This essay is adapted from Merrick Morton's "La Bamba: A Visual History," published by Hat & Beard Press. “Dance!! Dance!! Dance!! to the music of the Silhouettes Band!!” read the handbill. The ...

One of the most popular movies from the 1980s is reportedly in development for a remake. "La Bamba" was released in 1987 and is a biopic about the life Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Ritchie Valens.

Ritchie Valens was rescued from obscurity by a 1987 movie, “La Bamba,” that finally put the Southern California teen’s story ahead of Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper, the two older singers who died in ...

* Richard Valenzuela was born May 13, 1941 and grew up in Pacoima, Calif. He would later use the name Ritchie Valens. * He joined a local band, the Silhouettes, at age 16 and he soon became a star on ...

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