Tommy Allsup was born on November 24, 1931, and died on January 11, 2017.
He was an American rockabilly and swing musician.
He was an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation.
He had a son, Austin, who is also a musician.
He worked with entertainers such as Buddy Holly and Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys.
He was touring with Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson when he lost a fateful coin toss with Valens for a seat on the plane that crashed, killing Valens, Holly, Richardson, and the pilot on February 3, 1959.
He died in Lubbock, Texas.
Tommy Allsup passed away at 85 years old.