Why is the Big Bopper important to history of rock music?

J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson did play and record rock and roll music, and some of such recordings reached some degree of popularity in the 1950s, with his "Chantilly Lace" reaching the number one spot on Billboard's music chart in 1958, but his contribution and importance in the history of rock music is quite minor compared to other contemporaries. Furthermore, he didn't die in a plane crash in England; however, he was one of the three killed (among them were Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens) in the infamous "The Day The Music Died" crash on February 3, 1959, near Clear Lake, Iowa, United States.