How old is Connie Valenzuela now?
Connie Valenzuela was born on October 6, 1915 as Concepcion Reyes. She was an actress, known for Gotta Travel On: Remembering When the Music Died (2015) and The Ritchie Valens Story (2002). She died on October 18, 1987 in Watsonville, California, USA.
What happened to Valenzuela from La Bamba?
Valens, whose overnight climb to success was chronicled in this year’s hit movie ″La Bamba,″ was killed in an Iowa plane crash in 1959 at the age of 17 along with Buddy Holly and J.P. Richardson, also known as the Big Bopper. Valenzuela died Sunday at Watsonville Community Hospital.
Where did Maria Valenzuela live in Watsonville?
Although she had lived in Watsonville since 1962, Valenzuela sometimes spent time in the San Fernando Valley house north of Los Angeles that her son bought for her with his music earnings in 1958, Amezquita said. She worked as a waitress, a farm worker, a bartender and a house cleaner.
Where did Ricardo Valenzuela grow up?
Her son, born Ricardo Valenzuela, grew up in Central California farm camps and worked as a laborer in the orchards of Campbell. 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.
What happened to Ritchie Valens mother after he died?
WATSONVILLE, Calif. (AP) _ Connie Valenzuela, the mother of the late rock singer Ritchie Valens, has died of an apparent heart attack.
How old was Bob Morales when Ritchie Valens died?
21 years oldBy Naveen Rao – EarnTheNecklace.com – Video Capture: YouTube. Bob Morales was 21 years old when his famous younger brother, Ritchie Valens died in a plane crash. After his brother's death, Morales went on a downward spiral after turning to alcohol.
How old would Ritchie Valens be today?
80 years oldFans, family, and Lou Diamond Phillips paid tribute to late La Bamba singer Ritchie Valens on what would have been his 80th birthday. La Bamba singer Ritchie Valens would have turned 80 years old today, and fans of the late rock and roller are paying tribute online.
What was Ritchie Valens worth when he died?
Ritchie Valens passed away on February 3, 1959 at 17 years old....Ritchie Valens Net Worth.Net Worth:$500 ThousandDate of Birth:May 13, 1941 - Feb 3, 1959 (17 years old)Gender:MaleHeight:5 ft 6 in (1.7 m)Profession:Singer, Guitarist, Songwriter1 more row
Who lost the coin toss with Ritchie Valens?
AllsupAllsup was touring with Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson when he serendipitously lost a fateful coin toss with Valens for a seat on the plane that crashed, killing Valens, Holly, Richardson, and pilot Roger Peterson on February 3, 1959.
Is Donna from La Bamba still alive?
Donna now lives in a small community near Sacramento with her third husband. She has two daughters.
Did Donna attend Ritchie Valens funeral?
The woman, Diane Olson, showed up at Valens' funeral and told his family they'd been engaged. She moved in with his sister Connie, but disappeared two months later. "No one has seen her since but everyone is looking for her," Mandheim says.
How did Richie from La Bamba died?
On February 3, 1959, on what has become known as "The Day the Music Died", Valens died in a plane crash in Iowa, an accident that also claimed the lives of fellow musicians Buddy Holly and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, as well as pilot Roger Peterson. Valens was 17 at the time of his death.
What happened to Delphi records?
In September 2003, Bob Keane sold the Del-Fi and its subsidiaries to the Warner Music Group. Today, it is now run under Rhino Entertainment and reissues some of its older material.
How much is Lou Diamond Phillips?
Lou Diamond Phillips Net Worth: Lou Diamond Phillips is an American actor and director who has a net worth of $6 million.
Where is the house that Ritchie Valens bought for his mom?
Remington StreetHis fame bought his mother a house on Remington Street, and he gave free concerts at his old schools, San Fernando High and Pacoima Junior High. The Pacoima concert on Dec.
What movie was a hit in 1987?
The 1987 Ritchie Valens biopic La Bamba was a hit by any metric, amassing $54 million at the box office, earning a Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture – Drama, and Los Lobos' soundtrack cover of the title song hit No. 1 on the Billboard pop chart.
What song did Ritchie Valens sing in 1959?
In 1959, Ritchie Valens peaked commercially and artistically with two extremely successful singles. One of them was the rollicking, hard-charging folk/rock fusion tune "La Bamba," sung completely in Spanish." The other was completely different — "Donna," a sweetly crooned teen-idol type love song, performed in English, suitable for slow-dancing. The latter now ranks in the pop music canon of songs named after women, alongside Buddy Holly's "Peggy Sue," the Knack's "My Sharona," and Toto's "Rosanna." "Donna" is also about a real person, a teenager named Donna Ludwig, that Valens had dated before he found success as a rock star.
What was Ritchie Valens famous for?
Ritchie Valens was one of rock n' roll's earliest and most promising stars. A pop music titan while still just a teenager, he emerged in 1958 as a talent to be reckoned with, combining a voice that was at turns soulful and peppy with a preternatural talent for playing the guitar with precision and speed. By early 1959, Valens had shown off his skills with three highly varied singles — the ultra-catchy and breezy "Come On, Let's Go," the restrained torch ballad "Donna," and "La Bamba," a shredding, blistering take on an old folk song the Mexican-American musician learned in childhood that became one of the first and biggest songs not performed in English to hit big in the United States.#N#Sadly, Valens is also one of music's biggest "what could have been" stories — he died at age 17 while still a rising success. He didn't have the chance to record all that much music, but what he did make would cement his status as an American musical legend. Here's a look into the tragically brief life of Ritchie Valens.
How old was Ritchie Valens when he died?
Sadly, Valens is also one of music's biggest "what could have been" stories — he died at age 17 while still a rising success. He didn't have the chance to record all that much music, but what he did make would cement his status as an American musical legend. Here's a look into the tragically brief life of Ritchie Valens.
What is the song La Bamba based on?
He did, however, come up with the arrangement of the tune as an energetic, highly crafted single emblematic of the 1950s early rock n' roll sound. "La Bamba" is based on an old piece of folk music from the Mexican state ...
Where did Ritchie Valens go to school?
Valens attended school at Pacoima Junior High School near Los Angeles, which sat under a flight path. On Jan. 31, 1957, two planes collided mid-air, sending one plummeting to the ground, crashing into the junior high's grounds. Three students were killed that day, and another 90 sustained injuries. Not among them was Valens, who was absent from school that day to attend a burial service for his recently deceased grandfather. "If we hadn't gone to my grandfather's funeral, Ritchie would have been out there, in the playground," the singer's brother, Bob Valenzuela, said in a retrospective about the film La Bamba. "My grandfather's death saved Ritchie's life."
Where did Buddy Holly die?
In February 1959, he died with Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper when their small plane crashed into a farmer's field near Clear Lake, Iowa. According to Atlas Obscura, that's still private land, but it's also the site of a modest guitar statue, put up in 1988, shortly after the release of the Valens biopic La Bamba .
What songs did Ritchie Valens cover?
With hits like their rock-and-roll cover of "La Bamba," along with "Come On, Let's Go, " and "Donna, " Ritchie Valens was a bonafide star. Article continues below advertisement. Source: Twitter.
What happened to Ritchie Valens' brother?
What Happened to Ritchie Valens' Brother? He Became a Local Legend
How old was Ritchie's brother when he died?
Ritchie's younger brother, Mario Ramirez, was only 2 years old when the singer passed away, but he's carrying on the musical legacy left behind by the rock and roll icon: "I wish I had been able to spend more time with him. But by dedicating my life to music, I struggle to honor him.
Where did Ritchie grow up?
Ricardo, aka, "Ritchie" would grow up in Central California farm camps and even labored in Campbell orchards to help his family make ends meet. It was when Connie took her family to Pacoima, a suburb of Los Angeles, that Ritchie and the rest of his family's life began to change for the better.
Who is Ritchie Valens' mom?
Ritchie Valens' mom, Connie Valenzuela, passed in 1987. Ritchie's death left the world in shock. In fact, songs still reference "The day the music died" even today, leaving Valens' family to carry on his legacy. Connie's life wasn't an easy one: she was employed as a farm worker, a waitress, a bartender, and a house cleaner.
Who died in the plane crash in Iowa?
A plane crash in Iowa claimed the lives of pilot Roger Peterson, Buddy Holly, J.P. Richardson, and Ritchie Valens. Valens, who became a hit sensation with his track "La La Bamba" and was immortalized in the film of the same name, was only 17 when he died. His brother Bob Morales became a local legend in his own right, but what happened to him?
Who said "That's how I know I have succeeded as a father"?
His daughter, Bly Morales, said that Bob was proud that none of his children ever went to prison, "He said, ‘That’s how I know I have succeeded as a father.'. He put us through some major crap, but we held that man on the highest pedestal. We babied him. He was real. He never lied to us.
Who is Ritchie Valens' maternal grandmother?
Josefa was the daughter of Francisco López and Concepción Ocuna. Ritchie’s maternal grandmother was Refugia Lopez (the daughter of Refugio López and Eduviges Yáñez). Ritchie’s great-grandfather Refugio was the son of Francisco López and Beatriz. Ritchie Valens was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist.
Who is Ritchie Valens' father?
Father of Ritchie Valens. Brother of Lorenzo Valenzuela and Len Valenzuela. Ritchie Valens was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was known for being a rock and roll pioneer and a forefather of the Chicano rock movement. He was the son of Joseph Steven Valenzuela and Beatrice (later Concepcion) Reyes.
How did Bob Morales' brother die?
Bob Morales was 21 years old when his famous younger brother, Ritchie Valens died in a plane crash. After his brother’s death, Morales went on a downward spiral after turning to alcohol. After his recovery, he successfully beat prostate cancer.
How did Ritchie Valens die?
Ritchie Valens died in a plane crash on February 3, 1959, in Mason City, Iowa, and the country lost one of its most talented singers. He had four siblings, most notably his older brother, Bob Morales, who was portrayed as a bike riding enthusiast in the 1987 movie, La Bamba.
How old was Morales when Valens died?
Morales was just 21 years old when Valens died, and he took it hard. By his own admission, Morales still finds it very difficult to sit and watch La Bamba, which is about him and his brother. He once said, “You’re watching the movie. I’m watching the real thing. It still gets to me.”.
What happened to Morales after his brother died?
After Morales found out about his brother’s death, he became bitter and angry at the world and started drinking heavily. He said about that time, “I used to drink all day and I used to tear the house down. I also got a little abusive with Rosie [his girlfriend at that time].” His struggle with alcohol led him to a detox center several times. He later worked there as a substance abuse counselor, though he was unsure if he could do the job properly.
Who is Bob Morales?
Bob Morales is the older brother of late 1950s singing sensation, Ritchie Valens. The rock ‘n’ roll pioneer was one of the first exponents of the Chicano rock movement with several hit songs like “La Bamba,” “Come On, Let’s Go,” “Donna,” and “Little Girl.”
Who is Ritchie Valens' brother?
As long as people remember Ritchie Valens and his music, they will also remember his older brother, Bob Morales.
Is Bob Morales still alive?
Considering he is at least in his late 70s, many are wondering if he is still alive. Though he’s kept himself below the radar for many years , there have been no reports on Bob Morales’ death.
How old was Valens' brother when he died?
Valens' youngest brother, who was just 18 months old when Valens died, eventually formed his own band. ADVERTISEMENT.
Where are Ritchie Valens' siblings?
His siblings, including one older brother, two younger sisters and a younger brother, were living in California and Nevada. After Valens' death, the family stayed out of the public eye, though they did work closely with producers of "La Bamba.". In 2013 Valens' siblings gathered at Surf Ballroom ...
