Ritchie Valens (Richard Steven Valenzuela)
(May 13, 1941 – February 3, 1959)

Valens was a pioneer in the Chicano rock movement who released the records
"La Bamba" and “Donna” in 1958. He learned to play the guitar right-handed
even though he was naturally left-handed.

On February 3, 1959, on what has become known as "The Day the Music Died",
Valens died in a plane crash in Iowa, along with fellow musicians Buddy Holly
and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, as well as pilot Roger Peterson.

Valens was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.

1959