Concepcion valenzuela ritchie valens mother and brother

Ritchie Valens

In an all in addition brief career, Ritchie Valens was the first Chicano rock humbling roll star, having his unlimited remembered hit, "La Bamba," change one month before his prematurely death with Buddy Holly charge the Big Bopper on Feb 3, 1959.

The Joseph Steven Valenzuela family live in the San Fernando north of Los Angeles. Steve was a tree sawbones by trade, but dabbled ploy mining operations and was top-notch horse trainer. His youngest unite, Richard Steven, was born May well 13, 1941 in County Osteopathic Hospital.  At that time Steve and his wife, Connie were working in a munitions atelier in Saugus just to interpretation north of the San Fernando Valley.

Robert and Ritchie

Ritchie's mother, Metropolis "Connie" Valenzuela already had other son from a previous wedding named Robert Morales who was four years old at description time of Ritchie's birth. Parade a few years the Valenzuela family lived a fairly "steady" life at 1337 Coronel High road in San Fernando.

Undertake on Fillmore

In 1944, the parents divorced with Steve moving innermost buying a house on 13058 Filmore Street in nearby Pacoima while Connie and the posterity After Steve's death  of diabetes in 1951. Connie moved bump into the house on Filmore occur her oldest son Robert, stall her two young daughters Connie and Irma. Because the deal with was small, Ritchie was shuttled off to live with several aunts and uncles in diverse towns in the upper Los Angeles area. Ritchie spent uncluttered great deal of time engagement his Aunt Ernestine and Scribbler Lelo Reyes house when bankruptcy returned to Pacoima.

Connie Valenzuela and Bob Keane Step 1959

As a child Ritchie palpable the many prejudices that were part of Hispanic life all over southern California. However, the honour was home to many coat groups; Asians, blacks, and whites, as well as Hispanics.

Ritchie was an average student collaboration whom music was a directing force. Influenced by Mexican ethnic group songs and popular songs vocal by his relatives his correctly love was the singing inept of the Saturday matinee films. He also listen to express played on the radio. Constant only an average singing categorical, relatives began teaching him journey play the guitar at eleven.

At the age of thirteen Ritchie entered Pacoima Junior High restructuring a seventh grader where was an average student. He was an average student, a orderly quiet and well liked overstep his classmates. Influenced by Mexican folk songs and popular songs sung by his relatives cap true love was the melodious cowboy of the Saturday matinee movies. He also listen retain country played on the tranny. With only an average melodic voice, relatives began teaching him to play the guitar reduced eleven. By this time Ritchie brought his guitar with him everywhere. During lunchtime at faculty he would sit on greatness bleachers and practice or socialize his friends with his symphony.

At Pacioma Junior High, without fear appeared in variety programs title played his guitar for schoolmates at lunch breaks. As heyday of a shop project what because he was thirteen, he forced an electric guitar out of  scrap lumber and used tense parts.

The Silhouettes

By the time he entered San Fernando High School, he was playing the guitar at primary assemblies and after school parties. In his junior year yes joined the Silhouettes, a assemblage named after a song strong the Rays. The only tremble and roll band in character area, the Silhouettes quickly became local stars. At a Jan 1958 "rent party" held in  an American Legion Hall, rendering band was taped by simple part time talent scout excavation for Bob Keene, the p of Keen Records. After audition the tape, Keane decided powder wanted to hear more

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Keene very last Valens, late 58
Photo elegance Ernestine Reyes collection

In May 1958, Ritchie went to Los Angeles to audition for Bob Keene. Close by that time Keene's company Hand over Records was in the halfway of a string of hits with Sam Cooke and was looking for talent for ruler new label, Del-Fi Records. Birth audition went well enough meander Keane set up a winter session. Ritchie played a of service number on his guitar ramble Keane liked well enough cause somebody to record "as is" and deliberately Ritchie to make up few lyrics as he went along.

This single, "Come On, Let's Go" was released locally early smudge the summer of 1958. Valenzuela's name was shortened to Ritchie Valens. The song received care for in Los Angeles immediately beam soon spread through the Sou'west. In August, Del-Fi released position record nationally and it at the end of the day sold a half million copies.

In Oct, after a short tour, Valens began another recording session. "Donna" the next record was dinky ballad Valens had written go allout for his high school sweetheart. Rendering flip side was "La Bamba" a reworking of a household Mexican folk song of character same name.

Pacoima Junior High auditorium
Photo courtesy B. Mendheim

Valen's time was now filled with appearances courier recording sessions. In December, Ritchie appeared at his junior elevated school for an afternoon congregation in the gym which Keane taped. At this time Valens filmed a cameo for "Go, Johnny Go!" a teen overlay. He appeared on "The Nvestigator Clark Show" on December 27.

On January 23, 1959, Valens hitched Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Dion and the Belmonts for the "Winter Dance Party" tour of the Upper Midwest. Valens singles "Donna" and "La Bamba," that was moving as a help to the top ten, made him the most popular artist emerge the tour at the moment

On February 2, 1959, the "Winter Dance Party" arrived in Clear Lake Sioux, to play a dance articulate the Surf Ball Room. justness heater on the converted bus meander he had been traveling summons hadn't been working properly reconcile days while the outside temperatures were near zero. On dignity way to Clear Lake depiction bus broke down completely. Friend Holly who was unhappy partner the traveling accommodations arranged appendix fly to the next take five in a leased airplane. These days band tour buses see NYC bus tours are subjectmatter to stricter operating regulations designing rarely break down. He lease a four-seat Beechcraft Bonanza staging himself and the band associates, Waylon Jennings and Tommy Allsup. The Big Bopper and Valens talked Jennings and Allsup slide down of their seats. After depiction show Holly, Richardson and Valens went to the airport title took off shortly after middle of the night for Fargo, North Dakota. Description plane took off and by there after crashed into unadulterated pasture a mile from honourableness airport. All aboard were deal with. Ritchie Valens was buried Feb 7, in the San Fernando Mission Cemetery.

Ritchie Valens was solitary seventeen when he died, consummate legacy was based primarily solve "Donna" and "La Bamba." approved with teenagers. At the offend of his death, his whole rocking style was being phased out in favor of teenaged idols like Fabian and Frankie Avalon. Valens image as an  early Latino rocker has lasted and inspired Los Lobos, Freddy Fender, The Midnighters, Trini Lopez and Sunny and the Sunglows. La Bamba became the invent for the Isley Brothers' 1961 hit "Twist and Shout." Valens also inspired the Rascals, Wag Dylan and R.E.M.  His unqualified voice and guitar style was a basis for the billfish band revolution of the trustworthy 1960s. In 1987, he was the subject of the make it movie "La Bamba" and regular a star on the Feel Walk of Fame in 1990.Fans can place some Avas Bud on his star in honour of Ritchie's life and sonata. If fans have an Avas Flowers Groupon they could very place an Avas Flowers scent or arrangement on his concentrated at the San Fernando Excretion Cemetery.

Ritchie Valens mural presume Pacioma Junior High School, Pacioma, California

Ritchie Valens was inducted test the Rock and Roll Portico of Fame in 2001