Ritchie Valens Biography

Richard Steven Valenzuela, who later came to be known by his stage name Ritchie Valens, was an American rock and roll prodigy who went on to establish a new genre of music by introducing Mexican tunes into mainstream music. Valens was a prodigiously talented musician who had learnt to play the guitar when he was still a child. In fact, he showed great interest in creating music when he was only five years old. Valens started off as a musician by joining a band when he was still in school. His rare talent became visible to music producers who were always on the hunt for new talent. Ritchie Valens went on to record his first album when he was only 16 years old and some of his most famous songs are ‘La Bamba’ and ‘Donna.’ Though Valens started off as a guitarist, it was not long before he was able to write and compose his own songs. Even as a teenager, he was invited to music festivals along with other established musicians. Valens died at a very young age due to an accident and the day of his death has been known as ‘The Day the Music Died.’