Ritchie was a singer, guitarist, and songwriter, best known for being one of the pioneers of rock ‘n’ roll. Ritchie Valens was born in 1941 and skyrocketed to stardom at an incredibly young age.

Ritchie Valens Wiki Biography. Richard Steven Valenzuela was born on 13 May 1941, in Pacoima, California, USA, of Mexican descent. You most likely recognize his iconic hit, "La Bamba," which came out in 1958, when Ritchie was only 17.Born in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles in a neighborhood called Pacoima, he …