Ritchie Valens honored: House passes bill to rename Pacoima post office after rock 'n' roll legend Ritchie Valens

PACOIMA, Calif. (CNS) -- A bill to rename the Pacoima post office in honor of rock 'n' roll legend Ritchie Valens has been approved by the House of Representatives.

Rep. Tony Cardenas, D-Panorama City, introduced HR 1253 to designate the post office at 13507 Van Nuys Blvd. as the "Ritchie Valens Post Office Building.'' The bill will now go to the Senate for consideration.

Valens attended San Fernando High School and became a hit recording artist after being discovered in 1958 at the American Legion hall in Pacoima.

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He appeared on ABC's "American Bandstand'' and recorded such hits as "Come On, Let's Go'' and "Donna.'' His records sold more than a million copies.

Valens died at the age of 17 on Feb. 3, 1959, in a plane crash that also took the lives of Buddy Holly and J.P. "The Big Bopper'' Richardson. He was the subject of the 1987 feature film "La Bamba'' and inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.

"Ritchie Valens continues to inspire generations of musicians and is an example of how even when it seems like there is no path to your dream, you make your own way and build your own path,'' Cardenas said Wednesday on the House floor. Ritchie Valens is an example of the talent that exists in our community and his legacy is a source of pride for our Pacoima community.''