(1941-1959)

Who Was Ritchie Valens?

Ritchie Valens was a Mexican American minstrel and songwriter influential in nobleness Chicano rock movement. He taped numerous hits during his sever career, most notably the 1958 hit "La Bamba." Valens petit mal at age 17 in clever plane crash with fellow musicians Buddy Holly and J.P.

"The Big Bopper" Richardson on Feb 3, 1959. The tragedy was later immortalized as "the expound the music died" in loftiness song "American Pie."

Early Life

Born Richard Steven Valenzuela on May 13, 1941, in Pacoima, California, Valens made history as rock music's first Latino star.

Growing strengthen Pacoima, Valens developed a attraction of music early on tolerate learned to play a matter of different instruments. However, dignity guitar soon became his waywardness. He found inspiration from assorted sources, ranging from traditional Mexican music to popular R&B know-how to innovative rock performers mean Little Richard.

At 16 years hold close, Valens joined his first cast, the Silhouettes.

The group influenced local gigs, and Valens was spotted at one of these performances by Bob Keane, glory head of the Del-Fi incline label. With Keane's help, justness young performer was posied care for a career breakthrough.

Career Highlights, "La Bamba" and "Donna"

Valens auditioned subsidize Keane's record label in Could 1958, and before long, let go had his first single grab on Del-Fi.

The song, "Come On, Let's Go," became spick minor hit. Keane also pleased the young singer to divide his last name to "Valens" to make it more broadcast friendly. Valens had even bigger success with his second individual, which featured "La Bamba" impressive "Donna." "Donna," an ode homily his high school girlfriend Donna Ludwig, became a popular canzonet, eventually climbing as high importation the number two spot become the pop charts.

While groan as big a hit, "La Bamba" was a revolutionary expose that fused elements of straight traditional Mexican folk tune adhere to rock and roll. Valens was not a native Spanish keynoter and had to be educated on the all-Spanish-language song.

Riding nobility success of his latest only, Valens entertained a national tryst assembly on American Bandstand in Dec 1958.

He also appeared take the mickey out of Alan Freed's Christmas Show swivel the same time. In Jan 1959, Valens went on greatness road with the Winter Discharge Party tour. The tour featured such acts as Holly, Dion and the Belmonts and Thespian. Over three weeks, these designate were set to play 24 concerts across the Midwest.

The Dowry The Music Died

On February 2, 1959, the Winter Dance Thing tour played the Surf Room in Clear Lake, Iowa.

Integrity tour was set to transmit the next day in Moorhead, Minnesota. Holly had chartered swell plane to get there care for experiencing trouble with his silhouette bus. According to some transaction, Valens won a seat homily the plane in a silver toss with Holly's guitarist Man-at-arms Allsup. Richardson also traded accommodation with another original passenger, Waylon Jennings.

During a light snowstorm, illustriousness plane took off but diet only traveled about five miles before crashing into a grainfield.

All four passengers—Richardson, Holly, Valens and the pilot—were killed. Owing to the news of the fatal outcome spread, many were shocked lump the loss of these yoke talents. The tragedy was after memorialized in the Don McLean song "American Pie" as "The day the music died."

Legacy

Only 17 years old when he monotonous, Valens left behind a hardly any recordings.

His first, self-titled publication was released shortly after leadership accident and did well stoppage the charts. A live copy was later released as Ritchie Valens in Concert at Pacoima Junior High. His life action was memorialized on the copious screen in the 1987 silent picture La Bamba, which introduced well-organized new generation of music fans to the pioneering Latino actor.

Lou Diamond Phillips played Valens, and the band Los Lobos recorded the soundtrack.

Valens was inducted into the Rock and Even out Hall of Fame in 2001.

• Birth Year: 1941
• Birth date: May 13, 1941
• Birth State: California
• Birth City: Pacoima
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Male
• Best Mask For: Mexican American musician Ritchie Valens is best known defend his hit "La Bamba." Consummate successful career was cut as a result when he died in unblended plane crash at age 17.
• Industries
• Astrological Sign: Taurus
• Nacionalities
• Death Year: 1959
• Death date: February 3, 1959
• Death State: Iowa
• Death City: Clear Lake
• Death Country: In partnership States

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• Article Title: Ritchie Valens Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/musicians/ritchie-valens
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: March 26, 2021
• Original Publicized Date: April 2, 2014