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Ritchie Valens

Ritchie Valens

American musician
A pioneering Latino rocker of the '50s, Richie Valens had several big hits -- including "La Bamba," "Donna," and "Come on, Let's Go" -- before dying tragically in a plane crash with Buddy Holly.
BornMay 13, 1941
HometownSan Fernando Valley
Net worth$500 thousand
Height5'5" (1.65m)
ParentsJoseph Steven Valenzuela, Connie Valenzuela
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Videos

This Day in History: The Day the Music Died

February 3, 1959. Rising American rock stars Buddy Holly, J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson and Ritchie Valens are killed. Their chartered Beechcraft Bonanza plane crashed in Iowa a few minutes after takeoff from Mason City.
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