Rolling Stone The Eternal Legacy of Ritchie Valens
On what would have been the Chicano rock legend’s 80th birthday, Lou Diamond Phillips, David Hidalgo, and Connie Valens Anderson reflect on why he’s still a hero to so many
By Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Ritchie Valens was just 17 years old when he changed the course of pop music in the late 1950s. As the first Mexican-American hitmaker in the U.S., he laid the groundwork for Chicano rock and beyond, with an enduring legacy that continues to inspire generation after generation from legends like Carlos Santana and Los Lobos to Gen Z musicians like Cuco and DannyLux. And while Valens died 62 years ago, his music continues to have an everlasting impact today, on what would have been his 80th birthday.