Ritchie Valens
Rock Musician
Ritchie Valens was the first Chicano rock star. He recorded the sentimental ballad "Donna" in 1958, but it was the flip side, "La Bamba," which became a more memorable hit. In 1959, at the age of 17, he was killed in the same plane crash that killed fellow stars Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper. In 1987 the movie La Bamba resurrected the legend of Valens (with Lou Diamond Phillips playing the singer); a new version of the title song became an even bigger hit than the original.Extra credit: Valens reportedly won a coin toss to get a seat on the fatal flight.
Other stars of the era include Buddy Holly, Jackie Wilson and Del Shannon.
Four Good Links
ArtistDirect: Ritchie Valens
Basic introduction plus album sales, related bands and a discography
The Day the Music Died
The story of the plane crash that killed Valens
Ritchie Valenzuela's Grave
You've been waiting, so find out what it looks like
La Bamba Explained
Far more detail than you would have imagined possible about Valens's hit
Vital Stats
Birth
Birthplace
Death
3 February 1959
(airplane crash, age 17)
Best Known As
The guy who sang 'La Bamba'
