Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens & Big Bopper Exhibit Launches at Final Venue From the Night They Died originally appeared on ...

From Slash’s guitar to Buddy Holly’s final tour relics, Surf Ballroom’s “Not Fade Away” immerses visitors in the stories that ...

On February 3, 1959, three influential rock and roll performers—Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richardson, known as ...

The Silhouettes featured Ritchie Valens — “the fabulous Lil’ Richi and his Crying Guitar!!” — at a 1958 appearance at the San Fernando American Legion Hall in Southern California.

Ritchie Valens Park, 10731 Laurel Canyon Blvd. Pacoima Saturday, Aug. 25 — 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Free for all ages This story has been updated to reflect a chance in the time of the event.

Books about Valens, though, have been scarce. The only biography was 1987’s “Ritchie Valens, the First Latino Rocker” by Beverly Mendheim, who struggled to turn her research into a narrative.

Murrieta resident Bob Munson, 79, shows his personal photographs of his junior high and high school friend Ritchie Valens Monday, Feb. 15, 2021 which were taken in the spring of 1957.

The importance of Ritchie Valens in the history of rock ‘n’ roll is undeniable. Beyond his musical influence, however, the Mexican-American from Pacoima, Calif., is a symbol for the int… ...

"Ritchie Valens represented the San Fernando Valley with honor and respect, at performances across the nation he would proudly announce he was from the Valley," said Rocha.

Pilot Roger Peterson was also killed in the crash. Ritchie's sister Connie Valens Lemos paid a surprise visit to the Surf Ballroom Wednesday night on the eve of start of the 2011 Winter Dance Party.

There had not been a Mexican American rock star, but Ritchie Valens became an immediate sensation. His single, “Come On, Let’s Go,” rose on the national charts.