Dion DiMucci with Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, the Big Bopper (J.P. Richardson), Frankie Sardo, and other performers. On February 3, 1959, after a concert stop in Clear Lake, Iowa, Holly and others decided to charter a flight to the next venue rather than travel on the tour bus. Dion was invited to accompany the group but decided that he did not want to spend $36 for the flight, as it was the same monthly rent his parents paid for his childhood apartment and he couldn't justify the indulgence. The plane crashed, killing all on board: Holly, Valens, Richardson, and the pilot Roger
History of Ritchie Valens to the sea green color used for the originals. In 1987, amidst the success of the Ritchie Valens bio film "La Bamba", Rhino reissued all three albums separately along with a compilation previously issued in 1981, "The Best Of Ritchie Valens". History of Ritchie Valens History of Ritchie Valens is a 3-record box set by Ritchie Valens, featuring his three original Del-Fi albums ("Ritchie Valens, Ritchie, & Ritchie Valens In Concert at Pacoima Jr. High") plus a booklet with biography and photos (See each album title for contents). The albums were replicated with the same covers as the original releases