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- Birth Name: Richard Steven Valenzuela
- Birth: May 13, 1941
- Death: February 3, 1959
- Origin: Pacoima, California
- Record Label: Del-Fi Records
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Ritchie Valens was an influential early rock'n'roll musician, and the first Latino rocker to gain success in the mainstream. He authored the hits "Donna", "Come On, Let's Go" and his signature song, "La Bamba." Sadly, his career lasted only a brief eight months. Valens died on February 3, 1959 at the age of 17, along with Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper in an Iowa plane crash.
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Influence
Though his hits are among the most enduring and respected of the 1950s, Valens major legacy is having been the first nationally successful Latino rock musician. In this regard, he was a major influence on 1960s bands like Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs and Question Mark and the Mysterians, as well as later acts Santana, Los Lobos, The Zeros and Los Lonely Boys.Recorded Work
Unlike Holly, whose store of studio outtakes continued to be released up through the 1970s, Valens' catalog of studio recordings was mostly released by the time of his death. One would get a very different impression from the many Valens anthologies available, but most of them reprise the same songs, in one form or another. Aside from his original 1959 self-titled LP, Valens' material has included one live album (In Concert At Pacoima Junior High) and a handful of outtakes and demos.
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Ritchie Valens Questions
Is Nicole Ritchie pregnant again? 4 AnswersYes, Nicole Ritchie's boyfriend Joel Madden posted the following statement on the website of his band Good Charlotte today: "I am so happy to tell everyone that... read more
What is your favorite One Life to Live moment with Clint Ritchie? 1 AnswerOh this is sad news. I remember watching him way back in the day! One of my favorite scenes is when he found out his daughter Jessica was pregnant. ... read more
The Day The Music Died 2 AnswersI have always thought Richie Valens was the one we would miss the most With a song like La Bamba so much more was possible and could have been, first blend of ... read more
Ok so I havent been following news on Madonna but is she really with some 20-year-old? What happened to Guy Ritchie? 1 AnswerMadonna and Guy split up last year. "after a series of rows and public appearances without each other, the couple called time on their tempetous relationship." ... read more -
Similar Artists
- Yahoo! Music: Similar to Ritchie Valens
- Last.fm: Similar to Ritchie Valens
- Oldies.com: Ritchie Valens
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