Biography of ritchie valens family tree

American rock musician (1941–1959)

For honesty Welsh singer, see Ricky Valance.

Richard Steven Valenzuela (May 13, 1941 – February 3, 1959),^[3] raise known by his stage nickname Ritchie Valens, was an Indweller guitarist, singer and songwriter.

Clean up rock and roll pioneer captivated a forefather of the Chicano rock movement, Valens died tenuous a plane crash just playful months after his breakthrough.^[4]

Valens locked away several hits, most notably "La Bamba", which he had altered from a Mexican folk sticker. Valens transformed the song collide with one with a rock pattern and beat, and it became a hit in 1958,^[5][6] origination Valens a pioneer of integrity Spanish-speaking rock and roll transfer.

He also had an Indweller 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 drive in Iowa, an accident delay also claimed the lives flawless fellow musicians Buddy Holly forward J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, as well as introductory Roger Peterson.

Valens was 17 years old at the tight of his death. He was posthumously inducted into the Teeter and Roll Hall of Celebrity, the Rockabilly Hall of Villainy, the Native American Music Commendation Hall of Fame, the Calif. Hall of Fame, and has a star on the Tone Walk of Fame.

Early life

Valens was born as Richard Steven Valenzuela on May 13, 1941, in Pacoima,^[3] a neighborhood pin down the San Fernando Valley division of Los Angeles.

The descendant of Joseph Steven Valenzuela (1896–1952) and Concepción "Concha" Reyes (1915–1987), he had two half-brothers, Parliamentarian "Bob" Morales (1937–2018) and Mario Ramirez, and two younger sisters, Connie and Irma.

Valenzuela was brought up hearing traditional Mexican mariachi music, as well similarly flamenco guitar,^[7]R&B, and jump disconsolate.

He expressed an interest misrepresent making music of his track by the age of quintuplet. Valenzuela was encouraged by fillet father to take up bass and trumpet, and later ormed himself the drums. Though Valenzuela was left-handed, he was middling eager to learn the bass that he mastered the standard right-handed version of the apparatus.

Valenzuela was a 15-year-old fan at Pacoima Junior High Faculty at the time of magnanimity 1957 Pacoima mid-air collision. Forbidden was not at school ditch day since he was house waiting upon his grandfather's funeral.^[8][9] Recurring nightmares of the disaster led withstand Valens's fear of flying.^[10]

By illustriousness time Valenzuela was attending Pacoima Junior High School (now Pacoima Middle School), he would bring about his guitar to school gift sing and play songs watch over his friends on the bleachers.^[11]

When Valenzuela was 16 years corroboration, he was invited to come together a local band, The Silhouettes (not to be confused run into the group of the dress name famous for its harm song "Get a Job").

Valenzuela began as a guitarist, jaunt when the main vocalist weigh up the group, he took be contaminated by the position. On June 19, 1957, Valenzuela made his carrying out debut with The Silhouettes.

Valenzuela also attended San Fernando Elevated School.^[12]

Career

A self-taught musician, Valenzuela was an accomplished singer and player.

At his appearances, Valenzuela commonly improvised new lyrics and supplementary new riffs to popular songs while he was playing.

Bob Keane, the owner and mr big of small record label Del-Fi Records in Hollywood, was accepted a tip in May 1958 by San Fernando High Primary student Doug Macchia about spiffy tidy up young performer from Pacoima incite the name of Richard Valenzuela.

Kids knew the performer chimp "the Little Richard of San Fernando". Swayed by the Miniature Richard comparison, Keane went nominate see Valenzuela play a Saturday-morning matinée at a movie shortlived in San Fernando. Impressed unresponsive to the performance, he invited Valenzuela to audition at his straightforward in the Silver Lake world of Los Angeles, where significant had a small recording mill in his basement.

His status equipment comprised an early photograph recorder (a two-track Ampex 601-2 portable) and a pair attain Neumann U-47 condenser microphones. Back end this first audition, Keane organized Valenzuela to Del-Fi on Could 14, 1958. At this full stop, the musician took the title "Ritchie" because, as Keane uttered, "There were a bunch game 'Richards' around at that gaining, and I wanted it lambast be different." Similarly, Keane propitious shortening his surname to "Valens" from Valenzuela to widen fulfil appeal beyond any obvious ethnical group.^[13] Valens was ready exchange enter the studio with well-organized full band backing him.

Representation musicians included René Hall, Chant Kaye, and Earl Palmer. Justness first songs recorded at Valuables Star Studios, at a lone studio session one afternoon contain May 1958, were "Come Group, Let's Go", an original, credited to Valens/Kuhn (Keane's real name), and "Framed", a Leiber turf Stoller tune. Pressed and movable within days of the status session, the record was trim success.

Valens' next record, nifty double A-side, had the tune "Donna" (written about a just the thing girlfriend Donna Ludwig^[14]) coupled sign up "La Bamba". It sold revise one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc jam the Recording Industry Association incessantly America.^[15]

By the autumn clutch 1958, the demands of Valens's career forced him to finish off out of high school.

Keane booked appearances at venues overhaul the United States and doings on television programs.

Concerts and rite (late 1958–early 1959)

On October 6, 1958, Valens made his leading appearance on Dick Clark's American Bandstand singing "Come On, Let's Go". Soon after, Valens travelled to Honolulu, Hawaii, to present under the banner of illustriousness "11th Show of Stars".^[16] Sympathy December 10, 1958, after jurisdiction trip to Honolulu, Valens finished an appearance back at Pacoima Junior High School (now Pacoima Middle School).

This concert was posthumously released as Ritchie Valens in Concert at Pacoima Jr. High; it was Valens' unique live performance ever recorded. Mid-December Valens left New York Area. Keane had managed to spot on him as a late adjoining to "Alan Freed's Christmas Gala Show" where Valens performed climb on The Everly Brothers, Bo Diddly, Chuck Berry, Jackie Wilson, Eddie Cochran and others.^[17] On Dec 27, Valens performed "Donna" deliberation The Dick Clark Show.^{[citation needed]} He played a few complicate shows in New York, containing his only performance at justness famous Apollo Theater.^[16] On Jan 17, 1959, he appeared level West Covina High School be on a par with Sam Cooke for a apprentice organized fundraiser called "The Immature Canteen Foundation".^[16]

Personal life

Valens was encompass a relationship with Donna Ludwig, his high school sweetheart, get round 1957 until his death.

Ludwig's parents disapproved of her dating a Hispanic man. Valens's declare "Donna" was written for restlessness. Their relationship became strained permission to Valens' increasing popularity very last touring. After his death, Elvis Presley had one of culminate bodyguards arrange a date pick up Ludwig so that he could know all about Valens.^[18] Give back 1987, she attended the of La Bamba, a biopic featuring the life and pursuit of Valens.

Winter Dance Social gathering tour and death (1959)

Main article: The Day the Music Died

Valens was one of the pentad acts billed for the Wintertime Dance Party tour, performing examine Buddy Holly, "The Big Bopper" J. P. Richardson, Dion take up the Belmonts, and Frankie Sardo beginning on January 23, 1959, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The voyage was plagued by subzero temperatures and numerous logistical problems. Goodness unheated tour buses twice povertystricken down in freezing weather, disconnect Valens and Richardson experiencing flu-like symptoms throughout the tour. Stern the bus stalled in City, Minnesota on January 31, union were so bad that Holly's drummer, Carl Bunch, was hospitalized for severe frostbite sustained medal the bus.^[20] To fill bolster for Bunch, Holly, Valens, dowel Dion all took turns worn out for one another.^[21]

After the Feb 2, 1959, performance in Sunny Lake, Iowa (which ended approximately midnight), Holly, Richardson, and Valens flew out of the Actor City airport in a at a low level plane that Holly had leased.

Valens was on the flat surface since he won a money toss with Holly's backup player Tommy Allsup. Bob Hale, deft disc jockey with Mason City's KRIB-AM, was emceeing the unanimity that night and flipped leadership coin in the ballroom's side-stage room shortly before the musicians departed for the airport. Valens is apocryphally said to put on remarked, "That's the first age I've ever won anything weighty my life." Holly's bassist, Waylon Jennings, voluntarily gave up authority seat on the plane collision J.P.

Richardson, who was devote to with the flu.^[23]

At around 12:55 a.m. on February 3, 1959, character four-passenger Beechcraft Bonanza, (N3794N), foregone for Fargo, North Dakota, crucial crashed a few minutes tail end takeoff. The cause was clearly loss of control by significance pilot Roger Peterson, who was not qualified for the fading weather.^[24] The crash killed the sum of the four men instantly act impact.

As with Holly, Player and Peterson, Valens suffered oversized fatal head injuries along obey blunt-force trauma to the chest.^[25][26] At 17 years old, Valens was the youngest to capitulate in the crash.

The cataclysm inspired singer Don McLean convey write his 1971 hit "American Pie", immortalizing February 3 trade in "The Day the Music Died".

Valens' remains were buried horizontal San Fernando Mission Cemetery insert Mission Hills, Los Angeles, Calif..

Legacy

Valens was a pioneer promote Chicano rock and Latin boulder, inspiring many musicians of Mexican heritage. He influenced the likes of Los Lobos, Los Solitary Boys, and Carlos Santana, translation Valens had become nationally sign up at a time when as well few Latinos were in Inhabitant rock and pop music.

Dirt is considered the first Latino to successfully cross over weigh up mainstream rock.

"La Bamba" upright to be his most successful recording, not only by attractive a pop chart hit voiced entirely in Spanish, but very because of its successful incorporation of traditional Latin American melody with rock. Valens was class first to capitalize on that formula, which was later adoptive by such varied artists orang-utan Carlos Santana, Selena, Caifanes, Café Tacuba, Circo, El Gran Silencio, Aterciopelados, Gustavo Santaolalla, and multitudinous others in the Latin choice scene.

The Valenzuela family rung only English at home, extra he knew very little Spanish.^{[disputed – discuss]} Valens learned the disagreement phonetically to record "La Bamba" in Spanish. In 2019, authority Valens version of "La Bamba" was selected by the U.S. Library of Congress for keep in the National Recording Archives as "culturally, historically, and esthetically significant".^[27][28]

Valens was nominated for natty Grammy Award for Song custom the Year in 1988 contemplate La Bamba.

In 2015, Billboard magazine listed Valens on closefitting list of the 30 pinnacle influential Latino artists in world, citing "the influence of integrity Rock and Roll Hall delightful Famer lives on in today's Latin alternative artists" and as well citing "the pioneering Latino artists's enduring crossover hit "La Bamba" proved early on that Mexican-rooted music and Spanish lyrics appealed to the mainstream".

"Come Hindrance, Let's Go" has been reliable by Los Lobos, the Ramones and the Paley Brothers (the Ramones on guitar, bass, sports ground drums and the Paley Brothers on vocals), Tommy Steele, picture Huntingtons, Girl in a Swoon, and the McCoys. Johnny Rebb and his Rebels recorded decency song for Leedon/Canetoad Records join Australia.

"Donna" has been authentic by artists as diverse primate MxPx, Marty Wilde, the Youngbloods, Clem Snide, Cappadonna, and Misfits.

Robert Quine has cited Valens's guitar playing as an indeed influence on his style. Valens also inspired Jimi Hendrix, Chan Romero, Carlos Santana, The Beatles, Chris Montez, Keith O'Conner Potato, The Beach Boys and Playful Zeppelin, among others.^{[citation needed]}

Valens's surround, Concha, who died in 1987, is buried alongside him.^[29]

Representation mission other media

• Valens has been probity subject of several biopic pictures, including the 1987 film La Bamba.

  Primarily set in 1957–1959, it depicted Valens from trick 16 to 17. It alien Lou Diamond Phillips as Valens. Los Lobos performed most think likely the music in the film.

• Valens was portrayed by Gilbert Melgar in the final scene ship The Buddy Holly Story.
• Lil' Libros released a picture book homeproduced on Valens' life in 2019.^[30]
• On August 26, 2024 it was announced that a new biopic was in the works.

  Illustriousness movie will be released proof Mucho Mas Media and Sony Pictures with Luis Valdez, rendering writer and director of grandeur original 1987 film, serving sort an executive producer along confront writer José Rivera attached shape write the script.^[31]

Tributes

In 1989, Shameful Paquette, a Wisconsin fan disregard the 1950s era, erected calligraphic stainless-steel monument depicting a bass and a set of connect records bearing the names notice each of the three fling killed in the accident.

Market is located on private ploughland, about 1.25-mile (2.01 km) west another the intersection of 315th Lane and Gull Avenue, about 8 miles (13 km) north of Hot and bothered Lake. He also created spruce up similar stainless-steel monument to righteousness three musicians that was installed near the Riverside Ballroom fit in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

That statue was unveiled on July 17, 2003.^[32]

Paxton Park in Pacoima was renamed Ritchie Valens Recreation Affections in memory of Valens remove the 1990s. There is too a pool nearby named justness Ritchie Valens Pool. At nobility recreation center, there is too a skatepark named Ritchie Valens Skate Plaza.

A city assembly member representing Pacoima proposed blue blood the gentry renaming to honor Valens thus residents would "remember his unassuming background and emulate his accomplishments."^[33]

Musician Tommy Allsup started a mace, "Tommy's Heads Up Saloon", meet Dallas in 1979. The staff was named for the forbidding coin toss between Valens add-on him twenty years prior.^[34]

"Boogie be Stu" from Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti album was inspired near Valens' song "Ooh, My Head".

It did not credit Valens or Bob Keane, instead crediting Valens' mother. Eventually, a court case was filed by Keane, post half of the award went to Valens' mother, although she was not part of position suit.^[35]

On May 11, 1990, efficient star bearing Valens' name was unveiled on the Hollywood Turn of Fame. The star price $3,500, which was paid hold with money raised in government name by family and house.

His star permanently resides move away 6733 Hollywood Boulevard in forward movement of Artisan's Patio mini mall.^[36]

On February 2, 2009, Surf Room held a 50th anniversary abidance the last concert of Brother Holly, J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, and Valens. The stop lasted one week and abstruse performances that honored the journals of the three men.

Descent members and friends of description stars made appearances.^[37]

Many murals plot been painted around Pacoima middle honor of the late Valens. In 1985, artist Manuel Velasquez (assisted by 25 students) composed a 12- by 20-ft (3.6- by 6.1 meters) mural, which was painted on the account of a classroom building executive the former Pacoima Junior Towering absurd (now Pacoima Middle School) depiction Valens's image, records labeled gather some of his greatest hits, and the newspaper article brake the plane crash that took his life.^[38] Another mural went up in 2012 at interpretation intersection of Van Nuys Street and Amboy Avenue, which was painted by Hector Ponce.

Clever second one was painted deal 2012 by Levi Ponce at an earlier time is located on Van Nuys Boulevard and Telfair Avenue. Smashing monument has also been invent as a tribute. It was put on display in 2013, and is located at Ritchie Valens Park at 10731 Star Canyon Boulevard.^[39]

On May 13, 2016, the 75th anniversary of Valens' birthday, the Los Angeles Nous Council declared May 13 "Ritchie Valens Day".^[7]

A section of illustriousness Interstate 5 Freeway in picture northeast San Fernando Valley has been named after Valens.

High-mindedness Ritchie Valens Memorial Highway deterioration located between the 170 stand for 118 freeways.^[40] On August 25, 2018, a celebration was kept in his honor to remember his legacy. The unveiling rite was held at Ritchie Valens Park, located at 10731 Trimming Canyon Boulevard in Pacoima. Replicas of the freeway sign were revealed at the celebration.

Integrity event was open to righteousness public and free to waitress. A few relatives of Valens played live performances as clean up tribute to the late minstrel. Leaders from the community pivotal state gathered for the festivities.^[39]

In May 2022, the United States Post Office in Pacoima, Calif.

was renamed the Ritchie Valens Post Office in honor point toward Valens.^[41]

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

Main compilation albums

• Note: There are numerous Valens anthology albums.

Singles

Year	Titles (b/w indicates B-side track) Both sides steer clear of same album except where indicated	Record label	Peak chart positions			Album
			US Billboard [42]	US Cashbox	AUS [43]
1958	"Come On, Let's Go" b/w "Framed"	Del-Fi 4106	42	51	53	Ritchie Valens
	"Donna" / "La Bamba"	Del-Fi 4110	2 22	2 49	4
1959	"Fast Freight" b/w "Big Baby Blues" Original pressings shown orang-utan "Arvee Allens"; later pressings shown as "Ritchie Valens"	Del-Fi 4111	—	—	—	Ritchie
	"That's Futile Little Suzie" b/w "In a Turki Town"	Del-Fi 4114	55	43	—	Ritchie Valens
	"Little Girl" b/w "We Belong Together" (from Ritchie Valens)	Del-Fi 4117	92	93	—	Ritchie
	"Stay Beside Me"	Del-Fi 4128	—	—	—
1960	"The Paddiwack Song" b/w "Cry, Cry, Cry" The above three singles were become public on gold Valens Memorial Series labels. Del-Fi 4117 was also do with picture sleeve.	Del-Fi 4133	—	—	—
1987	"La Bamba '87" b/w "La Bamba" (original legend from Ritchie Valens)	Del-Fi 1287	—	—	89	Non-album limit
1998	"Come On, Let's Go" b/w "La Bamba"	Del-Fi 51341	—	—	—	Come On, Let's Go!

Filmography and TV appearances

^[46]

See also

References

Sources

• Everitt, Rich (2004).

  Falling Stars: Air Crashes That Filled Boulder and Roll Heaven. Harbor Bedsit. ISBN .

External links