Ritchie Valens is an American rock n roll singer Ricardo Esteban Valenzuela Reyes who created the hit La Bamba (1958). The song reached #22 on Billboard Hot 100 and became traditional Mexican folk song adaptation. Valens had distinctive voice and Mexican heritage, which added authenticity to his rock n roll sound. He recorded only 8 songs during his short career between 1958-1959. Ritchie died in plane crash The Day the Music Died in 1959 along with Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper. He was inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. La Bamba was covered in 1987 by Los Lobos for film La Bamba. His influence is felt in the work of Los Lobos, Santana and Los Lonely Boys.