From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Mon May 13, 2002  1:14 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Ritchie Valens

RITCHIE VALENS (By Shaun Mather)

Born Richard Steven Valenzuela, 13 May 1941, Pacoima, California
Died 3 February 1959, near Clear Lake, Iowa

Ritchie Valens became immortal when he was killed at the tragically young
age of 17 in a plane crash with Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper. Although
he'd only been on the scene less than a year, he'd already made his mark as
the first Latino rock 'n' roller whose flame has been kept burning thanks to
firstly Chan Romero and Chris Montez and later by Los Lobos. Ricardo
Valenzuela grew up in a Los Angeles suburb and played guitar in high school.
He was discovered by Del-Fi Records owner Bob Keane in 1958 and his first
single, Come On Let's Go climbed to # 42 on the national charts. The
follow-up was the double A-side classic, Donna and La Bamba, an exuberant
rocked up version of the old folk song sung in Spanish to a bass heavy beat.
Following his death, Keane released a couple of singles and albums,
including a live show. The 1987 film La Bamba paid tribute to his short
life and brought him to the attention of a new generation.

Recommended listening:
Come On, Let's Go - Del-Fi (3CD)
Ritchie Valens: the Lost Tapes - Del-Fi
Books: Beverly Mensheim, Ritchie Valens : the first Latino rocker. Tempe,
Arizona : Bilingual Review Press, 1987.
Larry Lehmer, The day the music died : the last tour of Buddy Holly, the Big
Bopper and Ritchie Valens. New York : Schirmer, 1997.
For an overview of Ritchie Valens (and also Holly/Big Bopper) websites see:
http://members.tripod.com/~lindaluelinn/index-82.html