Music: Tributes to three rock ‘n’ roll legends will be performed at area clubs.

Ritchie Valens. Rick Nelson. Gene Vincent.

Each died prematurely, robbing the musical community of some of its most prized possessions. Early death guaranteed legendary status.

This spring and summer, concerts in honor of all three will be staged at San Fernando Valley clubs. As a tribute, other musicians profoundly affected by the fallen stars will perform versions of their heroes’ most popular recordings. They will celebrate their music and ongoing influence.

The shows will highlight the agenda of upcoming musical fare in the Valley, which will also include a new evening of jazz at Sasch in Studio City, and the regular diet of offbeat/alternative offerings at Reseda’s BeBop Records. A sample of events through early June:

The Palomino, North Hollywood: On May 8, the Nelson tribute will be held as part of the Barn Dance show, a weekly concert of traditional roots and country music. Nelson, who died in a New Year’s Eve plane crash in 1985, would have turned 50 next month.

Organizing the show will be Barn Dance’s regular host, Ronnie Mack. Performers will include Mack and country singer Rosie Flores; James Intveld, a regular Barn Dance contributor who sang the soundtracks on the new John Waters movie, “Cry-Baby”; and Juke Logan, who plays harmonica on the theme song for ABC-TV’s “Roseanne.” Each singer will perform a Nelson hit. Among his most popular were: “Travelin’ Man” in 1961, and “Poor Little Fool” in 1958.

“He was one of the most underrated performers in rock ‘n’ roll,” Mack said. “Because of his wholesome image, he had almost a Wally Cleaver reputation.

“But his music was right up there with the best of rockabilly. He made rock acceptable to our parents. Up until then, it was black music which parents didn’t look up to, or it was dangerous hips from Elvis Presley. Nelson had credibility with both younger and older people. He took it away from being the Devil’s music without diluting it.”

Mack said a Vincent tribute would be held in June or July, also as part of Barn Dance. Vincent, who died at age 36 in 1971 from a stomach ulcer worsened by his drinking, wrote and performed the hit, “Be-Bop-a-Lula.” Barn Dance is free.

The Country Club, Reseda: On May 11, the Valens concert will celebrate his new star on the Hollywood “Walk of Fame,” which will be unveiled earlier in the day. Performing at the show will be the singer’s cousin, Ernie Valens, 21, who is recording his first album for Fox Records, and Bobby Cochran, whose uncle, Eddie, was one of Valens’ best friends.

Valens, who wrote such hits as “Donna,” “La Bamba” and “Come On, Let’s Go” skyrocketed to the top of the charts in 1957. He died in the same 1959 plane crash that killed Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper.

Tickets are $12, with proceeds going to music education classes being set up for youths in Pacoima, where Valens lived his adolescent years. Many family members still live there. Valens would have been 49 next month.

“We expected that it would take several years to get a star for Ritchie,” said Salvador Guitarez, a musician and family friend who is organizing the concert. “It’s a dream.”

BeBop Records, Reseda: As usual, owner Richard Bruland is preparing a wide range of musical entertainment. On May 5 and 12, Holly Penfield will do her one-woman show of poetry and song. With her synthesizer, Penfield will improvise on stage. She calls her show, “The Fragile Human Monster.”

“I’ll just play whatever comes into my mind,” said Penfield of Woodland Hills. “I have a lot of unusual sounds and words. It’s the best way for me, unless it turns out disastrous, which it often does. I’m the fragile human, and my synthesizer is the monster.”

Sasch, Studio City: Starting this month, the club will feature jazz fusion every Sunday night. Marlon Parry, the club’s general manager, said several jazz groups will participate in the 400-seat club each week.

“We felt that there were plenty of tiny clubs and big arenas for jazz fusion, but nothing in between,” said Parry.

Cover charge on Sundays will be $10.

The club is considering establishing a special night for progressive and alternative music. Already, the club features dance music on weekends, and rock acts during the week.

“We’re more used to melodic rock,” said Parry, “and we hope to get into a little harder rock, although we want to be very careful not to get into the trashy stuff. We don’t want to blow up things on stage and smash equipment.”