Richard Steven Valenzuela ( May 13, 1941 – February 3, 1959), better known as Ritchie Valens, was a pioneer of rock and roll and, as a Mexican-American born in Los Angeles, California, became the first Mexican– American rock and roll star.
The professional career of Ritchie Valens lasted barely eight months, but in that time he managed to record some of the greatest and most influential songs of the 1950s.