"If Ritchie Valens had lived to a ripe old age, his legacy would probably be filled with multiple hits. Instead, he is best known as one of the three musicians to die in a plane crash ""the day the music died."" He was born Richard Steven Valenzuela in Los Angeles in 1941 to Connie and Steven Valenzuela. His Mexican parents introduced him to traditional Latin music, which influenced Valens' music style from a young age. At school, he heard R&B and rock ‘n' roll, which also intrigued Valens. The young guitar player and singer was in a band during high school and was heard by the president of Del-Fi Records during a performance.He was signed to a contract and started recording songs in Hollywood. His first single ""Come On Let's Go"" reached number 42 on the charts in 1958 and put his name in the mainstream media. He went on tour to start promoting his music, and also wrote the song ""Donna"" about a former girlfriend. The song was slower and more pensive, so he put an upbeat song with classic Latin influences called ""La Bamba"" on the flip side. ""Donna"" was a big hit as was ""La Bamba,"" which reached number 22 on the charts.In 1959, the seventeen-year-old star was booked for a Midwest tour. During the travel for that tour, Valens boarded a plane with other stars Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper on February 3. The plane crashed down near Clear Lake, Iowa, killing all three musicians aboard. Since his death, Valens has had two albums released posthumously as well as a variety of greatest hits albums. In 1987, his greatest hits album The Best of Richie Valens reached number 100 on the Billboard 200 chart. He may have died too early, but his talent was undeniable even at such a young age."