#donna ludwig

[louisbxne]

LA BAMBA (1987) dir. Luis Valdez

[shockyhorror]

La Bamba (1987) dir. Luis Valdez

[yespumpkindoodlesthings]

From a 1987 profile of Donna Ludwig, Ritchie Valens' girlfriend and the subject of the song, "Donna," when La Bamba was released: "For almost 30 years now people have been asking her if Valens was the love of her life. "I was 15 years old, for heaven's sakes," she exclaims. "Who knows? I liked Ritchie a lot, I really cared, but I can't say I loved him. I was a kid. I loved my mother and sister and brother."

It's no accident that Fox-Coots doesn't list her father among her dear ones. She has never forgiven him for his "bigoted" rejection of Valens or for the recording deal he pressured her into after the singer's death. Hoping to capitalize on the brief romance, her father arranged for her to sing two songs, "Lost Without You" and "Now That You're Gone," on the Pop label.

Fox-Coots consented to sing the songs, she says, but only after a contract was drawn up ensuring that her share of the royalties would go to Valens' mother. The record, which never became popular, remains an acute embarrassment to Fox-Coots. "I don't want to talk about it," she says. "It was horrible. It just upsets me too much." She moved out of her father's house on her 18th birthday and never visited him again....She's only consented to a few interviews, she says, and then only because she wanted to promote "La Bamba" for the Valenzuela family, which is receiving a percentage of the film's profits. She feels strongly that Valens' recording company took financial advantage of the family after his death."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1987/09/04/the-reveries-of-valens-donna/dfcd57aa-ab5d-48f2-bea5-06ebf3ab5b29/

[groupiesoutrageously]

Donna Ludwig was Ritchie Valen's girlfriend and the inspiration for one of his major hits, the love ballad "Donna", released in late 1958. According to Valen's official website, "Ritchie had told Donna that he was writing a song for her. She heard the song for the first time on her car radio — she couldn't believe it. Her girlfriends went crazy when the D.J. played it again." 

The teenage couple first met at a party in 1957; reportedly, it was love at first sight. They remained together until Valen's death two years later, on February 3, 1959, in the tragic airplane crash that also claimed the lives of fellow rock icons Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper. 

"Ritchie was my first true love and my first experience losing someone I loved. Ritchie was a truly good guy; kind and polite. He liked to dress well and always look good. I still remember his aftershave, “Old Spice.” Ritchie spoke often about his family. He wanted to buy his mom a home. Ritchie’s mom and I grew close. She made me feel like family and she taught me how to cook Ritchie’s favorite foods: tamales, menudo and enchiladas. Ritchie’s family has influenced me and my family by showing me that with the love and support of family nothing is too difficult. They are a blessing to me and my family." -Donna [x]

[fmulderfbi-blog]

[fmulderfbi-blog]

BECAUSE WHY WOULDN’T THIS BE YOUR OTP!?

[thirtytwoelvismovies]

I think this is the only photo of Ritchie Valens and Donna Ludwig together. When I interviewed Del-Fi Records’ Bob Keane in 2000, he told me that while they knew each other at school, it wasn’t the romance dramatized in the 1987 film La Bamba.

In later years, Ludwig did confirm that her father certainly didn’t approve of her dating Ritchie, which the film got right.

What’s fascinating is that after Ritchie’s death, Donna recorded a novelty 45rpm, “Now That You’re Gone/Lost Without You,” which rarely gets a mention when anyone brings up the “dead teenager” song fad, with tunes like “Endless Sleep” and “Tell Laura I Love Her.”

Listen to both songs here.