Updates? Omissions? Donna couldnt be found Friday. "If I'd known I was going to get all this attention," she cracks, "I would have lost 20 pounds. . "I don't want to talk about it," she says. . Although totally unprepared to enter the world of contracts and music rights, she claims that one day Herb (Keanes partner) called me and said to sign a contract just in case anything might happen to Richie Valens; otherwise, I wouldnt get anything. Despite this, as the heirs of Richies estate, they should have had the intellectual property rights in Richies music. That created more rumors that someone had gotten shot on the plane, namely the pilot. The reason why the plane crashed is still unknown. Somehow, Connie Valenzuela seems more resigned than angry about these incidents. It took them eight days to send Ritchies body back from Iowa. She was patient, articulate, responsive, and was extremely fair and practical with billing. Connie Lemos was born in 1947 in the United States of America. Fox-Coots, whose father managed a Packard automobile dealership in Beverly Hills, regularly sneaked out of her bedroom window to meet Valens at San Fernando hangouts like the Rainbow Roller Rink or Bob's Big Boy. "Going back to school after he died was so hard. Ritchie Valens, 17. Connie was a child when her big brother lost his life in a plane crash, only hours after performing at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake with a group of musicians that included Buddy Holly and J.P. The Big Bopper Richardson. 1 on the Billboard pop chart. By GREGG BARRIOS. A rock and roll pioneer and a forefather of the Chicano rock movement, Valens' recording career lasted only eight months. As his career took off, he changed his name to Ritchie Valens. He is known for Come On, Lets Go, Donna, and La Bamba. "I remember the scene where Ritchie and I go to a drive-in," she says wistfully. I was too young to really know my brother, Connie Jr., 36, admitted. CONNECT. He made several hits, most notably "La Bamba" and "Donna". His father encouraged him to take up guitar and trumpet and later taught himself the drums. Valens's mother, Concha, who died in 1987, is buried alongside him. Laboe never listened to me. There are Bob Morales, Irma Norton, and Mario Ramirez. CITRUS HEIGHTS, CALIF. -- The first hint Donna Ludwig had that she might become a rock 'n' roll legend came on a bright October day in 1958. Her children listened to her recollections, some for the first time. Valens friends formed the Ritchie Valens Recognition Committee and raised the $3,500 for installation of the star on Hollywood Boulevard. On Saturday, Bob Morales died. ", "He wanted to know all about Ritchie," recalls Fox-Coots, who accompanied Presley to a penthouse party at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. "I still remember the first time we heard Ritchie sing on the radio," the mother of the late Latino . They played farm workers in the movies opening sequence. Ritchies grown up and married sisters Connie Jr. and Irma had small parts as farm workers in the opening sequence. Ritchie knew her, he said. In the mid-1950s, the family moved to the Los Angeles suburb of Pacoima, where the teen-ager attended high school and began playing in a rock band. It was him.. Valens played guitar and sang with a local high school band until he was discovered in 1958. Info. Richie didnt have a Will. Los Angeles County, California. She's only consented to a few interviews, she says, and then only because she wanted to promote "La Bamba" for the Valenzuela family, which is receiving a percentage of the film's profits. Valens was only 17 years old. (Her memory falters here, since the song wasnt actually written by Valens but appeared on his first album.) Even the very young--who only know Valens music from oldies radio stations--professed their love. According to sources at the time of his death, Connie Lemos father, Joseph, and her mother Concepcion were separated. . Morales, who was 22 when Ritchie died, had . I of course still speak it, but when I was around his father I never would.). Thursday at 8:47 PM #1,189 GM Sutter chimes in: (Lol, what a snipe at Treliving) Reactions: DarksideGhost, Sanchez . Bob Morales died on 15 September 2018, in Watsonville, Santa Cruz County, California, US, at age 81. Torres and his twin brother were born in the East Bronx. Music sheet with photo of Ritchie, "Donna" He performed the Little Richard-inspired Ooh! The performers were shuttled from venue to venue on school buses that lacked heat in the bitterly cold Midwest weather. At age 15, Ritchie Valens was a student at Pacoima Junior High School, now Pacoima Middle School. a professional manager, a decision she would live to regret. Their tragic death is known as The Day the Music Died. When Ritchie died, it broke their mother's heart, Lemos said. (Ritchie's siblings are alive and living in California, his father died in 1951 and his mother in 1987) Big deal. Ritchie Valens was an immediate sensation: "Come On, Let's Go," his first single, soared on the national pop charts. Many claim that Richie didnt read the agreement he signed with Keane that stated how the royalties from his music were to be handled. Danny is dark. She moved in with his sister Connie, but disappeared two months later. Mama believed that if someone was born impoverished, as she was, they Due to material alterations, the residence may not retain sufficient . Much is unknown about her children but her son Ritchie Valens who was born Richard Steven Valenzuela on May 13, 1941, in Pacoima, Los Angeles, California, U.S. became a popular guitarist, singer, and songwriter. I never took Ritchie to that brothel. Ritchie Valens, original name Richard Stephen Valenzuela, (born May 13, 1941, Pacoima, California, U.S.died February 3, 1959, near Clear Lake, Iowa), American singer and songwriter and the first Latino rock and roll star. After checking the guns registration, it was discovered that he gun was registered for Buddy Holly. Even though Luis Valdez (the films screenwriter and director) used his own interpretation of what happened, it couldnt have been any closer for me. He never was able to sell it. ", Sometimes even she has trouble believing it ever happened. He died of Prostate Cancer. Twenty-nine years later, Donna Ludwig is back in the spotlight. Goes Out newsletter, with the week's best events, to help you explore and experience our city. A number of the performers caught colds and one was even hospitalized for frostbite. However as the heirs of Richie's estate . Its brought us all so much closer., Irma, 35, nodded in approval of her sisters evaluation. Her mother, Connie Valenzuela, had an unbilled role as Elderly Lady at Party.. His story is told in the film La Bamba (1987). Most recently in May 2022, the United States Post Office in Pacoima, California named the post office in honor of Ritchie Valens. ), When Valens died, his first album hadnt even been released yet (though the film shows Keane giving them out at record hops). Valenzuela died Sunday at Watsonville Community Hospital. She was 72. They got married on married 15 Sep 1939 in Los Angeles County, California. Morales went on a downward spiral following his brother's death after turning to alcohol. And he was also a role model, Rocha said. They dont have to be macho or mean or cuss or take drugs to be a man. Before his death, his estimated net worth was around $500,000. I really love his music, said 10-year-old Erin Wilhelm. Valens was born Richard Steven Valenzuela in Pacoima, California in 1941. Her mother, Concepcion died on 18 October 1987in Santa Cruz, Californiaat the age of 72. She rocks to the left, and rocks to the right described her. Another, Hurry Up, came from an expression that Valenzuela said she used to get her kids to do chores. Oh well, thats Hollywood, I guess, she added, shifting her attention from the film Jaws, which her grandchildren were watching in the living room. The crash killed all three passengers and pilot Roger Peterson instantly upon impact. And whenever she laid her head on his shoulder, he always smelled so clean, like soap and water. Her parents are Francisco Lopez Reyes and Maria Refugia Lopez Reyes. Childhood & Early Life. Hoping to capitalize on the brief romance, her father arranged for her to sing two songs, "Lost Without You" and "Now That You're Gone," on the Pop label. Failed to subscribe, please contact admin. . The newly named highway stretch is located on the I-5 freeway between state Routes . "Here's my scrapbook," she says, pulling out a thick brown album from behind her desk. . However, others believe that the candy bars were just for a singers sweet tooth. When did Connie Valenzuela pass away? Ritchie's death left the world in shock. Connie Valenzuela said she plans to return soon to the Million Dollar Theater with her now grown daughters. Oh Donna, oh Donna . He signed a record deal and soon dropped out of high school to pursue his music career. "See his hair in this picture?" Ritchie Valens suffered massive and unsurvivable head injuries along with blunt-force trauma to the chest. Birthdate: May 13, 1941 Family: Parents: Joseph Steve and Concepcion (Connie) Reyes Valenzuela, brothers Robert (Bobby) and Mario, sisters, Connie and Irma. And that 57 black and silver-chromed Thunderbird (its blue in the movie) that Keane gave Ritchie? Oh Donna, oh Donna . His short career ended when he died at age 17 in the 1959 plane crash in which Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper also perished. We bring to you daily trends in Ghana and all around the world. Ritchie was a singer, guitarist, and songwriter, best known for being one of the pioneers of rock 'n' roll. In a nostalgic tribute to the man whose hit Donna rocketed him to stardom in 1958, fans and relatives of Chicano rock n roll legend Ritchie Valens gathered to see him honored with the 1,913th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. As the first Mexican-American hitmaker in the U.S., he laid the groundwork for Chicano rock and . Contacting us via this website does not create a confidential or attorney-client relationship. Pale and thin, she clutched a framed 8-by-10 picture of Valens hard against her chest. Highly recommended. RITCHIE VALENS' ROOTS. The song appears prominently at the end of the 1987 film, La Bamba, during Ritchie Valens' funeral and the subsequent scene of his brother, Bob, screaming Ritchie's name to the heavens. He was 17 years old when he died. Valens was only 17 years old. Ritchie Valens was one of Rock n' Roll's first Latino superstars and has inspired countless musicians around the world. "It was a 360-degree shift from the first draft," she says. Her brother Bob passed in 2018. He was in a relationship with his high school sweetheart, Donna Ludwig from 1957 until his death. Richie's mother filed a $1.5 million lawsuit against the owner of the aircraft, Jerry Dwyer. It was completed two years ahead of the deadline. Ritchie Morales' elder brother, Bob had a decent net worth of $100,000 at the time of his death. The masters of Valens recordings are owned by Keane in perpetuity, according to Keane, and he has licensed the rights to Rhino Records. It became their song. Ironically, Richie Valens had a fear of flying. Apart from Ritchie Valens, Connie had three other siblings. where can you be? I was pleased with your expertise, speed, and professionalism. Valenzuela, would you sign this contract on your living room table and send it back to us. Thats what one promoter wrote me.. owner of several businesses. One day Herb called me and said to sign a contract just in case anything might happen to Ritchie; otherwise, I wouldnt get anything. He didnt do drugs. she says, totally absorbed. While the demand for Valens records has grown, his fans and relatives have been clamoring for greater recognition of his accomplishments. the movie, La Bamba. Connie's life wasn't an easy one: she was employed as a farm worker, a waitress, a bartender, and a house cleaner. "Who knows? Legacy. View the original document, from of findadeath.com. He and his mother Concepcion Valenzuela were buried by each other. In 1957 Ritchie and Donna met at a garage party where Ritchie was playing. In a span of less than 18 months in 1958 and 59, his songs Donna, Come On, Lets Go, Thats My Little Susie and his rollicking version of La Bamba, the traditional Mexican folk song, made him a star. They didnt send him to me by plane. Ritchie Valens made his performing debut with The Silhouettes on October 19, 1957. I knew about the places he grew up.. My brother was blond. Ive gotten used to it now. She flips over a few pages to another photograph. It was the same song Valens had sung to her over the telephone a year before, after they had decided to date other people. But I finally put on a brave front and said to myself, Im going to play them before I bury him, and I did., The years after Valens death were lean ones. Once, I called Art Laboe and told him it was time to get the guys home. He showed a talent for music at an early age, teaching himself how to play a number of instruments. "It's really too much. As Richie was only 17 he didn't have a Will - under the laws of most states a person needs to be 18 or older to execute a Will or sign any other legal documents. . Valenzuela's recording career as Ritchie Valens lasted just eight months in the late 1950s, when he flirted with the top of the charts and the silver screen. (Here are selected photos on this topic, but full relevance is not guaranteed.) (photosinhouse16@gmail.com) It's Ritchie you knew, not Lou Diamond!' The song peaked on the charts a few weeks after his death. He successfully beat prostate cancer after his recovery. Ritchie Valens passed away on February 3, 1959 at 17 years old. When the Aeronautics Board investigation report came out, it attributed the cause of the crash to pilot error. "The All American Boy" by Bill Parsons (Bobby Bare) #5. Red West, a Presley bodyguard, had learned from one of Fox-Coots' girlfriends that she was the legendary Donna. THE REVERIES OF VALENS' DONNA. His family is poor, and he works as a farm worker after school. Bob Morales Was the Elder Half-Brother of Ritchie Valens, The Late Chicano Rock Star Roberto Bob Morales was born on the 9th of March 1937 in Los Angeles, California. Dated 3 February 1959 Immediate cause of death is listed as "(a) Gross trauma to brain due to (b) Crash of airplane." Other significant conditions are described as "Multiple fractures, left foream and both legs." Nature of injury: "Thrown from plane when it . On Feburary 2, 1959, rock and roll legend Richie Valens was killed in a plane crash in Iowa. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.