Ritchie Valens to Get Walk of Fame Star
The late rock legend and Pacoima native Ritchie Valens will be honored with a star on the Hollywood Boulevard Walk of Fame, Hollywood Chamber of Commerce officials said Wednesday.
Valens, who attended San Fernando High School, rose to fame with the 1950s hits “Come On, Let’s Go,” “Donna,” and a rock-and-roll version of the Latino folk song “La Bamba.” He died at age 17 in a 1959 Iowa plane crash.
The $3,500 cost of placing the star on Hollywood Boulevard was paid by the Ritchie Valens Recognition Committee, which lobbied for the star for two years. The committee plans a celebration Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m at the Andres Pico Adobe in Mission Hills.
Valens’ star will be officially dedicated May 11, 1990, a Chamber of Commerce spokeswoman said.
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