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Original Ritchie, the Ritchie Valens Store, opened May of 2006. Please click on to Original Ritchie for a visit. We hope you will love what you find there "Our Best Sellers" the music "CD"S" and the T-shirts. The Family would like to thank all of customers both here in the USA , Australia, and the United Kingdom we are not only National but International.
For the best selection in Ritchie Valens CD's just click on "Music" once in Original Ritchie.
A Reissue of Ritchie's First Guitar: the H44 Stratotone
Ritchie with his Harmony
Click here to order
Be the first to get your Ritchie Valens Signature Series Guitar They are available here now !!!
The Ritchie Valens Harmony Signature Series Guitar sales are going well. The feed back has been very positive. The Signature Series owners are loving their new guitars.
The Guitar is available in different colors: Golden Bronze, Green with Ritchie Valens Signature and Black.
The Harmony H44 Stratotone was originally issued in a golden bronze color. In 1957 when Ritchie got his he decided he would change it up a bit, he painted it. The cool color of the time was a rocking green so he took it to his wood shop class at San Fernando High School and made it his own. Harmony is offering both versions the before offered in the golden bronze color and the green Ritchie Valens version. Only the green has the Ritchie Valens Signature.
The Family is offering them at the special price of $499.00. Click here to order yours. Suggested list price is $999.99
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Wishing all of Ritchie's Fan a very Happy and Healthy New Year. Thank you for helping us keep Ritchie's Legacy Alive. A Joyful 2010.
2010 Winter Dance Party "Tribute to Ritchie Valens" Concert
Join Ritchie's Family for a great night of Rock & Roll "The Winter Dance Party Concert", returning the sensational John Mueller as Buddy Holly, The great Jay P. Richardson the Big Bopper's Son and the fabulous Ray Anthony as Ritchie Valens.
Opening the show Ritchie's brother Mario and the Backyard Blues Band. Special guest "Ritchie's Donna".
The Family is very pleased to announce our special guest Mr. Tommy Allsup. Tommy performed with Ritchie at the Surf Ballroom, the infamous concert February 2, 1959 in Clear lake, Iowa. Tommy was part of Buddy Holly's band and was supposed to be on the plane with Buddy and Waylon Jennings. Ritchie asked Tommy for his seat, Tommy did not want to stay behind and face another night on the frigid bus , Ritchie was insistent so finally Tommy said OK Ritchie I will flip you for it. We are very pleased to have Tommy join us this year he is not only a very accomplished musician, he is family.
When: Saturday February 6, 2010, lobby doors open at 6:30 P.M. show starts at 7:30 P.M.
Where:The Henry J. Mello Center for Performing Arts, 250 East Beach Street Watsonville, CA.
Ticket Prices: Balcony $20.00, Orchestra - Main Floor $25.00, Gold Circle Seating $75.00 per couple / $40.00 single.
Tickets Available at the Santa Cruz Civic Box Office - 307 Church Street, Santa Cruz CA. 95060 (831) 420-5260 and online at www.santacruztickets.com - All tickets subject to service charge.
Portion of proceeds to benefit Guitar Not Guns plus a special drawing for a guitar signed Ritchie's Family Donna and The Artists.
The Best Western Rose Garden Inn, Watsonville CA, is offering a special rate for concert ticket holders just mention the Winter Dance Party "Tribute to Ritchie Valens" for the special rate of $74.00 per night.
The Best Western Rose Garden Inn is located at 740 Freedom Blvd. Watsonville, Ca 95076 for your reservation please call 831-724-3367.
FYI: You don't want to miss the "Wall of Fame" display at the Mello Center a large cased in wall display filled with photo's of Ritchie and memorabilia.
Offered for the first time at the Concert a new design Special Edition Ritchie Valens Collectible T-Shirt
Latin Music U.S.A.
The Ritchie Valens Family would like to congratulate Latin Music USA, Laurens Grant and John Valadez producers of hour 3 & 4 La Onda Chicana The Mexican Wave, and all our local PBS stations for airing this series if you missed it it is still available at www.pbs.org look for featured videos link click on Latin Music USA , look for hour three. It starts with a wonderful introduction and then kicks off with Ritchie's segment. We would like to acknowledge Bob Keane Ritchie's manager and Gil Rocha Ritchie's band mate for their contributions . To purchase your copy look for shop pbs at the top of the page.
Los Lobos performed Ritchie Valens La Bamba at White House event Fiesta of Latin Music.Thanks guys.
It's Ritchie Valens Day in L.A.(article from the Daily News Los Angeles).
Fifty Winters Later Surf Ballroom Clear Lake Iowa
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the plane crash that took the lives of Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holly an J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson.
A week long tribute featuring artists of all genres of music, fans from 7 countries and 43 states and the families of Ritchie Valens,Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper made this an incredibly memorable event.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum partnered with The Surf Ballroom for this historical celebration.
The Rock Hall put on a week long series of educational programs at all the local schools,symposiums, where fans could come and listen to interviews given by the family members of Ritchie Valens , Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper, also fans who actually attended the final concert and musicians whose lives were inspired by Ritchie , Buddy and The Big Bopper and take part in a Q & A session.( Note: These Symposium Interviews will be available at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010).
Part of the week long events included the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame dedication of the Surf Ballroom as a historic rock and roll landmark.
The family would like to express their heartfelt appreciation to the Surf , Jeff, Laurie, Sean and Paul the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Terry, Lauren, Shelby, Katherine, and John, Harmony Guitar, Charlie, Dave and Chris and to all the countless volunteers for dedicating their time and incredible energies especially Paul and Mary who adopted us as family. Also a big shout out to our friends from across the Pond.
Donna's Scrapbook live. The Ritchie Valens Family gratefully acknowledges Donna's contributions to this page. All information and photo's authorized by Donna Fox. All photo's used with permission, Donna Fox, Alan Clark (Alan Clark Archives), Judy Willis and Michelle Hoover (www.michellehoover.com) also we would like to acknowledge Pascale our webmaster here at Ritchie Valens.com for her effort and dedication to our site.
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News from Mario:
Mario and the Backyard Blues Band have a new CD. They have recorded Ritchie's "That's my Little Susie" along with new Backyard originals. For more info on the new CD & performance schedule go to www.backyardblues.com.
Great News Backyard Blues Fan's the website is now "LIVE": www.backyardblues.com
A memorable night at the surf
A Tribute to Buddy, Big Bopper, and Ritchie
The world still loves your music after all these years
Rock n' Roll unfolded
The crowds stood up and cheered
The SURF is where it's happenin', so be there or be a square
The bands are warming up
Anticipation fills the air
Guys are shined in Brylcreem, new blue jeans all rolled up
Watch the girls and ask em to dance
Smoke Lucky's from a cuff
Bobby sox, saddle shoes, and can-cans all a fluff
A scarf in her pony tail
A boy winks; there's a blush
A fifty-seven Chevy parks beneath the marquee lights
Chrome bumpers gleaming
From the mirror hangs fuzzy dice
The curtain about to go up; Big Bopper sets the pace
The dance floor fills to quota
Shake the walls, CHANTILLY LACE
Ritchie, we remember how you sang about your love
A slow dance to OH DONNA
Revolving stars above
LA-BAMBA steals a heartbeat, hot guitar strings intertwine
Notes on a scale that reach
Where chiming songbirds fly
Buddy, talent rolling, as you rocked the stage in two
The drums beat out the rhythm
And we danced to PEGGY SUE
TRUE LOVE WAYS; like you waved a magic wand
An orchestra of feelings
Your heart sang out the song
Buddy, Bopper, Ritchie, your memory lives through time
Your fans span generations
And your music blows our minds
We gather here in honor to that cold night in the sky
The Surf stands in legend to
The day the music died
Pam McKiness
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