'There is no Bad Bunny without Ritchie Valens.' Special musical tribute set for So Cal icon

DOWNTOWN L.A. (KABC) -- San Fernando Valley icon Ritchie Valens will be remembered with a special tribute.

It's been almost 70 years since Valens' untimely death. Grand Performances in Downtown L.A. will host the tribute "Ritchie Forever: An Ode to an American Dreamer." It will feature archival footage along with conversations with family members to discuss the teenage star from Pacoima's place in rock 'n' roll history.

"Ritchie Forever is a love letter to Los Angeles, a love letter to rock and roll. It's about celebrating young man who at a time of division used music to bring people together," said Hector Flores, Artistic Director and Creator. "When he sang, he carried the dreams of a million brown kids who just wanted to belong... not as Americans but as humans. There is no Bad Bunny without Ritchie Valens. He was the first kid to speak in English and Spanish, the first one to have a Spanish song to enter the mainstream media."

The Ritchie Valens Forever concert takes place Saturday, August 22, at Grand Performances in Downtown L.A.