(ABC 6 News) – The Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake is famously the site of the final concert of musicians Buddy Holly, J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson and Ritchie Valens.

That event was memorialized in Don McLean’s song “American Pie as “The Day the Music Died,” but Surf Ballroom President Jeff Nicholas eschews the label.

“We don’t call it that,” Nichols said. “While it may have died for a brief moment, we’re sort of the caretakers of that moment in time, in music history.”

As evidenced by the front marquee at The Surf, which reads “The Music Lives On,” the venue is striving to keep the story of the famous venue accessible for future generations.

The Surf Ballroom’s Music Enrichment & Immersive Center expansion will continue the Surf Ballroom’s mission of cultural engagement and education. 

ABC 6 News reporter Alexander Schmidt brings this live report from Clear Lake, sharing the progress made on the $32 million project that will dramatically expand the Surf’s mission and impact as a venue and hub for musicians, as well as honor the legacy of the historic district in Clear Lake.