Richard Steven Valenzuela or better known as Ritchie Valens was born on May 13, 1941, in Pacoima, California, United States. Ritchie Valens was a 17-year-old Mexican-American rock 'n' roll artist who invented Latin rock with his unique take on a traditional Mexican folk dance song. Valens learned to play guitar and joined a local band called the "Silhouettes" in 1958. In the "Silhouettes" he became the lead singer, which is when he began to be recognized and noted for his musical talents. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned"? Get the original essay In May 1958, Valens auditioned for Bob Keane, the owner of the Del Fi label, after Keane heard Valens perform at a local cinema and was quickly signed to the label in May 1958. The most popular period for Ritchie Valens was the 8 months before his death in 1959 because that was when he was in the national spotlight and he went from being Mexican-American at age 17. years in Southern California to have a few hit songs. During this period, he recorded a few sessions at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles, California. Her first single was "Come On, Let's Go", which did not reach the Top 40. Her next single was titled "Dona", this song reached number two on the Hot 100s Billboard chart. “Dona was her highest charting single. This song was a slow ballad, written for his high school sweetheart. His other song "La Bamba" eventually reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 years later, but at the time it was #22 on the charts. In this song he combines traditional Hispanic music with rock'n'roll. In December 1958, Valens made an appearance on American Bandstand and Alan Freed's Christmas Show. Ritchie Valens' musical career was cut short while he was achieving success, when he died in a plane crash on February 3, 1959. On board the plane were Buddy Holly, Jiles Perry Richardson and pilot Roger Peterson . They were all traveling to North Dakota to participate in the Winter Dance Party tour. The small plane crashed in a snowstorm minutes after takeoff in Iowa, killing everyone on board. Ritchie Valens was only 17 years old at the time of the plane crash. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay This period is known as “The Day the Music Died” when many of the key players did not exist in the music business. The reason I chose this artist is because when I was younger I watched the movie “Ritchie Valens” which was about his short and influential life. After watching the movie, I always wanted to know more about Ritchie Valens. I grew up singing “La Bamba,” which is common in Latino homes. This song has a well-known melody, which many Americans are familiar with although they may not know the lyrics only in Spanish..