Ritchie Valens
Ritchie Valens was a Mexican-American singer from Pacoima, California, mostly known for his incredibly catchy rendition of the song La Bamba that became a huge hit in 1958. Although his career was short-lived, this Chicano singer managed to make history by becoming rock music’s first Latino star.
Ritchie Valens (1941-1959). Mexican-American Rock And Roll Singer. Photograph, C1958. Photo By Granger/Shutterstock
In January 1959, Ritchie began traveling through the Midwest with several other musicians as part of the Winter Dance Party tour. Sadly, the fresh-faced singer had no idea that this would be the last trip of his life. A month after the tour started, his plane crashed into a cornfield. There were two other singers with him on that fateful ride – The Big Bopper and Buddy Holly.
We’ll get into them first and then explain how the plane crash happened.