Ritchie Valens

Richard Steven Valenzuela (May 13 1941 – February 3 1959), better known as Ritchie Valens, was a pioneer of rock and roll and, as a Mexican-American born in Los Angeles, California, became the first Mexican–American rock

Richard Steven Valenzuela (May 13 1941 – February 3 1959), better known as Ritchie Valens, was a pioneer of rock and roll and, as a Mexican-American born in Los Angeles, California, became the first Mexican–American rock and roll star.

The professional career of Ritchie Valens lasted barely eight months, but in that time he managed to record some of the greatest and most influential songs of the 1950s. In May 1958, Bob Keane, the owner and President of Del-Fi Records, a small Hollywood record label, was given a tip about a young performer from the San Fernando Valley by the name of Richard Valenzuela. Valenzuela, then aged sixteen, was already making waves in a local band named The Silhouettes.