Not Richie Valenz

Ricardo Esteban or Richard Stephen Valenzuela

1941-1959

I guess Bobbo didn't think leaving the 'z' at the end of Valens was cool, too exotic? The addition of the 't' in Richie is an odd choice too, but what do I know? The last good stage name I came up with was 'Molly Ringworm' and I haven't seen 'La Bamba' in a few years.

"Come on, Let's Go", "La Bamba", "Donna", "We Belong Together", "Ooh My Head", "Fast Freight", "Stay Beside Me", "In a Turkish Town" and many more, all packed into an eight- month-long career. A body of work that still sounds fresh over 50 years later, recorded by a 17 year old, killed in an accident three months short of his 18th birthday.

I think that's a lot sadder than Kurt Kobain.

Drawing for a Ritchie Valens painting done for a Dia de los Muertos art show at Flying Panther Tattoo. And of course, I didn't get a picture of the finished painting before I took it in.

2007