Ritchie Valens

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Richard Steven Valenzuela (May 13, 1941 – February 3, 1959), known professionally as Ritchie Valens, was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist.

A rock and roll pioneer and a forefather of the Chicano rock movement, Valens' recording career lasted eight months and abruptly ended when he died in a plane crash.During this time, he 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 the American number 2 hit ''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 posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.

Early life

Valens was born as Richard Steven Valenzuela in Pacoima, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles. His parents, José Esteban Valenzuela (1896–1952) and Concepción "Concha" Reyes (1915–1987), were from Mexico. He had two half-brothers Roberto "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 as flamenco guitar, R&B, and jump blues. Valenzuela expressed an interest in making music of his own by the age of five. He was encouraged by his father to take up guitar and trumpet, and later taught himself the drums. Though Valenzuela was left-handed, he was so eager to learn the guitar that he mastered the traditional right-handed version of the instrument.

Valenzuela was a 15-year-old student at Pacoima Junior High School at the time of the 1957 Pacoima mid-air collision. He was not at school that day because he was attending the funeral of his grandfather. Recurring nightmares of the disaster led to Valens's fear of flying.

By the time Valenzuela was attending Pacoima Junior High School (now Pacoima Middle School), he would bring his guitar to school and sing and play songs to his friends on the bleachers.

When he was 16 years old, he was invited to join a local band, The Silhouettes (not to be confused with the group of the same name famous for its hit song "Get a Job"). He began as a guitarist, and when the main vocalist left the group, Valenzuela assumed the position. On October 19, 1957, he made his performing debut with The Silhouettes.

Valenzuela also attended San Fernando High School.

Personal life

Valens was in a relationship with Donna Ludwig, his high school sweetheart, from 1957 until his death. Ludwig's parents disapproved of her dating a Hispanic man. Valens's song "Donna" was written for her. Their relationship became strained due to Valens's increasing popularity and touring. After his death, Ludwig attended his funeral. In 1987, she attended the premiere of La Bamba, a biopic featuring the life and career of Valens.

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Career

Valenzuela, a self-taught musician and guitarist, was a natural performer and guitarist. He often performed new songs and added riffs to famous songs while playing.

In May 1958, Bob Keane, the owner and president of a small record label Del-Fi Records in Hollywood, was given a tip by San Fernando High School student Doug Macchia about a young Pacoima performer by the name of Richard Valenzuela. The performer was nicknamed "the Little Richard of San Fernando" by the children. Keane was inspired by Richard's comparison to Little Richard, and he attended Valenzuela's Saturday-morning matinée at a San Fernando movie theater. Impressed by the results, he invited the children to audition at his home in Los Angeles's Silver Lake neighborhood, where he had a small recording studio in his basement. He had an early stereo recorder (a two-track Ampex 601-2 portable) and a pair of Neumann U-47 condenser microphones on hand.

Keane converted Valenzuela to Del-Fi on May 27, 1958, after this first audition. "Ritchie" became the musician's name at this point because, as Keane said, "There were a lot of 'Richards' around at the time, and I wanted it to be different." In the same way, Keane suggested that his surname be reduced to "Valens" from Valenzuela to broaden his reach beyond any obvious ethnic group. Valens was preparing to enter the studio with a full band behind him. René Hall, Carol Kaye, and Earl Palmer were among the musicians. "Come On, Let's Go" an original, credited to Valens/Kuhn (Keane's real name), and "Framed," a Leiber and Stoller song, were two of the first songs recorded at Gold Star Studios in a single studio session one afternoon in July 1958. The album was a hit and was released within days of the recording session. Valens' newest album, a double A-side, and the final record to be released in his lifetime, had the song "Donna" (written about a real girlfriend Donna Ludwig) as well as "La Bamba." The Recording Industry Association of America (America) acknowledged it with a gold disc.

Valens' career led him to drop out of high school by the fall of 1958. Keane has sold appearances in venues around the country as well as on television shows.

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