What Happened to Richie Valens’ Family?

Ritchie Valens’ mother died in 1987. His siblings, including one older brother, two younger sisters and a younger brother, were living in California and Nevada. After Valens’ death, the family stayed out of the public eye, though they did work closely with producers of “La Bamba.”

In 2013 Valens’ siblings gathered at Surf Ballroom and Museum to loan memorabilia. This included a wallet that Valens had at the time of his death which his mother kept with her for years after he died. Valens’ youngest brother, who was just 18 months old when Valens died, eventually formed his own band.