Chantilly Lace & Seguin’s connection to Rock ‘n Roll History

Story & Photos by Lizz Daniels

This story begins way back on February 3, 1959 - the day the music died.

Rock and roll legends Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and JP Richardson, aka “The Big Bopper,” were all killed in a plane crash that shook the world. Movies have been made telling the story, the song “American Pie” was written about it, and though music has changed drastically since that day - the musical legacy of those three men still lives on. Famous artists cover their music, you hear the songs on soundtracks, and in Seguin, local business Jiles Solar & Roofing is named after the Big Bopper.

Jiles Perry “JP” Richardson was born in Sabine Pass, down on the Texas coast, but Beaumont became his home. He worked at its local radio station KTRM as a disc jockey and eventually broke through into the music industry, where he became known as the Big Bopper.

When he died in 1959, his wife was pregnant with their first child - and in 1987, the Big Bopper’s first grandchild was born –– her name is Ashlyn Adams, and she lives in Seguin with her husband Kevin and their three daughters.

“Growing up, my dad always talked to us about our grandpa,” she said. “We never met him in person, but he was always such a big part of our life. My dad and others that knew my grandfather would talk about how big he dreamed and worked so hard in his life to achieve his dreams. Those stories really stuck with us. I think I can speak for my brothers as well as myself when I say knowing my grandfather’s impact on music in his short life has truly inspired us to dream big, work hard, and treat people right. When my brothers and I started our companies, we knew immediately that we would incorporate our grandfather into it. Jiles being my grandfather’s first name, was the perfect fit.”

Ashlyn grew up understanding the impact of her grandfather, but when she met her husband Kevin –– for him, it was like dating rock and roll royalty.

“She’s the granddaughter of the Big Bopper and her father was J Perry Richardson and he toured all over the world playing his father’s music, and was better known as the Big Bopper Junior,” Kevin said.

“I was touring myself and I met Ashlyn through a private show that I did with her father. We did a show together –– I met the Big Bopper’s granddaughter and from there we fell in love, but I fell in love with her father as well because he was in music, and I’m in music. The first Christmas there, I was looking at pictures on the mantle of him and Dick Clark together, and I’m going ‘Wow, Dick Clark from American Bandstand, y’all are friends?’ So it just really blows your mind. It was like marrying Elvis’ granddaughter.”

Since joining the family, Kevin has taken his place at Ashlyn’s side in honoring the Big Bopper’s impact on musical history. He’s made it his mission to catalog the family’s historical keepsakes and shares their stories with others.

“Believe it or not, the Big Bopper helped start the career of Elvis Presley, so it’s just like every accolade in country music or rock and roll history –– her grandfather’s name is right there. One of the first five songs ever recorded on music row –– Hank Snow, Beggar to a King –– Ashlyn’s grandfather wrote that song too. Chantilly Lace was a big number-one song for Jerry Lee Lewis –– he wrote that. It’s crazy for me too because that was my uncle’s favorite song. It gives me chills today to think I’m married to the granddaughter of my uncle’s favorite songwriter. You have a humbling feeling every once in a while, and go ‘Wow this is bigger than you imagine. This guy lives in my garage, in my office here.’”

The walls of Kevin’s home office are a homage to the Big Bopper with the gold record of Chantilly Lace hanging framed on the wall. Behind his desk lays a keyboard for when song inspiration hits, and he has an array of memorabilia scattered about the room waiting to be discovered.

He has countless autographs from the Bopper and others, handwritten messages following his death, and a telegram from Elvis himself expressing his condolences. Kevin even has an old film tin with a message written in the Big Bopper’s handwriting claiming to be the first music video from well before MTV ever coined the term.

It’s a collection worthy of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which the Big Bopper has yet to be inducted into, something the family hopes to see someday.

With the city of Beaumont planning to erect a statue in the Big Bopper’s honor, the time may be coming soon.

“They just recently granted us the statue and we have a fan that is from Beaumont who paid for the entire project,” Kevin said. “So we’re going to have a monument in town close to the Jefferson Theatre where he created the Guinness World Record for the longest broadcasting radio show. He did that after his time in the army. When he got out, he wanted to say, ‘Hey I’m back again,’ and it was a big thing. He played 1,821 records in five days with no sleep. I think there was someone in 2010 who beat our record by one song and we would like to take that back for the family. Now, none of us could stay awake for two days, so we don’t know how he did it. He lost twenty pounds, but he did it. He stayed awake for five consecutive days.”

While Kevin and Ashlyn may not have the ability to stay awake and take the record back, they do have three daughters who may one day decide they want to break their great-grandfather’s record.

“We call them the little bitty boppers,” he said. “We have Hadley, she’s eleven. Then, we have Ruby she’s seven and then we have Walker Rose and she’s two. They kind of know a little bit and they go to school and talk about the music because we support the local music programs in schools here. We give back and donate money for instruments in memory of the Big Bopper and the Big Bopper Junior. Of course, kids don’t understand what a record is and what gold records are.”

Just as Ashlyn grew into her understanding of her grandfather’s fame, so too will her girls, with the guidance of their parents.

“We watched as my dad made it his life mission to keep my grandfather’s name and legacy alive,” Ashlyn said. “He always pushed to get my grandfather the recognition he deserved. Now that my dad has passed, Kevin, my brothers and I know how important it is to keep pushing to make sure my grandfather’s legacy is not forgotten. My absolute favorite song my grandfather wrote was called ‘Someone Watching Over You.’ It’s always reminded me that we have a very special angel watching over us. I hope one day, we will see him in the Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall of Fame where he deserves to be.”

With the success of recent bio flicks and pop culture’s renewed interest in rock and roll history, it is helping Kevin and Ashlyn make big plans for the future. Because while the music may have died on that fateful February day in 1959, the songs live on, and so will Jiles Perry Richardson with his family sharing his story. •