By early 1959, Valens had shown off his skills with three highly varied singles the ultra-catchy and breezy "Come On, Let's Go," the restrained torch ballad "Donna," and "La Bamba," a shredding, blistering take on an old folk song the Mexican-American musician learned in childhood that became one of the first and biggest songs not performed in English to hit big in the United States. All of the members of the Winter Dance Party tour in January 1959 "the road trip from hell" were stars, or on their way up. Another view of the wreckage. But for however much Keane tried to downplay Valens' Mexican heritage, he also attempted to exploit it, because it was an angle and a perspective that most other prospective rock stars of the era couldn't claim. Valens was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. Holly, Valens, and Richardson were memorialized by legendary singer-songwriter Don McLean approximately 12 years after the crash. Other artists who benefited from working with Keane . Try again later. I didn't want a big thing made about it. All four crew members on board were killed. It was 61 years ago today (February 3rd, 1959) that Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson died in a plane crash after a performance in Clear Lake, Iowa. The Fender guitar had made it home. At around 11:18 a.m., one fighter jet made a wide turn above the San Fernando Valley. She received her Bachelors of Arts in history and her Masters of Arts degree in history both from the University of Western Ontario in Canada. October 20, 1987. When it comes to impact on the nascent genre of rock and roll, Buddy Holly's influence is nearly insurmountable. Owing to the sad circumstances of his untimely death, Valens is not one of the most prolific hitmakers in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, landing a scant five singles on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart. in late October 1959. Valens, of course, was the pioneering Chicano rocker who managed to write and record La Bamba, Come On, Lets Go and Donna as a high school sophomore during a career that lasted only eight months. We had our little pack. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. They are from Kevin Terry's collection from the A couple more minor hits in 1959 followed "That's My Little Suzie" and "Little Girl" and that was all the radio would get from Valens. Music, youth, innocence, shattered in the time it takes metal to hit dirt. We may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites. Another photo has Ritchie seated behind a snare drum, looking at the camera, drumsticks in his hands. Exploring Ritchie Valens' Diet In Tijuana: Enjoying The Best Of Mexican Unfortunately, Ritchie never had the chance to propose. Smart man. There was no jacket or overcoat on the body. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. And in 2018, the town of Pacoima Valens grew up in the area showed off a large mural depicting the "La Bamba" singer in his prime. The Day the Music Died: Crash Site Photo Archive - Angelfire Norton, Donna Fox, Mario Ramirez and Connie Valens. 0 cemeteries found in Mission Hills, Los Angeles County, California, USA. Ludwig asserts that she and Valens had broken up long before he became famous, leaving him free to indulge in the more carnal elements of the rock n' roll lifestyle.