Ritchie Valens was the first Chicano rock star. He recorded the sentimental ballad "Donna" in 1958, but it was the flip side, "La Bamba," which became a more memorable hit. In 1959, at the age of 17, he was killed in the same plane crash that killed fellow stars Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper. In 1987 the movie La Bamba resurrected the legend of Valens (with Lou Diamond Phillips playing the singer); a new version of the title song became an even bigger hit than the original.
Extra credit: Valens reportedly won a coin toss to get a seat on the fatal flight.
