Ritchie Valens accomplished much in his tragically short life. At a time when most teens are preparing for their prom, Valens had already made two appearances on American Bandstand, scored a trio of hits on the pop charts, and become the first person to find success by fusing traditional Mexican folk music with the new craze sweeping the nation, rock and roll. His star was rising steadily, and then he was taken away.

Richard Steven Valenzuela grew up in the San Fernando Valley town of Pacoima, Ca and discovered a love of music and songwriting at an early age. By the time he was in high school, he was performing regularly in the local area with his band, The Silhouettes, where he captured the attention of Del-Fi Records owner, Bob Keene. Changing his name to Ritchie Valens, he was promptly introduced to the recording studio.

The result was a single entitled, “Come On, Let’s Go,” a guitar driven rocker written by the teenager. Rising to #42 on the pop charts, its success led to a national tour and an appearance on Dick Clark’s hit television show, American Bandstand. He followed up with an ode to his girlfriend. The loving ballad, “Donna” needed a B-side, and Keene persuaded Valens to put his own rock and roll spin on a “huapango” – a traditional Mexican wedding song containing nonsense lyrics. The result was the energetic tour de force, “La Bamba.” For his efforts, “Donna” would rise to the #2 position on the charts, while “La Bamba” would make him a household name across the country.

Sadly, Valens only got a glimpse of his inevitable fame. On “the day the music died,” Valens was part of a tour featuring fellow rock and roll sensations Buddy Holly and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson.  At the time, Valens was suffering from a severe cold and opted to share a chartered flight with Holly and Big Bopper, rather than brave the frigid temperatures on the tour bus. The plane, departing from Clear Lake, Iowa, never made it to its final destination, killing all aboard when the chartered flight lost its way in a blinding snowstorm and crashed into the desolate countryside. Valens was only 17 years old.

But despite his short time among his, his impact on popular music is undeniable as he single-handedly invented the genre of Latin Rock. His life story was immortalized in the 1987 film, La Bamba, with Lou Diamond Phillips giving an amazing performance as the young rock and roll icon. Ritchie’s memory and wonderful music live on the hearts of millions of music fans to this day and “La Bamba” has achieved the status of a rock and roll standard, still performed by thousands of bands to this day.