Over 150 people gathered at the San Fernando American Legion Post 176 for the dedication of the Ritchie Valens Bandstand. It was also a celebration honoring the 85th birthday of the late Valens – a Mexican American rock ‘n’ roll icon widely beloved in his hometown of Pacoima and a source of pride to others who grew up in the Northeast Valley and attended San Fernando High School.
Members of the local community sat at tables in front of the stage at the San Fernando American Legion – the very same one where Valens played with the Silhouettes as a teenager 68 years ago, before he gained national stardom with the hit songs “La Bamba,” “Come On, Let’s Go,” and “Donna.” Tragically, he died less than a year later in a plane crash in 1959, when he was just 17.
Honoring Valens at the San Fernando American Legion was long overdue, said Bennie Najar Jr., the local post commander, who spearheaded the three-year project with the official blessing of Valens’ surviving relatives, including two of his siblings, his sister Irma Valens Norton and his brother Mario Valens.
“This is something that we know should have been done in the community a long, long time ago,” said Najar, adding that members of the post had been asking for years, “How do we honor the fact that Ritchie Valens first performed right here, at the San Fernando American Legion?”
The sticking point for some members was that Valens wasn’t a veteran. For this reason, some members argued that his name shouldn’t be on the building, but they found common ground by choosing instead to revamp and rename the historic stage in his honor, said Najar.
“We had the proof with photos, flyers and the history right here in front of us,” he added. “We had to take a hard look at the [American Legion] Post, at who we were and where we were going. … We were called to preserve something bigger than ourselves.”
Several family members of Valens attended. There were live performances by other homegrown artists, including comedian Gilbert Esquivel and “Sal the drummer” Rodriguez of War. In tribute, singers Lulu Cardona, Jimmy Angel and several others, including MKY “Mikey” Jimenez, also sang on the now officially anointed stage. MKY, a contestant on season 23 of American Idol, performed “We Belong Together” at the invitation of Valens’ family and sang to Valens’ sister, Irma Norton, who praised his performance. The young performer has said he is a great admirer of Valens and hopes to portray him in what could be an additional film about his life.
Longtime San Fernando resident Robert Noriega still vividly recalls the first time he saw Valens. Noriega was about 10 years old, riding around on his bike, when he spotted Valens with a guitar on his back, walking by himself up the street from the San Fernando American Legion.
“Four or five years later, I saw him on stage [here] and it was exciting,” he recounted. “You know what it was? He had a love of music and he had a different sound, completely different. He was like a shooting star. … Ritchie Valens was exciting. It was electrifying to see him perform.”
Fred Aguilera, who played the trumpet as a member of the Silhouettes, traveled from Arizona for the occasion. He said he was happy to make the trip to honor the life and legacy of his former bandmate.
“Being one of the Silhouettes and [playing with Ritchie] was something very exciting in my career,” recounted Aguilera. “We were all young kids from San Fernando High School. We went through a lot of problems, [because] it was hard for Hispanics to make it up in the world of music, but Ritchie did … and he ended up being a very famous person throughout the world. I was very honored to [have the opportunity] to play in a band with him.
“And by the way,” he continued with a smile, “Ritchie [also] loved playing the trumpet. He wanted to be a trumpet player, actually.”
Musicians across the globe continue to perform his music and fans never seem to tire of it.
In the United States, Valens popularized the folk song “La Bamba,” which originated in Veracruz, Mexico, turning it into a rock ‘n’ roll hit. He recorded it when he was 16 years old, yet it exploded into a mainstream crossover hit and was played on English-language radio stations.
By making rock ‘n’ roll music unique to his sound, he inspired other musicians.
Years later, his music helped to launch the East LA band Los Lobos after they provided the soundtrack for Valens’ 1987 biopic “La Bamba.” The film’s soundtrack included Valens’songs, “Come On, Let’s Go,” “Donna,” “Ooh, My Head,” “We Belong Together,” “Framed” and, of course, the title song “La Bamba.” The film’s album, which topped the charts and remains one of the most successful movie soundtracks, increased exposure for the talented members of Los Lobos and was a major boost toward their stardom.
For the musicians who graced the newly-named Ritchie Valens Bandstand, it felt much larger than its modest size. Before singing, Lulu became emotional. “It’s such an honor,” she said.
Now, as a result of the community support, the Ritchie Valens stage has been upgraded, including the addition of a state-of-the-art sound system, because “there had been little to no upgrades made … since the days when Ritchie himself stood on it,” said Najar. He noted that even the curtains had been the same ones from decades earlier. They ended up portioning the curtains to create individual keepsakes, which were given out to guests.
Next to the stage, there is a large portrait of Valens on the wall surrounded by other pictures, gold record replicas and plaques with the names of key event and bandstand sponsors, commemorating the community’s cherished celebrity – “the kid from Pacoima.” Guests took photos posing alongside the mementos throughout the evening and shared their stories.
Najar thanked all the sponsors who financially supported the bandstand upgrades and the celebration, and acknowledged the committee and post members for “preserving history, honoring legacy” and ensuring that “the next generation understands what came before us.”
“When people speak about Ritchie Valens,” said Najar, his voice wavering with emotion, “they won’t just talk about his music; they’ll talk about where it started, right here on the corner of Pico and Fox.”
Brenda Morales, daughter of the late Bob Morales, who was Valens’ older brother – who was famously portrayed in the movie “La Bamba” by Esai Morales – said her father always shared stories about her uncle while she was growing up. Her dad and other relatives told her that the two brothers actually got along in real life, unlike the feuding brothers depicted in the film.
“They didn’t really fight; they loved each other,” she said. “My dad always used to tell me, ‘Make sure you tell people that you love them before they die, because you never know how long they’ll be here.’”
The tragic passing of Ritchie Valens, along with “The Big Bopper” JP Richardson and Buddy Holly, was deemed “The Day the Music Died” in the popular song “American Pie,” but for the tightly-knit community that surrounds the American Legion Post 176 in San Fernando, the Ritchie Valens story and his music will never die.