Richard Steven Valenzuela, also known as Ritchie Valens, was an influential American guitarist, singer, and songwriter who played a major role in the Chicano rock movement. Tragically, Valens died in a plane crash just eight months after he rose to fame.
One of Valens’s most notable achievements was his successful translation of Mexican folk songs into la bamba It became a rock and roll hit in 1958 and became the Donnareaching number two on the US charts.
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- Full name: Richard Steven Valenzuela
- Nickname: Ritchie Valens
- Date of birth: May 13, 1941
- Age: 83 (as of 2024)
- Sex: Male
- Birthplace: Pacoima, California, United States
- Country: United States
- Occupation: Musician
- Height: 5 feet 7 inches (170 cm)
- Parents: Joseph Steven Valenzuela and Concepcion Reyes
- Siblings: Robert Morales and Mario Ramirez
- Spouse: Donna Ludwig (married 1958; died 1959)
- Children: None
- Relationship Status: Deceased
- Net worth: $500,000
Early life and education
Richard Steven Valenzuela, 83, was born on May 13, 1941, in Pacoima, California, to Joseph Steven Valenzuela and Concepcion Reyes. He has two half-brothers, Robert “Bob” Morales and Mario Ramirez, and two sisters, Connie and Irma.
Valens grew up exposed to traditional Mexican mariachi music, flamenco guitar, R&B, and jump blues. He showed an interest in music at an early age and learned guitar and trumpet at the encouragement of his father. Although he is left-handed, he learned to play guitar in the traditional right-handed way.
While attending Pacoima Junior High School, Valens experienced the 1957 Pacoima midair crash and developed a fear of flying due to recurring nightmares about the disaster. He would bring his guitar to school and perform for friends in the bleachers.
At the age of 16, Valens joined a local band, The Silhouettes, as a guitarist and eventually became the lead singer. He performed for the first time with The Silhouettes on June 19, 1957. Valens also attended San Fernando High School.
personal life
Valens was in a relationship with his high school sweetheart, Donna Ludwig, which lasted from 1957 until his death. Ludwig’s parents disapproved of her dating a Hispanic man. Valens wrote the song Donna for her.
As Valens became more popular and began to tour, their relationship became strained. After his death, Elvis Presley had one of his bodyguards arrange a meeting with Ludwig so that he could learn all about Valens. In 1987, she attended la bambaThis is a biographical film about the life and career of Valens.
Profession
Valens is a gifted self-taught musician and a skilled singer and guitarist who often improvises new lyrics and adds new riffs to popular songs during his performances.
In May 1958, Bob Keane, owner and president of the small Hollywood record company Del-Fi Records, received a tip from San Fernando High School student Doug Macchia about a young artist from Pacoima named Richard Valenzuela.
The performer was known to the children as “Little Richard of San Fernando.”
In order to draw a comparison with Little Richard, Keane went to see Valenzuela perform on Saturday mornings at a movie theater in San Fernando. He was so impressed with Valenzuela’s performance that he invited Valenzuela to audition at his home in the Silver Lake section of Los Angeles, where he had a small recording studio in the basement.
His recording equipment consisted of an early stereophonic tape recorder and a pair of Neumann U-47 condenser microphones. After a first audition, Keane signed Valenzuela to Del-Fi on May 14, 1958. At this time, the musician adopted the name “Richie” because Keane wanted it to be different from the numerous “Richards” being used at the time.
Likewise, Keane suggested shortening his last name from “Valenzuela” to “Valens” to broaden his reach beyond a specific ethnic group. Valens was set to enter the studio accompanied by a full band, which included musicians such as Rene Hall, Carol Kaye and Earl Palmer.
The first song recorded at Venus Studios in May 1958 was Come on, let’s go and frame. The next album, Donna and la bambawhich sold over one million copies and won a gold record award from the Recording Industry Association of America.
net worth
Ritchie Valens had a fortune of about $500,000 when he died.
die
On February 2, 1959, Holly, Richardson, and Valens’ show in Clear Lake, Iowa, ended at midnight, and after the show they departed from the Mason City Airport in a small plane rented by Holly.
Valens was able to board the plane after winning a coin toss with Holly’s backing guitarist Tommy Allsup. Holly’s bassist Waylon Jennings volunteered to give up his seat to JP Richardson, who was ill with the flu.
At approximately 12:55 a.m. on February 3, 1959, a Beechcraft Bonanza (N3794N) carrying four passengers took off for Fargo, North Dakota, but crashed shortly thereafter. The cause of the crash was attributed to pilot Roger Peterson losing control because he was not certified to fly in adverse weather conditions.
The impact killed four people instantly. At 17, Valens was the youngest person killed in the tragedy, suffering fatal head injuries and blunt force chest trauma along with Holley, Richardson and Peterson.
social media
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Discography
- la bamba
- Come on, let’s go
- Oh my head
- stay with me
- Donna
- We belong to each other
- Bonny Moroni
