Song:Donna
Album:Rockin' All Night: The Best Of Ritchie Valens
Because Ritchie Valens died so young, it's impossible to tell if he would have had much longevity in the music business. But there's no question he was influential as the first Hispanic rock star. He was born Richard Valenzuela May 13, 1941 in the Los Angeles suburb of Pacoima, CA. By the time he was 16, he was lead singer of a group called The Silhouettes. In May 1958, Del-Fi Records owner Bob Keane was tipped off about him and went to see him perform in San Fernando. He signed Valenzuela and shortened his name to Ritchie Valens. Keane took him into the recording studio in July and after Valens first single Come On, Let's Go did well, they recorded Donna and La Bamba. Valens wrote Donna and I guess the reason the song was #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has had so much longevity is it's innocence. La Bamba was a traditional Mexican song. Keane sent Valens on tour and while part of The Winter Dance Party with Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper, he died in that tragic plane crash on Feb. 3, 1959 in Clear Lake, IA at age 17. Of course Valens only recorded two albums of music so this comp covers his brief career. The 1987 film La Bamba gave Valens' story the Hollywood treatment. Valens wrote his own songs and played guitar so he may have had a future in music. But we'll never know. Here's a video for Donna by Ritchie Valens.
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