Ritchie Valens

Ritchie Valens was the original Latin rock musician, with his single La Bamba being a major hit. He also had other hits such as Donna and and Come On Let's Go. Valens was one of the most popular rock and roll musicians of the fifties. Unfortunately, he was killed in the 1959 airplane crash that also killed Buddy Holly and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson in what came to be immortalized in Don McLean's hit American Pie as "The Day the Music Died". Unlike Holly, who was a charter member of the Hall of Fame, it took decades for Valens to get in. This is possibly because he is considered a one-hit wonder by many.