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Ritchie Valens

American musician

Ritchie Valens

Born:May 13, 1941

Died:February 3, 1959

Age at death:17

Manner of death:Accidental Death

Cause of death:Aviation Accident

Zodiac Sign:Taurus

Born in:Pacoima, United States

Buried in:United States

Languages:English, Spanish

ComposerRock SingerSongwriterGuitaristSinger-songwriterSinger

Signature

Ritchie Valens Signature

Links

WikipediaOfficial WebsiteIMDb

Famous For

Movies & TV

Go, Johnny Go!

Songs & Albums

La BambaDonnaRitchie ValensRitchieRitchie Valens Memorial Album

Awards

Latin Grammy Hall of Fame (2013)Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2001)Grammy Hall of Fame (1999)star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

Biography

Richard Steven Valenzuela (May 13, 1941 – February 3, 1959), better known by his stage name Ritchie Valens, was an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. A rock and roll pioneer and a forefather of the Chicano rock movement, Valens died in a plane crash just eight months after his breakthrough. Valens had several hits, most notably "La Bamba", which he had adapted from a Mexican folk song. Valens transformed the song into one with a rock rhythm and beat, and it became a hit in 1958, making Valens a pioneer of the Spanish-speaking rock and roll movement. He also had an American number-two hit with "Donna". On February 3, 1959, on what has become known as "The Day the Music Died", Valens died in a plane crash in Iowa, an accident that also claimed the lives of fellow musicians Buddy Holly and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, as well as pilot Roger Peterson. Valens was 17 years old at the time of his death. His eponymous debut album was released nine days later and his second album Ritchie was released later that year in October. He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, the Native American Music Awards Hall of Fame, the California Hall of Fame, and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

This biography uses content from the Wikipedia article “Ritchie Valens”, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License.

Photos

Ritchie Valens

Ritchie Valens in a press photo dated to 1959. No copyright markings on the photo. The signature reads, "To Mr. Georg, Thank you for having me on your show from Ritchie Valens". Mr. Georg was George Levine, and the show was in Milwaukee on January 23, 1959.

Ritchie Valens

Newspaper clipping on The Day the Music Died, February 3, 1959.

Ritchie Valens

Grave of Ritchie Valens at San Fernando Mission Cemetery.

Ritchie Valens

Advertisement for Ritchie Valens' single, "Donna", and B-side, "La Bamba". 15 December 1958.

Ritchie Valens

Original tombstone of Ritchie Valens which is located at the home of a fan and collector in Germany

Ritchie Valens

Ritchie Valens in a press photo dated to 1959. No copyright markings on the photo. The signature reads, "To Mr. Georg, Thank you for having me on your show from Ritchie Valens". Mr. Georg was George Levine, and the show was in Milwaukee on January 23, 1959.

Ritchie Valens

This monument is near the visitor entry doors at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, the last venue in which Buddy Holly played.

Ritchie Valens

Advertisement for Ritchie Valens' single, "Donna", and B-side, "La Bamba". 15 December 1958.

Ritchie Valens

Ritchie Valens in a press photo dated to 1959. No copyright markings on the photo. The signature reads, "To Mr. Georg, Thank you for having me on your show from Ritchie Valens". Mr. Georg was George Levine, and the show was in Milwaukee on January 23, 1959.

Ritchie Valens

Ritchie Valens photo for the 1959 film “Go Johnny Go

Videos