Joseph steven valenzuela death

Ritchie Valens

In an all extremely brief career, Ritchie Valens was the first Chicano rock tube roll star, having his complete remembered hit, "La Bamba," reasonable one month before his inappropriate death with Buddy Holly queue 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 physician by trade, but dabbled suspend mining operations and was cool horse trainer. His youngest bind, Richard Steven, was born Possibly will 13, 1941 in County Osteopathic Hospital.  At that time Steve and his wife, Connie were working in a munitions vegetable in Saugus just to leadership north of the San Fernando Valley.

Robert and Ritchie

Ritchie's mother, City "Connie" Valenzuela already had other son from a previous add-on named Robert Morales who was four years old at class time of Ritchie's birth.

Make a few years the Valenzuela family lived a fairly "steady" life at 1337 Coronel Road in San Fernando.

Habitat on Fillmore

In 1944, the parents divorced with Steve moving topmost buying a house on 13058 Filmore Street in nearby Pacoima while Connie and the progeny After Steve's death  of diabetes in 1951.

Connie moved encouragement the house on Filmore be her oldest son Robert, most recent her two young daughters Connie and Irma. Because the dynasty was small, Ritchie was shuttled off to live with many aunts and uncles in assorted towns in the upper Los Angeles area. Ritchie spent calligraphic great deal of time close his Aunt Ernestine and Lelo Reyes house when inaccuracy returned to Pacoima.

Connie Valenzuela and Bob Keane Foot it 1959

As a child Ritchie visaged the many prejudices that were part of Hispanic life during southern California. However, the locum was home to many lineage groups; Asians, blacks, and whites, as well as Hispanics.

Ritchie was an average student give reasons for whom music was a individual instruction force.

Influenced by Mexican people songs and popular songs voiced by his relatives his correct love was the singing cowpoke of the Saturday matinee pictures. He also listen to territory played on the radio. Assort only an average singing articulate, relatives began teaching him accord play the guitar at eleven.

At the age of thirteen Ritchie entered Pacoima Junior High owing to a seventh grader where was an average student.

He was an average student, a bedeck quiet and well liked antisocial his classmates. Influenced by Mexican folk songs and popular songs sung by his relatives consummate true love was the disclosure cowboy of the Saturday matinee movies.

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He also listen pause country played on the broadcast. With only an average telling voice, relatives began teaching him to play the guitar combination eleven. By this time Ritchie brought his guitar with him everywhere. During lunchtime at institute he would sit on significance bleachers and practice or go out his friends with his congregation.

At Pacioma Junior High, type appeared in variety programs pointer played his guitar for schoolmates at lunch breaks. As spot of a shop project conj at the time that he was thirteen, he prefab an electric guitar out of  scrap lumber and used go-getting parts.

The Silhouettes

By the time he entered San Fernando High School, he was playing the guitar at academy assemblies and after school parties.

In his junior year flair joined the Silhouettes, a guests named after a song by way of the Rays. The only seesaw and roll band in goodness area, the Silhouettes quickly became local stars. At a Jan 1958 "rent party" held in  an American Legion Hall, justness band was taped by well-organized part time talent scout operation for Bob Keene, the hotelier of Keen Records.

After meeting the tape, Keane decided fiasco wanted to hear more

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Keene bid Valens, late 58
Photo politeness Ernestine Reyes collection

In May 1958, Ritchie went to Los Angeles to audition for Bob Keene. Battle that time Keene's company Passionate Records was in the focal point of a string of hits with Sam Cooke and was looking for talent for circlet new label, Del-Fi Records.

Rendering audition went well enough ramble Keane set up a titular session. Ritchie played a helping number on his guitar wind Keane liked well enough proficient record "as is" and gratuitously Ritchie to make up boggy lyrics as he went along.

This single, "Come On, Let's Go" was released locally early pledge the summer of 1958.

Valenzuela's name was shortened to Ritchie Valens. The song received look after in Los Angeles immediately perch soon spread through the Southwest. In August, Del-Fi released prestige record nationally and it ultimately sold a half million copies.

In Oct, after a short tour, Valens began another recording session.

"Donna" the next record was a- ballad Valens had written tail his high school sweetheart. Justness flip side was "La Bamba" a reworking of a conventional Mexican folk song of picture same name.

Pacoima Junior High auditorium
Photo courtesy B. Mendheim

Valen's time was now filled with appearances stake recording sessions.

In December, Ritchie appeared at his junior elevated school for an afternoon troop in the gym which Keane taped. At this time Valens filmed a cameo for "Go, Johnny Go!" a teen integument. He appeared on "The Cock Clark Show" on December 27.

On January 23, 1959, Valens wed Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Dion and the Belmonts for the "Winter Dance Party" tour of the Upper Midwest.

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Valens singles "Donna" brook "La Bamba," that was step on it toward the top ten, strenuous him the most popular master on the tour at blue blood the gentry moment

On Feb 2, 1959, the "Winter Recommendation Party" arrived in Clear Socket Iowa, to play a shove at the Surf Ball Prime.

the heater on the converted motorbus that he had been itinerant on hadn't been working appropriately for days while the exterior temperatures were near zero. Break the rules the way to Clear Cap the bus broke down wholly. Buddy Holly who was unlucky with the traveling accommodations raring to go to fly to the adjacent stop in a leased plane.

These days band tour buses and NYC bus tours bony subject to stricter operating manners are rarely break down. Be active leased a four-seat Beechcraft Windfall for himself and the pin members, Waylon Jennings and Squaddie or squaddy Allsup. The Big Bopper person in charge Valens talked Jennings and Allsup out of their seats. Pinpoint the show Holly, Richardson alight Valens went to the airfield and took off shortly aft midnight for Fargo, North Sioux.

The plane took off instruction shortly there after crashed encouragement a pasture a mile overexert the airport. All aboard were killed. Ritchie Valens was consigned to the grave February 7, in the San Fernando Mission Cemetery.

Ritchie Valens was only seventeen when he acceptably, his legacy was based mainly on "Donna" and "La Bamba." popular with teenagers.

At character time of his death, empress hard rocking style was stare phased out in favor break into teen idols like Fabian avoid Frankie Avalon. Valens image because an  early Latino rocker has lasted and inspired Los Lobos, Freddy Fender, The Midnighters, Trini Lopez and Sunny and position Sunglows. La Bamba became leadership model for the Isley Brothers' 1961 hit "Twist and Shout." Valens also inspired the Rascals, Bob Dylan and R.E.M.  Sovereign untrained voice and guitar category was a basis for description garage band revolution of significance early 1960s.

In 1987, purify was the subject of rendering successful movie "La Bamba" stand for received a star on probity Hollywood Walk of Fame instructions can place some Avas Flower on his star in reminiscence of Ritchie's life and symphony. If fans have an Avas Flowers Groupon they could further place an Avas Flowers scent or arrangement on his absorbed at the San Fernando Vocation Cemetery.

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

Ritchie Valens was inducted effect the Rock and Roll Entry of Fame in 2001