R.I.P.: 15 Celebs Who’ve Died In Plane Crashes
Ritchie Valens
The “La Bamba” singer Ritchie Valens was a talented rock and roll artist who contributed to the Chicano rock movement. Even though his music career only lasted eight months he created several hits including “La Bamba.” The song was originally a Mexican folk song that he changed with a rock and rhythm beat, which made the song a mainstream success. On February 3, 1959 he died in a plane crash in Iowa with Buddy Holly and J. P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson and the pilot Roger Peterson due to a snowstorm. In 2001 Ritchie Valens was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.