"____________ ." "NVEE ____________" "Richie, time to get up." "The harder you work, the more money you make!" " Come on!" " What's holding you up?" "Keep it going!" "Keep it going!" "Come on, we're wasting money!" "We're wasting money!" ""Don't you touch me," I says." ""I'm tired of being hit by men already."" "So then I punched him." "When he hit the floor, I thought he was dead." "I says, "If you don't like it, you can lam it."" "So he lammed it." "Who needs fruit?" "Fruit." "He told him to lick it." "Richie?" "Bob?" "Bob!" "¡M'ijo!" "¡M'ijo!" "Hey, Richie, you taking a break already?" "So, Mr. Big Shot, you finally showed up, eh?" "I'm lucky I even found this place." "Rosie... this is my brother Bob." "Why did you wait a year to join us?" "Come on!" "Ha ha ha!" "Bob, watch it!" "My guitar, man." "I didn't know that piece of junk... was so important to you." "Are you kidding?" "I even sleep with it." "Come on!" "Jersey Joe!" "Jersey Joe!" "Boom!" "Bow!" "Pow!" "Bam!" "Joe Louis!" "Rocky Mar‒ Ow!" "Ow!" "Ah!" "Are you okay?" "Can you move it?" "You all right?" "Ohh!" "Ahh!" "You've grown, cabrón!" "You're a big sucker for 16!" "You miss me?" "No." "You should have." "What was it like inside?" "The joint is the joint." "Why didn't you come home after you got out?" "We haven't had a home since Steve died." "Don't be such a dreamer, man." "My dreams are pure rock 'n' roll." "Go wash your hands for dinner." "Okay, Mama." "Ha ha ha!" "Gino!" "You little pigs!" "I'm going to tell your mothers on you!" "Peoow!" "You tell 'em, Rosie!" "Mom, what the hell are you doing here?" "I came to work." "I came to take you out of this dump." "Not before we make some money." "Ma." "I mean honest money." "Hey!" "I've been working." "Why can't you believe me for once?" "Mom..." "what's going on?" "We're getting out of this shit-hole tomorrow." "Okay, m'ijo." "Okay." "Oh, don't." "Oh." "Oh..." "Oh, please." "Oh." "Oh, tell me you love me." "Uh!" "Ahh." "Ahh." "Why didn't you tell me this was your first time?" "You didn't ask." "You coming, Richie?" "Nah." "I think I'll wait up a while." "You're really something, you know that?" "Say, Richie!" "What's up, man?" "I should ask you." "Aw... hey..." "Wait a minute, man." "Did I horn in on something between‒" "Just forget it." "I thought you'd changed." "I'm going to miss you." "Come on, huh?" "Rosie." "Come stay with us sometime." "Bob got us a big house in Pacoima." "You're gonna be late for work." "My dad wouldn't like it." "Come on, let's go!" "I love you, m'ija." "Bye, Connie." "Good-bye, m'ija." "Richie..." "Bye, Rosie." "Bye!" "Bye!" "Rosa!" "Connie, don't let the baby fall." "Richie!" "Richie, your breakfast is‒" "Your breakfast is on the table." "I'm off to work." "And don't ditch school today." "Thanks, Mom." "Rosie, the baby's with the girls." "See you tonight." "Morning, Rosie." "Morning, girls." "Hi-o!" "Hi-o!" "Bob come in last night?" "He doesn't spend much time at home, does he?" "You do." "Yeah, well..." "I'm me." "Quiet!" "Class is in session." "Sit there, Miss Ludwig." "Now, take out your history books, chapter seven." "Who is the blonde?" "I don't know, but I think I'm in love." "Yeah?" "Well, forget it." "She's way above your class, High Tone." "You just concentrate on that audition tonight." "Hi." "Hi." "They call me High Tone." "You?" "Donna." "Mind if I walk with you, Donna?" "Sure." "Uh..." "I mean, no, I don't mind." "Donna." "That's a nice name." "Thanks." "On second thought, call me Richie." "Uh..." "Oh." "This is my class." "Um... where's yours?" "It's in the gym." "I got P.E." "You're late." "Yeah." "Well, uh... bye." "Donna." "Bye..." "High Tone." "Party time!" "Say, Ed!" "You want to buy a kilo?" "¡Órale!" "You did it, carnalito!" "By the sweat of my balls." "You did it!" "Mamacita." "All right, all right." "Come here." "Richie, I want you to meet Rudy." "He's the leader of the Silhouettes." "Yeah, well, look, Valenzuela." "Chino keeps telling me you're a real hotshot." "So..." "Whoa, whoa, whoa." "What's that?" "It's my amp." "Looks like something somebody threw away." "Yeah, well, it's mine now." "So don't worry about it." "No lie, dude!" "I mean, the pendejo was smoking weed." "He was smoking milkweed, man!" "I've got it bad." "Rosie, take a hit, man!" "Put a little mota in our love life." "Baby, I need some action tonight." "Ohh!" "Come on, baby." "Rosie, come here, babe." "I was only joking." "Ha ha ha!" "Rosie, come on, open the door." "Just go away." "You know what?" "Let's get going." "And go where?" "Home." "Other people sleep, you know." "You don't have to split, man." "Rosie, we're leaving!" "I'm serious." "Stick around." "Rosie will be out in a second." "Hey, Rosie, come on out!" "Hassle it out with your old lady." "No, no, no, no." "I know what's happening." "All right?" "Good night, Bob." "Come on, Rosie." "Open the door." "I said open the door, goddamn it!" "I'm trying to get some sleep." "Open the goddamn door!" "Leave me alone!" "Just go away." "Get yourself drunk." "Okay, babe, you asked for it." "You asked for it." "Our first gig's next Friday night." "Let me see if you're ready by then." "Right." "Rosie, are you okay?" "Richie, what do you want?" "Come here, Rosie." "Nothing." "Sorry, my mistake." "No, Bob, it's no use no more." "What?" "Don't you ever get enough?" "Is this all you want me for?" "Hey." "Mom?" "Mom." "What is it?" "I made it." "I'm in the Silhouettes." "Really, m'ijo?" "Oh, Richie, that's wonderful." "That's wonderful." "Who's the Silhouettes?" "This is not like I expected." "You are not like I expected." "I don't have a life here!" "You're always gone." "Do you think I like being here alone?" "Look, Rosie, you're not my wife, all right?" "Stop being such a drag." "What the shit's eating you anyway?" "I'm pregnant." "Aren't you going to say anything?" "Well, what's there to say?" "It's not my first..." "or my last." "You son of a bitch!" "Dios." "What's going on in there?" "Get out!" "Bitch!" "You bitch!" "Is it my fault you got pregnant?" "Who else's?" "Richie, don't." "It's none of your business." "But I‒" "You son of a bitch!" "I am not your puta!" "Do you always carry a guitar, Richie?" "Uh-huh." "It's my future." "Pretty sure of yourself, aren't you?" "Yeah, aren't you?" "I'm the new kid on the block." "Poor little rich girl." "I'm not rich." "Right." "That's my dad." "This is the kind of place I want for my mom." "Hi, Daddy." "Um..." "Yeah." "Yeah, I got to go." "Listen, Donna." "I'm playing at a garage party tonight." "Would you like to come?" "Garage party?" "Yeah." "It's my big debut." "It'll be a real gas, kitten." "Please, come." "Okay." "Um..." "I'll have to meet you there." "Okay." "I wrote down the address, in case." "Yeah." "Uh, okay." "Bye." "Bye-bye." "Hi, Daddy." "Who's the big kid?" "Just a friend." "Hmm." "What is he, Italian?" "Come on, babe." "Let's go." "Okay, I'm coming." "Mom, look at Richie." "I see him." "Take it away, Joe." "Mama, when's Richie gonna sing?" "Pretty soon." "Now, stop asking me, okay, Connie?" "We wish to thank each and every one of you for attending our dance tonight." "I sincerely hope... you had an evening to remember." "So until next time, speaking for myself, Rudy Castro, and the guys in the band, we are the Silhouettes bidding you a good night." "Isn't Rudy a cool cat?" "Good night, Richie!" "What do they mean not letting you sing, Richie?" "Who do they want, Elvis?" "It's no big deal, Mom." "I'll make them come around." "They don't know who the hell they're dealing with." "My granddaddy was a full-blooded Yaqui Indian." "Aah!" "What's the matter, bad dreams?" "I'm sorry, carnal." "I didn't mean to wake you up, but I just need a place to crash, man." "No, man, here." "Come on." "Get some rest." "Now, Brother." "You better keep your ass to the wall... because I'm so messed up, I may take you for Rosie." "I'm sorry." "Okay, I'm sorry." "Where did you get this picture of Steve?" "Mom gave it to me right after the funeral." "Man, I wish I could've been there." "Hell, he was your dad, anyway, not mine." "Ah." "Don't forget to turn out the light, okay?" "Good night." "Hey, Richie?" "Yeah." "You been laid yet?" "Oh, man." "I'm serious." "I know what your problem is." "It's sperm pressure." "It's scientific." "You got hard-ons." "You got nightmares." "Shut up and go to sleep." "A kid your age needs an authority figure around." "Believe me." "I know." "I tried to go, Richie." "Honestly." "You don't have to apologize." "My dad wouldn't let me out of the house." "Honest to God?" "Honest." "Honest." "I really wanted to be there." "Woo!" "Cowboy palace!" "I can't do it, honey." "Richie's a minor." "He's going to be singing, not drinking." "Rock 'n' roll to a bunch of cowboys." "My husband Steve drank himself to death here." "Don't you think you owe his boy something?" "I'm gonna need a drummer." "Screw the Silhouettes." "I'll keep the beat." "What are you going to play?" "Boney Maroni." "Boney Maroni?" "To these shit stompers?" "Howard." "Howard, they're here." "Okay, cut the jukebox." "Plug in, guy." "Testing, 1, 2, 3." "Sure good to see you folks." "Everybody having fun?" "Turn the jukebox on!" "One of our local boys is making... his professional debut here tonight." "Let's give a big round of applause... for Ricky Ricardo Valenzuela!" "Yay!" "Whoo!" "Whoo!" "Howdy." "You're just a baby, ain't you?" "Here's one out of Lubbock, Texas." "Lubbock, Texas?" "Follow me." "1, 2, 3, 4!" "Yee-hoo!" "Man, we were rockin'!" "We were really rolling'!" "Didn't I tell you?" "You don't need no band." "You just play with a drummer, me, for instance." "Oh!" "Talking about making money!" "I'm talking about making music." "My music, that's all I care about." "Richie, m'ijo." "What you need is exposure." "A big place where you can sell a lot of tickets." "You want to be my manager?" "Sure!" "I can get the American Legion Hall." "Steve was a veteran." "You don't think I can?" "Just for that, you can be my flunky." "Anybody but Bob, okay?" "What does that mean?" "Just take care of Rosie." "Rosie?" "Yeah." "Try staying home." "Listen, punk!" "I don't need your‒" "Stop it." "Richie, don't be so high tone." "Bob, you're your brother's keeper." "Morning, Connie, Richie." "Morning." "You missed a great show last night." "Richie was wonderful." "Really?" "I'm not surprised." "I'm flying this coop." "Catch you all later." "I'm late for work." "What did I do with my purse?" "Flying the coop." "That's it!" "Richard Valenzuela and his flying guitar." "What do you think, guys?" "This is beautiful." "We can raise the roof off this joint." "They wouldn't even let us into this place." "My mom set it up." "Since when is your mama running this band?" "We need all the breaks we can get, right?" "Richie's right, man." "I decide what's best for the Silhouettes, and this ain't it." "Let's beat it." "What's his problem?" "Are you guys coming or what?" "I guess it's what." "What's going on?" "Show business, m'ijo." "Show business." "Show business?" "These look like shit." "A monkey can draw better than this." "Oh, yeah?" "Should've kept my mouth shut." "Every wall!" "Every liquor store!" "Every telephone pole in town!" "Hit 'em all!" "All right, now!" "Richard Valenzuela and his flying guitar." "En una semana en el American Legion Hall... de San Fernando..." "Ricardo Valenzuela ysu flying guitar." "Lelo and Ernestine, hang up some of that crepe paper across here." "Those chairs don't go there, Phillipe." "They don't go there." "You are looking really handsome, Richie." "The girls are gonna go crazy over you." "There's only one girl I care about." "Who's that?" "Nobody you'd know." "Is everything in order?" "Perfect." "Thanks, Rosie." "We're gonna pack the place, Mom." "I hope so." "We paid for this place with our rent money." "One of these days, I'm gonna buy you your dream house." "Tell me about it." "Where is Bob?" "Lelo!" "3 cokes, 30 cents." "10 cases." "Counting the door, that's 150 bucks." "We got to do this again." "Did you find Bob?" "No." "Did you look?" "No." "He's pretty good, huh?" "He's great." "What will you have?" "Can I have a Coke?" "All right." "Here's a little number." "This little number... for the criminal element here tonight." "You know who you are." "1, 2, 3!" "Look at my Richie, shining like a star." "Hey!" "Look at Bob." "You're drunk, Bob." "Give me that bottle." "You're drunk." "Ah ha ha!" "Yeah, all right." "Yeah, Richie!" "Hit it." "That's my brother!" "Hey!" "Asshole!" "Aah!" "Bob!" "Stop it!" "Richie, no!" "Richie." "Why, Bob?" "How could you do this to Richie?" "To Richie?" "I did this to me, okay?" "That's my Bob." "Always thinking of others first." "Shut your mouth!" "Don't take it out on Rosie, okay?" "Richie, you don't understand, man." "You don't understand a goddamn thing!" "What do you think, the whole fuckin' world revolves around you?" "Is this where you live?" "No." "I live, uh, down the street." "I'll take you home." "Why don't we just go for a drive?" "Okay, you drive." "Well, what do you think?" "Not bad, for a birthday present." "You say you're not rich?" "My dad sells cars." "Can I help it if he knows his business?" "He just didn't want me walking home anymore." "Because of me?" "How come you've been avoiding me?" "Was it that blowout at the dance?" "Don't be silly." "Then what's the problem?" "My dad." "Does this mean I can't ask you on a regular date?" "Why don't you ask me?" "I got my own wheels now." "Who cares what my father thinks?" "Whoo!" "Whoa!" "Ooh!" "Get your ass in gear, Morales." "We still got a lot of places to stop at." "Hey, look at this." "It's Woody Woodpecker and Buzz Buzzard." "This is the real stuff." "They make cartoons out of these things." "Can it, jerk-off." "It's kiddy stuff." "Finders, keepers." "¡Basura!" "Eat it!" "Eat it!" "Yes?" "Buenos días, señora." "¿Aquí vive Richard Valenzuela?" "Yeah, he lives here." "Why?" "Happy birthday, m'ija." "That was good." "Richie, this man wants to talk to you." "Hi, Richie." "My name's Bob Keene." "I'm president of Del-Fi Records in Hollywood." "¿Podemos hablar?" "I don't speak Spanish." "But we can speak business." "Look, let me just say... that I really dig your music, and I'd like to record it." "What do you say?" "Welcome to Del-Fi Records." "I work out of the basement." "This is your recording studio?" "The Ampex is good." "The mikes are excellent." "What more do you need?" "Relax, Richie." "This is just for starters." "Now," "I thought we'd start off easy..." "Play a few riffs, move on to a couple vocals." "When you're ready, we'll record." "What do you mean, today?" "What about my band?" "Frankly, Richie, I can't use them." "Is that a problem?" "Yeah." "They're my buddies." "Thank you." "Excuse me." "Wait, Richie." "Wait a minute, man." "I understand about friendship." "Not everybody gets a shot at the brass ring." "You're going to have to ask yourself what's more important, your friends or your music." "My family." "Bob?" "Is that you?" "Come here." "Come here." "Look at that." "Hey!" "Did you trace this or what?" "Trace, hell." "This is freehand." "Look at this." "Art contest." "$500 in prizes." "Think I should enter it?" "Yeah, man." "Go for broke." "Rosie!" "Fantastic." "Aah!" "I wasn't really there when it happened, but in the dream, it's like I am." "My best friend got killed, got crushed by one of those falling planes." "Where were you that day?" "My grandfather's funeral." "I guess his death saved my life, huh?" "Thank you." "My mom says it means..." "I was saved for something really special." "Know what it is?" "Rock 'n' roll." "Harrr!" "Yeah," "I'm gonna be a star, and stars don't fall out of the sky, do they?" "You think I'm gonna dump garbage for the rest of my life?" "How are you gonna support the baby, drawing Woody Woodpecker?" "I don't want that here." "You don't respect any shit I do." "What about respect for me?" "I almost have to rape her just to have sex." "To her, it's dirty." "Look, Bob." "It's cool if you move in with me, but what about when the baby comes?" "Hey, hey." "My old man wasn't around when I was born." "Why should I be?" "Richie!" "Figure it out, man." "Bob Keene called me." "You're recording at Gold Star Studios next Wednesday." "Right in Hollywood." "Didn't you hear me?" "That means he's gonna put you under contract with Del-Fi." "Ah!" "Oh, Richie, I'm so happy!" "It's only the beginning, m'ijo." "Bob has great news, too." "Come on, tell her, man." "That art contest, I won it." "$500 in prizes." "That's great, m'ijo." "With the baby coming, the money will come‒" "In art lessons." "See?" "They gave me a drafting table." "See?" "All our dreams are going to come true." "I just know it." "Cut, Richie." "Let's start again." "Do it the way you did the first time, okay?" "Cut!" "Richie, that was our fault." "Cut!" "That's more right-on, Richie, but I like that little darling line better." "Cut." "What's wrong with those takes?" "That's the way I sing." "Each take has to be identical." "Why?" "So we can edit later." "This isn't Mexico." "Who said it was?" "I understand the tradition of the song." "They're always changing the lyrics." "I've never been to Mexico." "My music is my music." "You tell him, carnal." "Look, how many more takes?" "As many as it takes." "Cut!" "That was good." "Same energy." "Just try it again." "Shall I get a new roll of tape?" "No." "I think we got him." "I can cut something here." "Nice work, Richie." "60 takes, man." "How's the throat?" "I think we got it." "60 takes." "I didn't hear a difference in one of them." "I'm ready to go home." "Sure." "I want to discuss one thing with you." "Come here." "What is it?" "Your professional name." "From now on, it's Ritchie with a "T."" "R-I-T-C-H-I-E." "I got a new last name for you, too." "Valens with an "S." Ritchie Valens." "How's that?" "I don't like it." "That's for shit, man!" "Valenzuela was our dad's name." "You can't cut it in half." "People in this business change names... like they change wives." "Even me." "My last name is Kuhn." "Look, trust me on this one." "Let's just go." "Thanks." "Look, it could've been worse." "You could've been Ricky Zuela." "Hello?" "Is Donna in?" "No, she's not." "This is her father." "Can I help you?" "Daddy, is it Ritchie?" "Uh, yeah... um... could you tell her that Ritchie called again?" "Yeah, okay." "He plays that goddamned jungle music." "Need I say more?" "Come on, honey." "You said it's not serious." "I hate Dad when he acts like that." "I just hate him!" "Good morning, survivors." "Call now and talk to me." "We got evicted." "We're sleeping in the car." "My wife is pregnant." "Your wife is pregnant and sleeping in the car?" "Yeah." "What kind of car do you have?" "A Rolls-Royce." "Ha ha ha ha!" "Your mom listens to KFWB, right?" "Ritchie Valens' mom listens, too, and she's got to be proud of her boy today." "Ritchie's got a song headed for the top of the charts... with a bullet." "Ritchie Valens' Come On, Let's Go!" "Hey, Bob." "How are you?" "Good, good, good." "Valens, Valens." "Um..." "French, right?" "How did you know?" "Ese, ese." "He's one of those barrio kids." "Not for long." "Pretty good." "I know." "Everybody, keep it down!" "That's my Ritchie on the radio!" "Connie, how about a beer?" "Not while I'm working, but I'll get you one." "No, I'm sorry." "Donna's studying." "Here's a special contest to kick off summer." "We have a special mystery guest here." "Say hello, mystery guest." "Uh, hello." "Our mystery guest comes from the San Fernando Valley." "What does he have in common with the vice president?" "The first person to identify this mystery guest... will win 12 fresh pizzas." "And this mystery guest will deliver the pizzas... and have a pizza party at your place... free from KFWB." "No, Donna's not here." "Thank you." "She's on a date." "Yeah... right." "Yes." "May I help you?" "May I see Donna?" "Please." "I know she's here." "Just one moment." "Donna?" "It's Ritchie." "Better not to lead him on." "You know how your father is." "Okay." "Hi, Ritchie." "Can we take a walk?" "No, I can't." "Let's not beat around the bush." "Are you seeing other guys?" "Yeah, I've been out a few times." "What's wrong with that?" "You're my girl." "And when am I supposed to see you?" "I can't tag along to all your appearances." "All those other girls going ape‒" "I don't care about those other girls." "What am I supposed to do?" "You don't have time for me right now." "You want to break it off?" "I don't know what I want anymore." "I'll see you around sometime." "Ritchie!" "Yoo-hoo!" "Ha ha ha ha!" "Hello?" "Sorry." "That's it." "That's your song." "I thought you'd like to hear it." "It's beautiful." "Thank you." "Bye." "Yeah." "No, man, I think I know what your problem is, and it's time we did something about it." "Come on, let's go." "Where to?" "Let's just go, okay?" "I should've done this a long time ago." "Hop on." "Done what?" "Gotten you some tail." "Oh, man!" "Come on, Ritchie with a "T,"" "I'm gonna show you the best part of T.J." "Ritchie, check it out." "Don't worry." "It smell like fish, but it'll taste like chicken." "You're all right, man." "Man, I'm telling you!" "This is your manager's job, getting you some tail." "He looks at you and sees a meal ticket." "Change the record, will you?" "Look, man, Ritchie Valens." "Ritchie Valens." "With a name like that, nobody is even gonna suspect you're Mexican." "I think it's an insult to Steve's memory." "Steve was so gung-ho American, he'd be proud of anything I do." "Lay off, okay?" "It's my name." "Yeah, it's your name, man." "What did she say?" "She likes your big..." "What do you think?" "Looks like a prom." "Only, this prom puts out." "Come on!" "Oh, babe." "Mmm." "Look at those bongos." "Get in there." "I can see fine." "Pick one you like." "They'll like you." "It's guaranteed." "Mmm." "Well?" "I don't know." "You know, it's really hard to choose." "Shit, take two, man." "It's on me." "Rrrrrr!" "Rrrrrr!" "La Bamba!" "Hey, Ritchie, come here, man!" "Ritchie, I brought you here to get laid." "Later." "¿Y tú, cómo te llamas?" "Rosalinda." "I'm coming!" "Rosie!" "Oh, Connie, I need your help." "It's the baby." "My God, where's Bob?" "Oh!" "I'm going to get Ritchie." "I'm getting Ritchie." "It's going to be okay." "Ah!" "Ahh!" "Arf!" "Arf!" "Arf!" "Uh... yo... yo no speako espanol." "Ha ha ha ha!" "What's the big idea, Bob, leaving me alone with this old man?" "Hey, man, had some business to take care of." "Besides, you were sleeping it off." "Was I that drunk?" "You were screwed, blewed, and tattooed." "Well, at least tattooed anyway." "The old man wants us to eat breakfast." "I never had snake before." "It's not bad." "What's he saying?" "He says life is a snake, a snake crawling out of its own dead skin... like a dream." "He's a curandero, a healer, and a wise man." "He's sort of my spiritual father." "I've been coming to him for years." "He's giving you that." ""To live is to sleep." "To die is to awaken."" "I told him about your nightmares." "That talisman will help... if you believe in it." "What is all this?" "Mexico." "Mexico!" "You went to Tijuana without telling anybody?" "A fine pair of sinvergüenzas!" "I can expect this from Bob, but not you, Ritchie." "So what did you do?" "Drink the night away?" "It was my fault." "I took him there." "How's Rosie?" "She's in the hospital, where else?" "She was all alone." "I had to drive her to the hospital." "She was in labor all day." "Do you hear me?" "Do you care about anything?" "Go ahead, go play with your bike!" "Did Rosie have a boy or a girl?" "A girl." "We named her Brenda." "What's this?" "Bob." "Bob." "That's beautiful, Ritchie." "That's the one." "In September, we have the Pacific Ocean Park, followed by the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium..." "High tone lunch, huh?" "Followed by..." "Are you listening?" "A week's booking in San Francisco." "Now, Ritchie, we fly up for that one." "Fly?" "No, I'd rather drive." "Ritchie, please, it's a long drive." "I don't care." "I never fly, man." "I have my reasons." "All right, I'll see what I can do." "We still need another single to go with Donna." "How about Suzie?" "How about La Bamba?" "It's not rock 'n' roll." "It is the way I play it." "No." "It's a folk song." "Besides, it's in Spanish." "That's how I want to sing it." "Rock 'n' roll in Spanish?" "You gotta be crazy." "It'll work." "Let me have a crack at it." "Even assuming the other side of Donna was a throwaway, how are you gonna handle the lyrics?" "You can't speak the language." "If Nat King Cole can sing in Spanish, so can I." "Come on, Bob-o, what do you say?" "Bob-o?" "Okay, now, smile." "Great!" "Ritchie!" "Hello, baby!" "It drives like a dream." "It beats taking the train." "How much did this baby cost?" "You don't want to know." "But if all goes well in Philadelphia, the car is yours." "Philly?" "We're going to Philadelphia?" "American Bandstand." "Ha!" "Really?" "Ritchie, we fly up for that." "Okay?" "Come on, let's go!" "I thought you didn't like to fly." "I don't." "But I love driving fast." "Let me in, damn it!" "I want to see my daughter!" "I'm her father!" "You're a goddamn drunk!" "Bob, stop it, Bob!" "Have you gone crazy on me?" "I've finally had it!" "I want to see my daughter." "Not in your condition!" "I went pendeja for the motorcycle, but no more." "I want my wife." "He wants a love slave to kick around." "Sober up, then you can see her tomorrow." "Now go downstairs and pass out." "I got enough to worry about with Ritchie." "You always worry more about Ritchie." "What about me?" "What about me?" "I know you don't give a goddamn about me!" "You had me turned in." "You had me locked up." "You think I could ever forgive you for that?" "Fuck you!" "¡M'ija!" "You little bitch!" "You can't keep me from seeing my kid!" "This is my house!" "I'll kick you out!" "Here you go." "Thank you." "You see anything?" "Yeah." "I just saw the Grand Canyon." "It's a long way down." "Sir." "Are you okay?" "Yeah." "You know what, Bob-o?" "I've always believed I was gonna die in a plane crash." "That's a hell of a thing to say... while we're still in the air." "Well, it's do or die." "American Bandstand, Philadelphia, P.A." "Drink this." "It's vodka... straight." "And away we go." "You are all comfortably seated, I presume." "Let's have a nice greeting for a young man who's making his debut here." "From Del-Fi Records in Los Angeles, ladies and gentlemen, here's Ritchie Valens." "What do you want?" "Come on, I got money." "I don't want your money." "Hey, what the hell!" "Put that back on!" "You've had enough, buddy." "Put it back on." "That dude's my brother." "And I'm your Irish uncle." "Leave it off!" "What did you think of Ritchie on American Bandstand?" "I can't believe he sang Donna." "You are so lucky." "Who are you taking to the dance?" "Nobody." "Hi, kitten." "Hi." "So where's your car?" "It was a loaner." "My dad sold it." "Hop in." "See you later." "Hiya, Suzie." "Hiya, Ritchie." "Hi, Ritchie." "Can I have your autograph?" "Could I get one, too?" "Can we have your autograph?" "Can we have your autograph?" "I'll do one better." "I'll get you Donna's autograph." "Just like old times, huh?" "I've really missed you." "I've missed you, too." "So how's school?" "Not the same without you." "When are you coming back?" "My school days are over, kitten." "Bob-o's got me booked all winter and fall." "I'll be in the Big Apple." "I'm really happy for you, Ritchie, all your success and everything." "You really deserve it." "I'm flying." "I'm really flying." "This way." "Oh, Ritchie!" "It's yours, Mom." "It's mine, Ritchie?" "Yes." "Come on!" "Come on!" "Wow!" "Is this where we're going to live?" "It's like a castle." "This is home." "That's the garage." "And over there is the guest house." "Huh?" "Ha ha ha!" "Oh, Ritchie!" "Come on, slowpoke!" "Isn't it nice?" "Isn't it nice, huh?" "Right here is where we'll put the swimming pool." "Yay!" "Yay!" "No, Ritchie." "The girls can't swim." "I don't want no pool." "Oh, okay." "We'll make it an automatic dishwasher." "No problem." "But after we fly back East." "Back again?" "Yeah. 10-day tour, 13 cities, including a spot on national television." "So congratulations, Mrs. Valens." "Here are the keys to your new home." "Oh, Ritchie, this is better than Queen for a Day." "I love you, Mom." "Oh, Ritchie... you're the best." "Well, let's rock it, now!" "What's the matter, Ritchie, nervous?" "Hey, man, I'm just a kid from Pacoima." "Yeah!" "Yeah!" "You're gonna knock 'em dead!" "Isn't he wonderful?" "Eddie Cochran, a wonderful human being!" "And now for you rock cats, another wonderful human being," "Mr. Jackie Wilson!" "Come on!" "Woo!" "Yeah!" "Eddie, you were great, man!" "I mean, really great, great!" "Oh... it's that live New York audience, man." "Rock 'n' roll's an addiction." "Oh, here you are, Ritchie." "Where else would he be?" "The kid's got taste." "One of the Belmonts got sick." "Probably malnutrition, man." "You and your three-ring circus." "You're going on right after Jackie Wilson." "You can do it." "Yeah!" "Good luck, Ritchie!" "They're waiting!" "Come on, let's go." "Again!" "One more time!" "Let me hear it!" "You‒You were great, beautiful." "If they love you, they'll want to kill you." "If they don't, same difference." "And here he is," "America's newest rock 'n' roll sensation, the California kid, Ritchie Valens!" "Here's a bit of a rattlesnake." "Come on!" "Aah!" "Aah!" "Woo!" "This is the last time I want to go away at Christmas." "I promise, Ritchie." "No, I mean it, Bob-0." "Surprise!" "Surprise!" "Merry Christmas, High Tone." "Ohh..." "I've missed you!" "Oh, we're so proud of you!" "Go ahead and open some." "Yay!" "Yay!" "Just..." "Just the little kids." "Just the little kids." "Hey, Ritchie!" "Hey!" "How are you doing?" "Look at all this food." "They don't have food like this in New York." "Come on." "Help yourself!" "Hi!" "Ritchie, how are you?" "Seven and seven?" "Yeah." "What about you?" "Hey, I'm on the wagon, man." "The garbage wagon." "$5.00 a week and all you can eat." "With all this food, I'm staying." "What's this stuff in the bowl?" "Menudo." "Try it." "Bobby, where's Mom's new dress?" "What new dress?" "The one I asked you to buy her for Christmas." "You're the asshole with money." "You buy it!" "Ahh... don't let him upset you, m'ijo." "He's been on the wagon for a month now." "He's meaner when he's drunk." "Come on." "Help yourself." "¿Qué paso?" "Enjoy yourself." "Okay, everybody, let's go in the living room." "I got a present for Ritchie." "Come on, Ritchie." "Come on!" "Okay... m'ijo." "Woo!" "Woo!" "I feel like I just got mauled by King Kong!" "Ha ha ha!" "Ha ha ha!" "Okay, everybody, let's party." "This is a celebration." "My Ritchie is home!" "Yay!" "Yay!" "You okay, Bob?" "Sure." "I'm okay." "Mom was asking for you." "Why?" "Is she afraid I'm drunk?" "I've had one sip of beer." "It tastes like piss." "You want it?" "Yeah." "Thanks." "What's your problem, man?" "Old Steve, boy, he always said you were going to be somebody, and I bought it, too." "If that's the way Steve wanted it, that's the way it was going to be, even after he told me he wasn't my dad!" "Then when I knew the full score, I understood, see?" "I realized why he treated you... a little bit better than me." "I said, you know, "I'll just hang around and take the leftovers... like a dog."" "That's how much I loved Steve!" "Like a goddamn dog!" "Don't talk about this now." "Shit, no!" "I want to talk now, and you're gonna listen!" "That's a crock of shit!" "He set you up to conquer the world." "He didn't leave me shit!" "Nobody told you to throw your life away!" "I'm only sorry I didn't say something about you being drunk half the time!" "You did it to yourself!" "You come in here like you own the goddamn country!" "To me you're always gonna be that little asshole who followed me around!" "Yeah, I followed you around... because I thought you were somebody... then!" "Don't you walk out on me!" "Ennh!" "Aw, shit!" "Don't talk to me like this!" "Umungh!" "You want it, huh?" "I'm not Rosie, asshole!" "You asked for it!" "I'm gonna..." "I'm gonna kill you!" "He couldn't have meant it, Ritchie." "He's just hurt." "Your success can't be easy for him." "I love you, Donna." "I will always love you." "You sound so serious." "I am." "Ha!" "You know, I'm still going to marry you... one of these days." "Will you wait for me?" "Yeah, for how long, forever?" "No." "Ha!" "No, just till I'm, uh, 25, and then I'll have a big glass cabinet." "I'll keep all my gold records in it." "How's that, huh?" "I love you... and I'm never going to let anyone... get in the way of my feelings for you ever again." "Come here." "What?" "Come here." "The heating system in the bus broke down." "You didn't tell me this tour was gonna be like this." "Come home, man." "You mean quit?" "No, no." "If you're sick, man, you're sick." "I'm really sorry." "No." "I'll stick it out." "Just see what you can do about the bus." "Okay." "Take care of yourself." "I'll call you tomorrow." "Okay." "Bye." "Hello, baby!" "Hey, Jake." "How you feeling, man?" "Holly is lining up a plane... to fly us to Fargo tonight." "All of us?" "Just the headliners." "Get with it, or you're gonna get left out in the cold." "You catch my snowdrift, man?" "Like, the word is out!" "Hey, guys!" "Hello." "Hello, Bob?" "It's me." "Ritchie." "What's wrong?" "What do you mean?" "I can barely hear you." "You sound funny." "I‒I got a cold." "Listen, is Mom there?" "No." "No one's here." "They all went to church." "Just me and my daughter here." "I was getting ready to go, but you know how it is." "Yeah." "I sure wish I was there, but I guess you can't have your cake and eat it, too, huh?" "Listen..." "Bob... why don't you fly out to Chicago and meet me, man?" "We can finish out the tour together." "I really got to have some family around me." "You sure you want me around... after all, uh, that happened, all the shit I said?" "Hey, those were your real feelings, man." "I mean, we're still brothers, aren't we?" "Bob... you still there?" "Yeah, cabrón, I'm still here... and I'm still your brother." "All right, man." "I'll see you in Chicago!" "Later, alligator." "Ha ha ha!" "Whoa!" "Hey, where are the broads?" "Look what just rolled in." "Well, hello, baby!" "Whoa, it's cold!" "Woo!" "All right, Ritchie, now, here's the situation." "I heard how you felt about flying." "It's between Tommy and you now." "I'm going to toss this coin." "Whoever wins is gonna ride this plane... and sleep in a warm bed tonight." "Whoever loses is gonna freeze his ass off on the bus." "Ritchie!" "Heads!" "Heads it is!" "All right." "Ritchie, let's fly, boy." "Allsup, have a good ride." "See you in North Dakota." "Sorry, Tommy." "That's the first coin toss I ever won!" "Hey, come on, let's go!" "Bye, Tommy!" "Whoa!" "Jesus, it's like the Three Stooges." "Woo!" "Ha ha ha!" "Is it cold!" "Yeah!" "Hey, Ritchie, relax, man." "Everything's cool." "Besides, the sky belongs to the stars, right?" "We interrupt to bring you this bulletin." "Four persons, three identified as nationally famous rock 'n' roll singers, died today in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa‒" "Buddy Holly, 22, of Lubbock, Texas," "Ritchie Valens, 17, of Los Angeles, California..." "What the shit?" "And J.P. Richardson, 29, of Louisiana, known as the Big Bopper." "Bob... did you hear?" "Did you hear what the radio said about Ritchie?" "Are you sure he said Ritchie?" "What we're able to piece together..." "Oh, God!" "What about Connie?" "Bob!" "Buddy Holly, one of rock 'n' roll's brightest lights, was best known for his hits Peggy Sue..." "What is it?" "What's the matter?" "You better sit down, Donna." "...for his hit, Chantilly Lace." "We understand that Holly chartered the plane... because the bus had broken down several times and had no heating." "The single engine plane left the Clear Lake airport... shortly after 1:00 a.m." "The youngest of the stars killed in this crash... was Ritchie Valens." "At 17, this youngster from Pacoima, California, topped the charts with his hits Donna, La Bamba, and Come On, Let's Go." "Valens was still in high school... when he was signed to the Del-Fi label, and just eight months later, Ritchie Valens is gone." "No!" "No!" "Now, this selection in honor of the dead." "Not Ritchie!" "Not my Ritchie!" "Bob!" "Not my Ritchie!" "Not Ritchie!" "Not Ritchie, Bob!" "Oh, God!" "Oh!" "Ohh!" "...of his ascendance." "Yet here in the San Fernando Valley, as, perhaps, throughout the entire nation, the name of Ritchie Valens..." "Ritchie!" "¡Órale!"