LA Daily News: Ritchie Valens Post Office Dedicated to Pacoima’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Legend
The honor joins a list of other remembrances in the Pacoima area that include the Ritchie Valens Memorial Highway on the 5 Freeway between the 170 and the 118 freeways, the Ritchie Valens Recreation Center and many murals in Pacoima that depict his image.
Ritchie Valens will always hold a special place in the heart of Pacoima residents. Now, the “La Bamba” kid turned rock ‘n’ roll legend, has his own post office.
The United States Postal Service and Rep. Tony Cárdenas, D-Van Nuys, held a ceremony to rename the Pacoima Post Office as the Ritchie Valens Post Office, on Friday, May 13.
The dedication at 13507 Van Nuys Blvd. included a plaque unveiling and mounting in the lobby of the post office.
The ceremony was held on what would have been the rock ‘n’ roll singer-songwriter’s 81st birthday.
Ritchie Valens, sometimes called a forefather of the Chicano rock movement, died at age 17 on Feb. 3, 1959 in a plane crash in Iowa. He was born on May 13, 1941 in Pacoima and attended Pacoima Junior High and San Fernando High School.
Valens was discovered in 1958 at an American Legion Hall in Pacoima. His hit songs include “Come On, Let’s Go” and “Donna,” and his rock ‘n’ roll version of the classic Mexican folk song “La Bamba.”
He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2001 by singer Ricky Martin at a ceremony in Cleveland, Ohio.
Also at the dedication, Los Angeles City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez showed a preliminary rendering of a mural that is scheduled to be painted on a side of the post office.
The honor joins a list of other remembrances in the Pacoima area that include the Ritchie Valens Memorial Highway on the 5 Freeway between the 170 and the 118 freeways, the Ritchie Valens Recreation Center and many murals in the community that depict his image.
Dignitaries who attended the event included members of the Valens family, the musician’s former bandmates, Al Santos, the postal service district manager, State Sen. Robert Hertzberg and Assemblymember Luz Rivas.
Rep. Cárdenas introduced legislation to rename the building for the singer-musician. President Donald Trump signed the legislation into law (HR 1253) on Dec. 12, 2019 for the post office renaming.
The Marilyn Monroe Post Office, 6531 Van Nuys Blvd., Van Nuys, was also created by the president’s signature on that same date.
By: Holly Andres
Source: LA Daily News