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A demo version or demo of a song (shortened from the word "demonstration") is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists. Musicians often use demos as quick sketches to share with bandmates or arrangers; in other cases a songwriter might make a demo to send to artists in hopes of having the song professionally recorded, or a music publisher may need a simple recording for publishing or copyright purposes.

Many unsigned bands and artists record demos in order to obtain a recording contract. These demos are usually sent to record labels in hopes that the artist will be signed onto the label's roster and allowed to record a full-length album in a professional recording studio. However, large record labels usually ignore unsolicited demos that are sent to them by mail; artists generally must be more creative about getting the demos into the hands of the people who make decisions for the record company.

Songwriters' and publishers' demos are recorded with minimal instrumentation - usually just an acoustic guitar or piano, and the vocalist. Both Elton John and Donovan gained studio experience early in their careers by recording publishers' demos for other artists, since their managers also handled music publishing.

Many signed bands and artists record demos of new songs before recording an album. The demos may allow the artist to provide sketches for sharing ideas with bandmates, or to explore several alternate versions of a song, or to quickly record many proto-songs before deciding which ones merit further development. Most demos often include one or two songs, often no more.

Demos are typically recorded on relatively crude equipment such as "boom box" cassette recorders, small four-track or eight-track machines, or on personal computers with software such as Audacity, but sometimes they capture the feeling or intent of the artist better than the final version of the song, after the input of managers, producers and sound engineers. Lou Reed sought out a studio in the late 1980s to record his New York album, where the polished sound would satisfy him as much as that of the rough cassettes he'd been making at home. (The B-side to the album's single was actually a transferred home tape.)^{[citation needed]}

Demo recordings are seldom heard by the public, although some artists do eventually release rough demos in rarities compilation albums or box sets. Other demo versions have been unofficially released as bootleg recordings, such as The Beatles' The Beatles Bootleg Demos. Several artists have eventually made official releases of demo versions of their songs as albums or companion pieces to albums. The event of a demo tape appearing on eBay has happened in the past, with the recordings being leaked onto the internet.

In more underground forms of music, such as noise music, black metal or punk, demos are often distributed by bands to fans as self-releases, or sold at a very low price.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Collection of Demo Covers
• Music From the Demo Scene

Look up demo or demo- in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Demo may refer to:

• Demonstration (teaching)
• Product demonstration, a sales or marketing presentation
• Exhibition game or demo, a sporting event with no competitive value to any competitor
• Demolition, the destruction of buildings and other structures

Computing and technology[link]

• Demo (computer programming), a non-interactive multimedia presentation
• Game demo, a freely-distributed version of a video game
• Technology demo, a prototype version of a technology product
• Demo mode, a feature found in consumer electronics

Music[link]

• Demo (music), a song recorded for reference rather than release
• Demo 2004, a 2004 demo by Year of No Light
• Demo (Miss May I album) (2008)

Other uses[link]

• DEMO, a proposed experimental nuclear fusion reactor
• Demo (comics), a comic book series by Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan
• DEMOs, a business process design methodology by Jan Dietz
• Demo, a daughter of Celeus and Metaneira
• Demo, an annual conference held by Network World

See also[link]

• Demoware, software that users can test in a limited fashion before buying
• Demo #2, a Neutral Milk Hotel demo tape
• Demos (disambiguation)
• Democrat (disambiguation)
• Demographic
• Demolition (disambiguation)
• Demonstration (disambiguation)
• Demoscene, collectively, the digital artists who create demos

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Look up tape in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Tape refers to a strip of long, thin and narrow material, usually rolled up. Most commonly, it refers to:

Recording media[link]

• Cassette tape
• Digital Audio Tape (DAT)
• Digital Compact Cassette (DCC)
• Digital Tape Format
• Magnetic tape sound recording
• Magnetic tape data storage
• Taping, also known as recording, the process of writing information to magnetic tape
• Reel-to-reel audio tape recording
• Tape drive
• Tape head
• Tape recorder
• Videotape

Adhesive tape[link]

• Box sealing tape
• Double-sided tape
• Duct tape
• Electrical tape
• Filament tape
• Gaffers tape
• Hockey tape
• Masking tape
• Medical tape
• Pressure sensitive tape
• Scotch tape, a brand
• Slug tape
• Spike tape
• Surgical tape
• Tape dispenser holds tape rolls
• Taping, a form of strapping to keep muscles or bones at a certain position

Non-adhesive tape[link]

• Barbed tape
• Bubble Tape (Bubble Gum)
• Caution tape
• Drywall tape is paper, cloth, or mesh, sometimes with an adhesive
• Flagging (tape)
• Heat tape used to keep pipes from freezing
• Optical celluloid tape used in movie projectors
• Tape measure
• Twill tape, a narrow, sturdy woven fabric used like string
• Thread seal tape, commonly known as "Teflon tape", "PTFE tape", "tape dope", or "plumber's tape"
• Plumber's tape, which is actually metal strapping used to support pipes and secure hot water heaters

Media[link]

• The Tape (album), Kid Capri album
• The Tape, Seinfeld episode
• Tape (film), a 2001 movie directed by Richard Linklater
• TAPE Inc., the partner of GMA Network in afternoon dramas and the noontime variety show Eat Bulaga! since 1995

Other usages[link]

• Red tape, a colloquialism for heavy or undesirable bureaucratic process
• Tape worm
• Tape, Burma
• Tape (pr. (tah-peh), an alternative spelling of tapai, an Indonesian fermented food.

See also[link]

Ribbon (disambiguation)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

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Zakk Wylde
Wylde in August 2010
Background information
Birth name	Jeffrey Phillip Wielandt
Also known as	Ghode, The Ghost of Rock Past, The Idol
Born	(1967-01-14) January 14, 1967 (age 45) Bayonne, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres	Heavy metal, southern metal, groove metal, southern rock
Occupations	Musician, songwriter, actor, producer
Instruments	Guitar, vocals, bass, banjo, piano, keyboards, mandolin, harmonica, organ, mellotron
Years active	1987–present
Labels	Geffen, Spitfire, InsideOut Music, Artemis, Roadrunner, Epic, Sony
Associated acts	Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society, Pride & Glory, Steel Dragon, Britny Fox
Website	zakkwylde.com
Notable instruments
Zakk Wylde Signature Les Paul, Zakk Wylde Signature Gibson Flying V

Zachary Phillip "Zakk" Wylde (born Jeffrey Phillip Wielandt, January 14, 1967), is an American musician, songwriter, and occasional actor who is best known as the former guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and founder of the heavy metal band Black Label Society. He was the lead guitarist and vocalist in Pride & Glory, who released one self-titled album in 1994 before disbanding. As a solo artist he released Book of Shadows in 1996.

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

Wylde was born in Bayonne, New Jersey. Wylde started playing the guitar at the age of 14 and worked at Silverton Music in Silverton, New Jersey. He grew up in Jackson, New Jersey, and went to Jackson Memorial High School, where he graduated in 1985. Wylde has stated that he would practice playing the guitar as much as 12 hours per day and would often play the guitar almost non-stop between coming home from school and leaving for school the next morning, then sleeping through the school day.

Music career[link]

Wylde played locally with his first band Stone Henge, then later with local Jersey band Zyris. Later, he landed the role as lead guitarist and co-writer for Ozzy Osbourne. He sent Ozzy a demo tape in 1987 and was hired to replace Jake E. Lee, who had replaced the deceased Randy Rhoads. Rhoads remains Wylde's foremost guitar-playing and stagecraft influence.^[1]

Wylde gravitated toward a particular Les Paul guitar, which has become known as "The Grail"; his infamous bullseye-painted Gibson Les Paul custom. Wylde lost the guitar after it fell from the back of a truck transporting equipment as he was travelling between gigs in Texas. Rewards were offered to anyone that had information about the guitar. Wylde and The Grail were reunited years later when a fan bought it at a Dallas pawn shop and saw the initials "Z.W." carved into the humbucker pickups backs. He contacted Wylde's former webmaster Randy Canis to arrange its return to Wylde. He bartered for it, in exchange for two other Les Pauls.^{[citation needed]}

Osbourne has maintained a flexible attitude with regard to his backing band, leaving his band members free to leave as they wish, but Wylde has remained faithful to Osbourne. Wylde was replaced in Osbourne's band by Joe Holmes from 1995 until his return in 2001. On January 17, 2006, Zakk Wylde was recognized at the Hollywood Rock Walk of Fame, featuring his handprints and signature, in recognition of his successful career as a musician and his contribution to the music industry. The event was open to the public and many rock celebrities were present, including Ozzy Osbourne.^{[citation needed]}

After auditions in 2005/2006, Ozzy Osbourne announced Wylde as the official guitarist for his upcoming album, Black Rain, which was released in 2007. On stage with Osbourne, Wylde has been credited for lending a high level of energy and passion to performances. Black Label Society's album Shot To Hell, was released on September 11, 2006 in the UK, and September 12, 2006 in the U.S. through Roadrunner records, with production by Michael Beinhorn. Black Label Society headlined the second stage at the 2006 Ozzfest, with Wylde playing double duty with Ozzy on certain dates. Ozzy Osbourne's album Black Rain, was released in May 2007.^{[citation needed]}

Black Label Society released 'The Song Remains Not the Same' on May 10, 2011 on E1. Wylde also played a guitar solo on Black Veil Brides cover of Kiss' "Unholy," on the band's Rebels EP released in December 2011.^{[citation needed]}

Personal life[link]

Wylde lives with his wife, Barbaranne, and his three children: Hayley Rae, Hendrix, and Jesse—who is godson to Ozzy Osbourne. Wylde was a close friend of Darrell "Dimebag" Abbott before he was murdered in 2004. As of 2011, he is in partnership with Blair's Sauces and Snacks to produce "Berserker" Hot Sauce and several variations.^[2] Wylde is Irish Catholic and has spoken about his faith, calling himself as a "soldier of Christ".^{[citation needed]} Wylde's health has come under scrutiny for several years. Wylde was asked by Sharon Osbourne to attend rehab, but left early on.^[3] In August 2009, Wylde was hospitalized due to blood clots.^[4] He was forced to cancel his tour with Mudvayne and Static-X due to an embolism.^{[citation needed]}

Equipment[link]

He is known for his use of Gibson Les Paul Custom model guitars with a "bulls-eye" graphic on them, a design he used to differentiate himself visually from Randy Rhoads - who was also frequently identified by his white Les Paul Custom. The "bulls-eye" paint job was originally supposed to look like the spiral from the movie Vertigo, but when it came back incorrect from the luthier, he liked the result and stuck with it. He was sometimes criticized by viewers and media for taking the idea of the "bulls-eye" from Eddie Ojeda from Twisted Sister, however, both Eddie and Zakk deny it and suppose it to be coincidence. One of Wylde's favorite stage guitars is a replica of Rhoads' Flying V, with the colours inverted (i.e. White with black dots).

Wylde's signature Les Pauls include a red flame-maple bulls-eye model, a black and antique-white bulls-eye model, an orange "buzz-saw" model, the pattern on which was inspired by a design on a Zippo lighter,^[5] and a "camo" bulls-eye model with mother of pearl neck inlays and a green camouflage paint scheme. His original bulls-eye Les Paul was purchased from one of the owners of Metaltronics Amplification. Metaltronics was building a one-off live rig for Wylde that was designed around one of the owner's guitars, a creamy white Les Paul Custom with EMG pickups, which would later become known as "The Grail". Wylde has a custom Dean Splittail with a mud splatter bulls-eye graphic, as well as a signature Splittail shaped Gibson model called the "ZV". Another Dean in his collection is a Dime series Razorback with custom Bulls-eye graphics ordered for him specially by Dimebag Darrell shortly before his death; since receiving the guitar, he has only ever used it on stage to play "In This River," Zakk's personal tribute to Dimebag.

In practice, Wylde uses Marshall MG Series practice combos ranging in wattage levels from 10-30W during tour/private use especially in hotels and buses. Wylde has an extensive relationship with Marshall Amplification due to his love for their amplifiers, both solid state and valve powered. Live, Wylde exclusively uses Marshall JCM 800's with twin 4 X 12 Cabinets loaded with EVM12L 300W Black Label Speakers. His usual signal path consists of his guitar > (on stage pedal board) Dunlop Wylde Wah > Dunlop Rotovibe > MXR EVH Phase 90 (soon to be replaced by the new MXR Wylde Phase) > MXR Wylde Overdrive > MXR Carbon Copy Delay Delay > (to a back stage pedal board) > MXR EVH Flanger > MXR Black Label Chorus > split signals, one to each distorted amp into the High Gain input.

Media appearances[link]

This biographical section of an article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (August 2008)

Music[link]

Wylde has made guest appearances on various albums by other artists:

• He appears as guest vocalist and guitarist on the tracks "Soul Bleed" and "Reborn" on Damageplan's debut album, New Found Power.
• He played guitar solos on Dope's single "Addiction" from their newest album, No Regrets.
• He plays a solo on Fozzy's 2005 release "All That Remains" on the song, Wanderlust.
• He has also worked on five of Derek Sherinian's solo albums: Inertia, Black Utopia, Mythology, Blood of the Snake and Molecular Heinosity alongside Yngwie Malmsteen and others.
• Wylde was also a judge for the 8th annual Independent Music Awards. His contributions helped assist independent artists' careers.^[6][7]
• In 2010 he played lead guitar on My Darkest Days first single "Porn Star Dancing", along with guest singers Chad Kroeger and Ludacris.^[8]
• In 1993 Ozzy Osbournes double album Live and Loud was released. Wylde is the guitarist.
• In 2011 he featured in Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed's new project, "Jasta" in the song "The Fearless must Endure".
• He plays the guitar solo on Black Veil Brides cover of the Kiss song "Unholy" on their EP, Rebels.

Live performances[link]

Black Label Society performing at Allen Event Center in Allen, Texas on October 16, 2011

• On August 1, 1993, at Great Woods Amphitheatre in Mansfield, MA, Wylde appeared on stage with the Allman Brothers on lead guitar since Dickey Betts was unable to make the show, and they needed a guitarist at the last minute. This show is documented on the bootleg "Zakk Goes Wylde".
• Wylde is a New York Yankees fan. He performed the National Anthem on the electric guitar during a New York Rangers game in October 2005. He has also played the anthem at Los Angeles Kings and Dodgers games. A video of a Kings performance is included as an extra feature, on the DVD Boozed, Broozed, and Broken-Boned.
• On February 1, 2007 Wylde and Nick Catanese began a tour of acoustic shows at the Hard Rock Cafe in various cities across North America. Although Catanese had to leave mid-tour due to unspecified personal reasons, Wylde continued to play shows alone. He performed several songs, on both the acoustic guitar and keyboard. The tour was eventually canceled due to unspecified reasons.
• On April 13, 2011 he was the guitarist for James Durbin on American Idol, during Durbin's performance of "Heavy Metal", by Sammy Hagar.
• On May 14, 2011 he performed the National Anthem at Rockfest in Kansas City, Missouri.
• Wylde appeared on stage December 8, 2011 in Indianapolis, IN, to play a cover of AC/DC's "Whole Lotta Rosie" with Guns N' Roses while Black Label Society opened for Guns N' Roses during a leg of the US Tour. Wylde also did this on subsequent shows before BLS finished their run on the tour.

Film and television[link]

• On June 5, 2011, he appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and performed with The Roots
• Wylde's film credits include Rock Star (As "Ghode", guitarist of the fictitious band Steel Dragon)
• Wylde also appeared on the TV show Angel in the season four episode "The Magic Bullet" where he plays acoustic on the song "Mandy" while Angel and Conner sing along.
• Wylde has also appeared as a guest star on the TV show Aqua Teen Hunger Force. In it, he plays guitar on a track produced by Master Shake that is supposed to become the next big birthday song, which is called "Spirit Journey Formation Anniversary." Wylde becomes irate when he finds out that Shake cannot pay him for his input on the project. Later in the show, Wylde is killed when caught between the crossfire of two robotic banjo-playing scorpions.
• On September 26, 2003, Wylde appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and sat in with the house band. During the course of the night he repeatedly made fun of and threatened to beat up Fred Durst, the front man for Limp Bizkit.^[9]
• On January 30, 2007, Wylde, alongside Black Label Society, were the musical guests for MTV's Wrestling Society X debut episode. He worked the night as a guest commentator as well.
• On February 2, 2007, Wylde guest hosted on Seattle's 99.9 KISW on the afternoon program The Men's Room.
• On the May 18 edition of WWE Smackdown!, Wylde appeared with Ozzy Osbourne to perform the song "I Don't Wanna Stop", at the First Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland.
• Wylde performed alongside Osbourne on the 2007 VH1 Rock Honors broadcast.
• On October 18, 2009, Zakk Wylde performed the National Anthem on Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's biggest PPV, Bound for Glory, before the matches officially started.
• He appears as a guest in Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage.
• He appears in the Pantera episode of Behind the Music.
• He appears as a music store worker in a scene from the TV show Californication on Showtime, Season 4 Episode 2.t
• He was on tour with Black Label Society in 2010 on the Ozzfest Tour that also had Ozzy and Mötley Crüe, among many others.
• He performed "Heavy Metal" by Sammy Hagar with James Durbin during season 10 of American Idol.

Video games[link]

• Wylde recorded a guitar duel for the video game Guitar Hero: World Tour. He also appears as a playable character performing the songs Stillborn and, along with Ozzy Osbourne, Crazy Train and Mr. Crowley.
• Some of Wylde's signature guitars have been for sale to play with throughout the Guitar Hero series. These include "The Grail", "The Camo Grail", and "The Buzzsaw".
• Wylde was featured in the first Guitar Hero with the studio version recording of Fire it Up.
• He was the guitarist in the remix of "Bring The Noise" called "Bring The Noise 20XX" that appeared in Guitar Hero 5 as a playable track

Discography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Zakk Wylde

• Official website
• Black Label Society official website
• Zakk Wylde Video Workshop (Videos in engl.) Source: Bonedo.de
• Zakk Wylde Interview Source: Bonedo.de
• [1] Source: Alternative Press

Ritchie Valens (born Richard Steven Valenzuela; May 13, 1941 – February 3, 1959) was a Mexican-American singer, songwriter and guitarist.

A rock and roll pioneer and a forefather of the Chicano rock movement, Valens' recording career lasted only eight months.^[1] During this time, however, he scored several hits, most notably "La Bamba", which was originally a Mexican folk song that Valens transformed with a rock rhythm and beat that became a hit in 1958,^[2][3] making Valens a pioneer of the Spanish-speaking rock and roll movement.

On February 3, 1959, on what has become known as The Day the Music Died, Valens was killed in a small-plane crash in Iowa, a tragedy that also claimed the lives of fellow musicians Buddy Holly and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson. Valens was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.

Early life[link]

Ritchie Valens was born in Pacoima, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, on May 13, 1941.^[4] His parents were Joseph Steven Valenzuela and Concepcion Reyes. Brought up hearing traditional Mexican mariachi music, as well as flamenco guitar, R&B and jump blues, he expressed an interest in making music of his own by the age of 5. He was encouraged by his father to take up guitar and trumpet, and later taught himself the drums. One day, a neighbor came across Ritchie trying to play a guitar that had only two strings. He re-strung the instrument, and taught Ritchie the fingerings of some chords. While Ritchie was left-handed, he was so eager to learn the guitar that he mastered the traditionally right-handed version of the instrument.^{[citation needed]} Valens had attended Pacoima Junior High School (now Pacoima Middle School).^[5] By the time he was attending junior high school, his proficiency on the guitar was such that he brought the instrument to school and would sing and play songs to his friends on the bleachers.^{[citation needed]}

When he was sixteen years old, he was invited to join a local band named The Silhouettes as a guitarist. Later, the main vocalist left the group and Ritchie assumed this position as well. In addition to the performances with The Silhouettes, he would play solo at parties and other social events.

Career[link]

A completely self-taught musician, Valens was an accomplished singer and guitarist. At his appearances, he often improvised new lyrics and added new riffs to popular songs while he was playing. This is an aspect of his music that is not heard in his commercial studio recordings.

In May 1958, Bob Keane, the owner and President of Del-Fi Records, a small Hollywood record label, was given a tip by San Fernando High student Doug Macchia about a young performer from Pacoima by the name of Richard Valenzuela (Little Richard of the Valley). Keane, swayed by the Little Richard connection, went to see Valenzuela play a Saturday morning matinée at a movie theater in San Fernando. Impressed by the performance, he invited Ritchie to audition at his home in the Silver Lake area of Los Angeles, where he had a small recording studio in his basement. The recording equipment comprised an early stereo recorder—a two-track Ampex 601-2 portable, and a pair of Neumann U-47 condenser microphones.

After this first 'audition', Keane decided to sign Ritchie to Del-Fi, and a contract was prepared and signed on May 27, 1958. It was at this point that he took the name Ritchie, because, as Keane said, "There were a bunch of 'Richies' around at that time, and I wanted it to be different." Similarly, it was Keane who decided to shorten his surname to Valens from Valenzuela, in order to broaden his appeal.

Several songs that would later be re-recorded at Gold Star Studios in Hollywood were first demoed in Keane's studio. The demos were mostly just Ritchie singing and playing guitar. Some of them featured drums. These original demos can be heard on the Del-Fi album Ritchie Valens — The Lost Tapes. As well as the aforementioned demos, two of the tracks laid down in Keane's studio were taken to Gold Star and had additional instruments dubbed over to create full-band recordings. "Donna" was one track (although there are two other preliminary versions of the song, both available on The Lost Tapes), and the other was an instrumental entitled "Ritchie's Blues".

After several songwriting and demo recording sessions with Keane in his basement studio, Keane decided that Ritchie was ready to enter the studio with a full band backing him. Amongst the musicians were Rene Hall, Carol Kaye, and Earl Palmer. The first songs recorded at Gold Star, at a single studio session one afternoon in July 1958, were "Come On, Let's Go", an original (credited to Valens/Kuhn, Keane's real name), and "Framed", a Leiber and Stoller tune. Pressed and released within days of the recording session taking place, the record was a success. Valens' next record, a double A-side which was the final record to be released in his lifetime, had the songs "Donna" (written about a real girlfriend), coupled with "La Bamba".

At this point, in the autumn of 1958, Valens quit high school to concentrate on his career. Keane booked appearances at venues all across the United States and performances on television programs. Valens, however, had a fear of flying brought on by a freak accident at his Pacoima Junior High School when two airplanes collided over the playground, killing or injuring several of his friends.^[6] Valens was not at school that day as he was attending his grandfather's funeral. He eventually succeeded in overcoming his fear enough to travel by airplane. One of his first stops was Philadelphia to appear on Dick Clark's American Bandstand television show on October 6, where he sang "Come On, Let's Go." In November, Ritchie traveled to Hawaii and performed alongside Buddy Holly and Paul Anka. Valens found himself a last-minute addition on the bill of legendary disc jockey Alan Freed's Christmas Jubilee in New York City, singing with some of those who had greatly influenced his music, including Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, The Everly Brothers, Duane Eddy, Eddie Cochran and Jackie Wilson. December 27 saw a return to American Bandstand, this time for a performance of "Donna."

Upon his return to Los Angeles, Valens filmed an appearance in Alan Freed's movie Go Johnny Go!. In the film, he appears in a diner, miming his song "Ooh! My Head", using a Gretsch 6120 guitar, the same model Eddie Cochran owned. In between the live appearances, Ritchie returned to Gold Star several times, recording the tracks that would comprise his two albums.

In early 1959, Valens was traveling the Midwest on a multi-act rock and roll tour dubbed "The Winter Dance Party." Accompanying him were Buddy Holly with a new back-up band, Tommy Allsup on guitar, Waylon Jennings on bass, and Carl Bunch on drums; Dion and the Belmonts; J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson; and Frankie Sardo. None of the other performers had backing bands, so Buddy's backup band filled in for all the shows.

Conditions for the performers on the tour buses were abysmal, and the bitterly cold Midwest weather took its toll on the party; Carl Bunch had to be hospitalized with severely frostbitten feet, and several others (including Valens and The Big Bopper) caught colds. The show was split into two acts, with Ritchie closing the first act. After Bunch was hospitalized, a member of the Belmonts who had some drum experience (Carlo Mastrangelo) took over the drumming duties. When Dion and the Belmonts were performing, the drum seat was taken by either Valens or Buddy Holly. There is a surviving color photograph of Ritchie at the drum kit.

Death[link]

After the February 2, 1959, performance in Clear Lake, Iowa, Holly, Richardson, and Valens flew out of the Mason City airport in a small plane that Holly had chartered. Valens was on the plane unwillingly because he had won a coin toss. The plane, a three-passenger Beechcraft Bonanza, departed for Fargo, North Dakota, and crashed shortly after takeoff in a snow storm. The crash killed all three passengers and the pilot; at 17, Valens was the youngest to die on the flight. The event, along with Buddy Holly's death, inspired singer Don McLean's popular 1971 ballad "American Pie", and immortalized February 3 as "The Day the Music Died". Ritchie Valens is interred at San Fernando Mission Cemetery in Mission Hills, California.

Legacy[link]

Valens was a pioneer of Chicano rock, Latin rock and was an inspiration to many musicians of Latino heritage. He influenced the likes of Los Lobos, Los Lonely Boys and Carlos Santana among countless others at a time when there were very few Latinos in American rock and pop music. He is considered the first Latino ever to successfully cross over into rock mainstream.

"La Bamba" would prove to be his most influential recording; not only by becoming a pop chart hit sung entirely in Spanish but also because of its successful blending of traditional Latin American music with rock. He was a pioneer and was an inspiration for many after his death. Valens was the first to capitalize on this formula which would later be adopted by such varied artists as Selena, Caifanes, Café Tacuba, Circo, El Gran Silencio, Aterciopelados, Gustavo Santaolalla and many others in the Latin Alternative scene. Ironically, the Valenzuela family spoke only English at home, and Ritchie knew very little Spanish. Ritchie learned the lyrics phonetically in order to record "La Bamba" in Spanish.

"Come On, Let's Go" has been covered by Los Lobos, The Ramones and "The Paley Brothers;" (jointly, The Ramones on guitar, bass, and drums and The Paley Brothers on vocals), Tommy Steele, The Huntingtons and The McCoys; and in Australia by Johnny Rebb and his Rebels on Leedon/Canetoad Records

"Donna" has been covered by artists as diverse as MxPx, Cliff Richard, The Youngbloods, Clem Snide, Cappadonna, and The Misfits among many others.

Robert Quine has cited Valens' guitar playing as an early influence on his style.

Ritchie inspired the likes of Chan Romero, Carlos Santana, Chris Montez, Keith O'Conner Murphy, Los Lobos, and Los Lonely Boys.

Donna Ludwig Fox, Valens's girlfriend, is today still recognized as "Ritchie's Donna." Her personalized license plate reads RIPRV^{[citation needed]}.

Ritchie's nephew, Ernie Valens, has toured worldwide playing his uncle's songs, including a new version of the "Winter Dance Party" tour with Buddy Holly impersonator John Mueller. This tour has taken place at many of the original 1959 venues in the Midwest.

Valens is interred in the San Fernando Mission Cemetery in Mission Hills, California. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6733 Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood, California. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001 and his pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. Valens' mother Connie, who died in 1987, is buried alongside him.^[7]

Valens has been the subject of several biopic films. He was depicted in the 1987 biopic film La Bamba, which was about his life. Primarily set in 1957-1959, it depicted Valens from age 16 to 17. It introduced Lou Diamond Phillips as Valens and co-starred Esai Morales as his older half-brother, Bob Morales. Los Lobos performed most of the music in the film.

Valens was portrayed by Gilbert Melgar in the final scene of The Buddy Holly Story and Valens will also be depicted in the upcoming film The Day the Music Died.^{[dated info]} Valens will be portrayed by Joseph Thornhill in the 2011 film Lives and Deaths of the Poets.

The novelization of the film Grease by Ron De Christiforo is set around the time of Ritchie Valens' death. In one of the earlier chapters, the gang sit around in the character of Sonny's basement, upset at the death of some of their favorite stars in the plane crash.

The songs "Come on Let's Go" and "Donna" can be heard through the radio in Mafia II.

Tributes[link]

Monument at Crash Site, September 16, 2003.

In 1988, Ken Paquette, a Wisconsin fan of the '50s era, erected a stainless steel monument depicting a steel guitar and a set of three records bearing the names of each of the three performers. It is located on private farmland, about one quarter mile west of the intersection of 315th Street and Gull Avenue, approximately eight miles north of Clear Lake. He also created a similar stainless steel monument to the three musicians near the Riverside Ballroom in Green Bay, Wisconsin. That memorial was unveiled on July 17, 2003.^[8]

A park in Pacoima was renamed in Ritchie Valens' honor.^[9]

"Boogie With Stu" from Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti album was inspired by Valens' song "Oooh, My Head." It did not credit Ritchie Valens or Bob Keane. Eventually, a lawsuit was filed by Bob Keane and half of the award went to Valens' mother, although she was not part of the suit.^[10]

Original albums[link]

• Ritchie Valens (1959) -- Del-Fi DFLP-1201 (US #23)
• Ritchie (1959) -- Del-Fi DFLP-1206
• In Concert at Pacoima Jr. High (1960) -- Del-Fi DFLP-1214

Side 1 features the concert with opening narrative by Bob Keane, side 2 features five unfinished tracks as described by Keane. "Come On, Let's Go" on side 1 is a demo version with the concert noise dubbed in.

Compilation albums[link]

• Ritchie Valens Memorial Album (1963) -- Del-Fi DLFP-1225
  • Originally released with black cover, reissued later the same year with different cover (in white) and retitled His Greatest Hits
• Ritchie Valens...His Greatest Hits Volume 2 (1964) -- Del-Fi DFLP-1247
• History of Ritchie Valens (1981) --Rhino RNBC-2798
• The Ritchie Valens Story (1987) -- Rhino/Del-Fi RNLP-2798
  • Box set replicating the three original albums plus booklet
• The Best of Ritchie Valens (1987) -- Rhino 70178 (US #100)
• The Ritchie Valens Story (1993) -- Rhino/Del-Fi 71414
  • Featuring hits, outtakes, rare photos, and a 20 minute narrative of Ritchie by manager Bob Keane
• Rockin' all night The very best of Ritchie Valens (1995) -- Del-Fi DFCD9001
• Come On, Let's Go! (1998) -- Del-Fi DFBX-2359
  • Deluxe 3-CD, 62 track set featuring all tracks from the three original albums plus rare demos and outtakes. 62 page booklet features biography and rare photos. Package also comes with poster, picture cards, and Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame campaign cards

Singles[link]

• "Come On, Let's Go" (US #42)/"Framed" —Del-Fi 4106 (1958)
• "Donna" (US #2)/"La Bamba" (US #22) -- Del-Fi 4110 (1958)
• "Fast Freight"/"Big Baby Blues" —Del-Fi 4111 (1959)

Original pressings shown as "Arvee Allens", later pressings shown as "Ritchie Valens"

• "That's My Little Suzie" (US #55)/"In A Turkish Town" —Del-Fi 4114 (1959)
• "Little Girl" (US #92)/"We Belong Together" —Del-Fi 4117 (1959)
• "Stay Beside Me"/"Big Baby Blues" —Del-Fi 4128 (1959)
• "The Paddiwack Song"/"Cry, Cry, Cry" —Del-Fi 4133 (1960)

The above three singles were issued on gold Valens Memorial Series labels

• "La Bamba '87"/"La Bamba" (original version) -- Del-Fi 1287 (1987)
• "Come On, Let's Go"/"La Bamba" —Del-Fi 51341 (1998)

See also[link]

	Los Angeles portal
	Biography portal
	Latino and Hispanic American portal
	Music portal

• "Donna" (song)
• "La Bamba" (song)
• La Bamba (film)

References[link]

External links[link]

• La Bamba at the Internet Movie Database
• The Official Ritchie Valens Website

accessdate=2008-03-05}}

• RAB Hall of Fame: Ritchie Valens
• http://www.history-of-rock.com/ritchie_valens.htm
• http://www.tsimon.com/valens.htm
• Tribute: The Day the Music Died at The Death of Rock: The Archive