Day Trips: Surf Ballroom and Museum, Clear Lake, Iowa

We know it’s more than a day trip, but the Surf Ballroom is worth the pilgrimage

"...to shuttle him, J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson, and Ritchie Valens. The plane crashed soon after takeoff in a..."

Jan. 17, 2025 Column by Gerald E. McLeod

Pondering Fame

"...had as many hits as the Righteous Brothers or Ritchie Valens, and his nomination alongside those of Nick Lowe,..."

Dec. 14, 2009 Postmarks

A Browner Shade of Black

Blazing trails of Chicano soul

"...was immediately supplanted by the real thing. In L.A., Ritchie Valens' career ended in tragedy, but Danny Flores (aka..."

Dec. 28, 2007 Music Feature by Margaret Moser

La Onda Chicano

Tejano music, as a genre, might be on the ropes, but Sunny Ozuna – one of the genre's architects – is anything but

"..."When we started, Ritchie Valens was big, Fats Domino was big, Elvis was..."

July 21, 2006 Music Feature by Greg Beets

The Bold & the Bountiful: HAAM's Corporate Battle of the Bands Rocks for a Cause

Fifteen years in, HAAM's Corporate BOTB is bolder than ever

"...core memory of the first time they heard the Ritchie Valens classic. Sergio Gonzales Parroquin took lead, showcasing a..."

June 9, 2024 Music Post by Cy White

Day Trips

The Buddy Holly Center in Lubbock is home to a tribute to one of Texas’ favorite sons and also provides a venue for international and local visual art exhibits

"...snowy night in February 1959, the plane carrying Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson plowed into..."

Dec. 10, 2004 Column by Gerald E. McLeod

Dancing About Architecture

Stevie Ray Vaughan box set hits stands and controversary

"...Roll Hall of Fame inductees were announced Tuesday, with Ritchie Valens, Aerosmith, Solomon Burke (another Jerry Wexler discovery), the..."

Dec. 15, 2000 Music Column by Ken Lieck

Day Trips & Beyond: February Events Roundup

Travel news for history buffs, art appreciators, foodies, and more

"...plane crash that claimed the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, and pilot Roger..."

Jan. 31, 2025 Travel Post by Gerald E. McLeod

New Austin Music Worth Your Bandwidth This Week

Our favorite albums, videos, and performances

"...the flight that killed his pal Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens – the camera's dead on the country music..."

July 3, 2020 Music Feature by Raoul Hernandez

Cheap Eats: Hut’s Hamburgers

Austin classic is still one of the best deals in town

"...you can't really go wrong here. We ordered the Ritchie Valens Burger ($7.75), featuring guacamole, grated cheddar, chopped tomatoes,..."

Dec. 2, 2016 Food Feature by Mary Bryce

SXSW Music: Dion

Bronx bard was never, ever a Dick Clark confection

"...the same plane that crashed and killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. “Big Bopper” Richardson. Then he had..."

March 18, 2016 SXSW Post by Greg Beets

JD McPherson

"...Me Up" shouts like a lost Little Richard or Ritchie Valens hit, much like the last LP's "North Side..."

April 17, 2015 Music Review by Tim Stegall

Film Flam: Local Screens News

Mr. Kaplan closes Cine Las Americas, Ernie Cline scores big, and more

"...be followed by an El Rey broadcast of the Ritchie Valens story La Bamba. Previous interviewees have included Rodriguez..."

March 27, 2015 Screens Post by Marjorie Baumgarten

Get Down Brother

San Antonio soul vein yields a goldmine

"...Fifty winters after the tragic death of Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holly, and the Big Bopper, Ruben Molina..."

April 5, 2013 Music Feature by Thomas Fawcett

One Big Guitar

The return of the True Believers

"...own first major tour following the success of the Ritchie Valens biopic, La Bamba...."

Feb. 22, 2013 Music Feature by Tim Stegall

Urban Tejano

Tortilla Factory pulls down a Grammy nomination as Best Tejano Band as the almost four-decade-old local institution gets ready to reinvent the genre

"...long held sway with rock & roll, even before Ritchie Valens or the Champs' "Tequila," but the 1960s colored..."

Dec. 24, 2010 Music Feature by Margaret Moser

Off the Record

Mixed signals: KUT takes over the Cactus Cafe, Pachanga owns Fiesta Gardens

"...soul, and Girl in a Coma's raw covers, including Ritchie Valens' "Come On, Let's Go," but the evening belonged..."

May 28, 2010 Music Column by Austin Powell

Learning the Game

Learning Buddy Holly's game, 203 tracks at a time

"...killed Holly on Feb. 3, 1959, as well as Ritchie Valens. Five weeks earlier, he'd added hand claps to..."

Feb. 5, 2010 Music Feature by Raoul Hernandez

Gone Gone Gone

The Head Cat himself, Motörhead’s Lemmy Kilmister, talks in his sleep.

"...they'd come in. I used to get stuff like Ritchie Valens. I remember I got “Donna.” That was on..."

May 7, 2009 Music Post by Raoul Hernandez

Los Lobos

Live Shots

"...Rosas' wolfish vocals and predatory Strat. "A tribute to Ritchie Valens!" called out Hidalgo, La Bamba's "Ooh! My Head"..."

May 1, 2009 Music Review by Raoul Hernandez

Page Two: Wonder Stories

The unbound adventures and outrageous duets of a life spent with science fiction

"...try to stop the Big Bopper, Buddy Holly, and Ritchie Valens from taking off into the snowy night sky,..."

July 25, 2008 Column by Louis Black

TCB

Lubbock or leave it, with Buddy Holly, the Flatlanders, and some dude who says he's James Dean's bastard son

"...gave up his seat on the doomed airplane to Ritchie Valens after losing a coin flip (and later that..."

Sept. 10, 2004 Music Column by Christopher Gray

Oye Como Va

This trio of brothers from San Angelo aren't gonna be lonely for long.

"...everything from blues and country to "oldies" rockabilly. Like Ritchie Valens before them, the boys decided to shape these..."

Aug. 1, 2003 Music Feature by Melanie Haupt

As You Like It

Welcome! The following is our comprehensive Austin guide to the American classic commonly known as the hamburger.

"...make up your mind at Hut's. I like the Ritchie Valens: guacamole, grated cheese, chopped tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, mayo,..."

March 7, 2003 Food Feature

Gasoline Dreams

Rounding up 2000 LPs.

"...following year when a small plane carrying Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper crashed on the icy..."

Jan. 5, 2001 Music Feature by Raoul Hernandez

Postmarks

More tributes to Doug Sahm

"...Bone Walker, Joey Long, C.L. Weldon, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Ritchie Valens, Bobby Fuller, Buddy Holly, Little Jr. Parker, Lightning..."

Dec. 3, 1999 Column

Everywhere Is War

A beginner's discography to Rock en Español

"...L.A. ("Before Los Lobos and Lou Diamond Phillips made Ritchie Valens hip again -- "), it's obvious that most..."

Nov. 12, 1999 Music Feature by Raoul Hernandez

The Fellowship of the Tortilla

Peña Unites Central-American Folk

"...of Betto Villa, and the Los Angeles-based rock of Ritchie Valens (Richard Valenzuela). Puerto Rico has its Salsa and..."

Oct. 20, 1995 Music Feature