Ritchie Valens to Get Star on Walk of Fame

Famed Latino rocker Ritchie Valens, whose death in a 1959 plane crash with Buddy Holly is still considered one of the greatest single tragedies in popular music history, will be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame today.

A ceremony unveiling the star is set for 12:30 p.m. at 6733 Hollywood Blvd., according to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

Members of Valens’ family, including two sisters and two brothers, are expected to attend the ceremony, along with actor Lou Diamond Phillips, who starred in the movie “La Bamba,” about Valens’ life.

Valens, whose real name was Richard Valenzuela, rose from obscurity as a teen-age guitar player in Pacoima to become an internationally known performer on the strength of hits such as “Come On, Let’s Go” and “Donna,” a love song about his high school sweetheart.