Donna (1958) – Ritchie Valens

Donna first learned about Donna when Ritchie called her and told her that he wrote a song for her. He sang her the first part of Donna. She said: “of course I cried. It was just very, very touching. He didn’t tell me he was going to record it“.

Ritchie Valens had several hits, most notably La Bamba, which he had adapted from a Mexican folk song. Valens at just 17 years old transformed the song with a rock rhythm and beat, and it became a hit in 1958, making Valens a pioneer of the Spanish-speaking rock and roll movement. He also had an American number-two hit with today’s featured track Donna. He had a high-school sweetheart at school named Donna Ludwig to whom he dedicated the song.
I became familiar with this song where their romance was portrayed in the 1987 biopic – La Bamba.

[Verse 1]
I had a girl
Donna was her name
Since she left me
I’ve never been the same

[Chorus]
‘Cause I love my girl
Donna, where can you be?
Where can you be?

[Verse 2]
Now, that you’re gone
I’m left all alone
All by myself
To wander and roam

[Chorus]
‘Cause I love my girl
Donna, where can you be?
Where can you be?

Ritchie Valens was born Ritchie Valenzuela but after Bob Keane, a Del-Fi record label exec, discovered him he had Ritchie change his last name to make it more whitewash “radio friendly”.

I was attracted to him because he was such a nice man, er…I mean, because he was a nice boy. He didn’t swear. He didn’t get drunk.” When he left high school to pursue his music career, they decided to keep an open relationship, essentially. Whenever he’d be back in town, they’d get together. Donna told The Post that he would even allude to them getting married someday. Ludwig’s parents disapproved of her dating a Hispanic man.

Unfortunately, Ritchie never had the chance to propose. On Feb 2, 1959, 17-year-old Ritchie died in a plane crash (just eight months into his music career), along with Buddy Holly (who featured in our last music post) and J.P. The Big Bopper. Donna was only 16 when Ritchie died. Valens’ version was positioned at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart when Valens died. Three weeks after Valens’ death, the song peaked at No. 2. 

References:
1. Donna (Ritchie Valens song) – Wikipedia
2. Ritchie Valens and His High School Sweetheart Donna Have the Most Tragic Love Story – Distractify

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“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand