Ritchie Valens biography

Synopsis

Early Life

Born Richard Steven Valenzuela in 1941, Ritchie Valens made history as rock music's first Latino star. His promising career, however, was cut short by tragedy. Along with Buddy Holly and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, he died in a 1959 plane crash while on tour.

Growing in Pacoima, California, near Los Angeles, Valens developed a love of music early on and learned to play a number of different instruments. But the guitar soon became his passion. And he found inspiration from various sources, ranging from traditional Mexican music to popular R&B acts to innovative rock performers like Little Richard.

At 16, Valens joined his first band, the Silhouettes. The group played local gigs, and Valens was spotted at one of these performances by Bob Keane, the head of the Del-Fi record label. With Keane's help, the young performer was about to have a career breakthrough.

Career Highlights

Valens auditioned for Keane's record label in May 1958. And before long, he had his first single out on Del-Fi. The song, "Come On, Let's Go," became a minor hit. Keane also encouraged the young singer to shorten his last name to "Valens" to make it more radio friendly. Valens had even greater success with his second single, which featured "La Bamba" and "Donna." "Donna," an ode to his high school girlfriend Donna Ludwig, became a popular ballad, eventually climbing as high as the number two spot on the pop charts. While not as big a hit, "La Bamba" was a revolutionary song that fused elements of a traditional Mexican folk tune with rock and roll. Valens was not a native Spanish speaker and had to be coached on the all-Spanish-language song.

Riding the success of his latest single, Valens entertained a national audience on American Bandstand that December. He also appeared on Alan Freed's Christmas Show around that time. In January 1959, Valens went on the road with the Winter Dance Party tour. The tour featured such acts as Buddy Holly, Dion and the Belmonts, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson. Over three weeks, these performers were set to play 24 concerts in the Midwest.

The Day The Music Died

On February 2, 1959, the Winter Dance Party tour played the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa. The tour was set to perform the next day in Moorhead, Minnesota. Holly had chartered a plane to get there after experiencing trouble with his tour bus. According to some reports, Valens won a seat on the plane in a coin toss with Holly's guitarist Tommy Allsup. J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson also traded places with another original passenger, Waylon Jennings.

During a light snowstorm, the plane took off but it only traveled about five miles before crashing into a cornfield.