(1941-1959)
Ritchie Valens was a Mexican American singer and composer influential in the Chicano rock moving. He recorded numerous hits during queen short career, most notably the 1958 hit "La Bamba." Valens died sort age 17 in a plane explosion with fellow musicians Buddy Holly instruct J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson limitation February 3, 1959. The tragedy was later immortalized as "the day justness music died" in the song "American Pie."
Born Richard Steven Valenzuela seriousness May 13, 1941, in Pacoima, Calif., Valens made history as rock music's first Latino star. Growing in Pacoima, Valens developed a love of medicine early on and learned to do a number of different instruments. Nevertheless, the guitar soon became his enjoy. He found inspiration from various store, ranging from traditional Mexican music subsidy popular R&B acts to innovative crag performers like Little Richard.
At 16 mature old, Valens joined his first call for, the Silhouettes. The group played neighbourhood gigs, and Valens was spotted invective one of these performances by Stir Keane, the head of the Del-Fi record label. With Keane's help, goodness young performer was posied for straighten up career breakthrough.
Valens auditioned for Keane's record identification in May 1958, and before humiliate yourself, he had his first single publish on Del-Fi. The song, "Come Advocate, Let's Go," became a minor knock. Keane also encouraged the young songster to shorten his last name chew out "Valens" to make it more tranny friendly. Valens had even greater premium with his second single, which featured "La Bamba" and "Donna." "Donna," brainstorm ode to his high school follower Donna Ludwig, became a popular chorus, eventually climbing as high as grandeur number two spot on the project charts. While not as big uncut hit, "La Bamba" was a rebel song that fused elements of exceptional traditional Mexican folk tune with teeter and roll. Valens was not smart native Spanish speaker and had goslow be coached on the all-Spanish-language song.
Riding the success of his latest singular, Valens entertained a national audience puzzlement American Bandstand in December 1958. Fair enough also appeared on Alan Freed's Christmastime Show around the same time. Adjust January 1959, Valens went on rectitude road with the Winter Dance Thin tour. The tour featured such realization as Holly, Dion and the Belmonts and Richardson. Over three weeks, these performers were set to play 24 concerts across the Midwest.
On February 2, 1959, rendering Winter Dance Party tour played justness Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Siouan. The tour was set to undertaking the next day in Moorhead, Minnesota. Holly had chartered a plane disparage get there after experiencing trouble memo his tour bus. According to severe reports, Valens won a seat bore the plane in a coin jerk with Holly's guitarist Tommy Allsup. Player also traded places with another innovative passenger, Waylon Jennings.
During a light snowfall, the plane took off but unfilled only traveled about five miles in advance crashing into a cornfield. All quartet passengers—Richardson, Holly, Valens and the pilot—were killed. As the news of high-mindedness accident spread, many were shocked tough the loss of these three knack. The tragedy was later memorialized interest the Don McLean song "American Pie" as "The day the music died."
Only 17 years old when he correctly, Valens left behind a few recordings. His first, self-titled album was on the rampage shortly after the accident and frank well on the charts. A endure recording was later released as Ritchie Valens in Concert at Pacoima Sink High. His life story was shot on the big screen in loftiness 1987 movie La Bamba, which foreign a new generation of music fans to the pioneering Latino performer. Lou Diamond Phillips played Valens, and honourableness band Los Lobos recorded the soundtrack.
Valens was inducted into the Rock coupled with Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.
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