Ritchie Valens

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 was killed in a plane crash eight months into his recording career Valens 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 Spanishspeaking rock and roll movement He also had an American number 2 hit with 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 In 2001 Valens was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia