. So they dig this guy up, and buy him a new casket, and then need to unload the old casket on eBay? Seriously? This is acceptable? Isn’t there health codes or something like that preventing this?"
What health code concerns could there possibly be? The guy was dead of a plane crash and you're just going to put another dead guy in it.
I'm sure there are people out there, and likely very wealthy ones, that would indeed purchase an item like this as a conversation point / music display, not to mention museams etc. Anything that is "1 of a kind" is valuable, apparently even jesus grilled cheese on Ebay. You can't get much more one of a kind than a used coffin.
They don't say anywhere in here, but the Texas Musicians Museum will receive an undisclosed share of the sale. He isn;t selling it for his own personal gain, or he would keep all of the money.
I can understand the Big Bopper's son wanting to make a buck. After all, he didn't even have a chance to know his father. But, I do agree that selling the casket is a little out there. Why didn't they just rebury him in the same casket? Lots of famous people have been moved from their original burial place (Abe Lincoln, Elvis Presley to name a couple), so I get that part, too. I just don't know why they had to buy a brand new casket to do it.
Chantilly Lace..great song..Wasn't aware The Big B wrote White Lightning and Running Bear..Maybe the guy who bought the 'fake' Bigfoot for $250k will by it.
Ew
is it fumagated?
Did anyone seriously think the Big Bopper was a real artist? His only hit, "Chantilly Lace", with it's annoying "helllloooo baaabbby" was a novely song at best. It was the 1950's equivalent of something like "The Thong Song" or "My Milkshake".
His celebrity is only remembered today because he died alongside musi greats Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens.
Selling a used coffin is just plain weird. But to me, the weirdest part is that the family thinks it is worth something. It held a fat man with minimal musical talent, not John Lennon or Elvis.
weird
Why worry about it?
We display so many other relics of horrific or sensationalist events, including Bonnie and Clyde's car, bullets from assassinations, etc. Someone will find this interesting and buy it, either as a museum piece or for their own burial.
As for health concerns... why? Are you afraid the next corpse may catch an awful disease?
LMAO!
Anyone who buys it certainly has more dollars than sense....it is indeed just a metal box BUT it contained a corpse for almost 50 years....recycle it and be done with it. It SHOULD NOT be offered for sale.
HAHAHA!! HEALTH Codes?? For the DEAD?! Did you seriously just ask that? hahaha
I want Tiny Tim's box
I guess for me the interesting thing about this article was that I was not aware that the Big Bopper wrote "White Lightening".
Other than that, it's in poor taste to either sell OR buy a used casket, unless you are planning on using it to bury someone, and cannot afford a new one. Now THAT would be recycling.
talk about squeezing out every last nickle
Yeah, it's gross, but who cares? Maybe a museum will buy it. People have morbid curiosity, get over it!
I bet you anything Sammy Hagar buys it.
He may not be the most famous of the three but it will bring in some money since it is is attatched to an event like that plane crash that has been immortilized in the song American Pie.
I got a used snot rag I'll sell you......
Sick sick sick
Andy – health codes? Seriously? For dead people? I agree – this is really lame, but after someone's dead, they're well....
dead.
I start the bidding at 23 cents. I hope they will cover the shipping
our fascination with celebrity is amazing, there is only one word for this...
eewwww
In keeping with “going green” they should re-cycle the casket, and use it to bury Britney Spears career in.
gooooood-bye baaaaaaby!
wow, I mean seriously! This is seriously wrong. Sounds like someone will stop at NOTHING including disturbing the dead for a buck. whoever buys it is just as sick as the person selling it!
Too weird
Gross, gross, gross, gross, gross, gross, GROSS !
He was the least famous of the three. Who cares anyways. Everyone wants to make a buck.
Bah! Lame lame lame. So they dig this guy up, and buy him a new casket, and then need to unload the old casket on eBay? Seriously? This is acceptable? Isn't there health codes or something like that preventing this?
oops NO shame
Is there so shame?