Ritchie Valens

Though Ritchie wasn’t exactly what we’d call a “Regional artist,” his most famous hit did come from deep within Mexico. “La Bamba” turned into a worldwide smash back in 1958. And sadly less than six months after it entered the charts, Valens was gone.

Ritchie has made headlines once again this week, particularly because his death was so similar to Jenni’s. Both of them met their end way too young (Valens was just 17!) and at the hands of a faulty airplane.