Editing Ritchie Valens (section)

==Tributes==
[[File:Surf Ballroom Monument.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|Monument in front of Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa]]
In 1989, Ken Paquette, a [[Wisconsin]] fan of the 1950s era, erected a stainless-steel monument depicting a guitar and a set of three records bearing the names of each of the three performers killed in the accident. It is located on private farmland, about {{convert|1.25|mi|km}} west of the intersection of 315th Street and Gull Avenue, about {{convert|8|mi|0}} north of Clear Lake. He also created a similar stainless-steel monument to the three musicians that was installed near the [[Riverside Ballroom]] in [[Green Bay, Wisconsin]]. That memorial was unveiled on July 17, 2003.<ref>{{cite web |last=Jordan |first=Jennifer |url=http://www.articlestree.com/music/the-day-the-music-died-tx390707.html |title=The Day the Music Died |date=April 11, 2007 |publisher=ArticlesTree |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120207001836/http://www.articlestree.com/music/the-day-the-music-died-tx390707.html |archive-date=February 7, 2012}}</ref>

Paxton Park in Pacoima was renamed Ritchie Valens Recreation Center in memory of Valens in the 1990s. There is also a pool nearby named the Ritchie Valens Pool. At the recreation center, there is also a [[skatepark]] named Ritchie Valens Skate Plaza. A city council member representing Pacoima proposed the renaming to honor Valens so residents would "remember his humble background and emulate his accomplishments."<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.laparks.org/dos/parks/facility/ritchieValensPk.htm |title=Ritchie Valens Park |publisher=City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation & Parks |access-date=September 12, 2013}}</ref>

Musician Tommy Allsup started a club, "Tommy's Heads Up Saloon", in [[Dallas]] in 1979. The club was named for the fateful coin toss between Valens and him [[The Day the Music Died|twenty years prior]].<ref>{{cite book| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yY-qrbtfonUC&q=Tommy+Allsup&pg=PA201| title=The Day the Music Died: The Last Tour of Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens| author=Larry Lehmer| publisher=Music Sales Group| year= 2004| isbn= 978-0-8256-7287-3}}</ref>

"Boogie with Stu" from [[Led Zeppelin]]'s ''[[Physical Graffiti]]'' album was inspired by Valens' song "Ooh, My Head". It did not credit Valens or [[Bob Keane]], instead crediting Valens' mother. Eventually, a lawsuit was filed by Keane, and half of the award went to Valens' mother, although she was not part of the suit.<ref>Lehmer, Larry. ''The Day the Music Died: The Last Tour of Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens'' (2004): 166.</ref>

On May 11, 1990, a star bearing Valens' name was unveiled on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]]. The star cost $3,500, which was paid for with money raised in his name by family and friends. His star permanently resides at 6733 Hollywood Boulevard in front of Artisan's Patio mini mall.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1990-05-17-9002090771-story.html|title=Ritchie Valens Finally Gets His Star|author=Starr Spencer|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|year=1990}}</ref>

On February 2, 2009, [[Surf Ballroom]] held a 50th anniversary honoring the last concert of Buddy Holly, J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, and Valens. The event lasted one week and had performances that honored the memories of the three men. Family members and friends of the stars made appearances.<ref>{{cite web |author=PR Newswire |year=2008 |title=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and Surf Ballroom & Museum to Honor 50 Year Anniversary of Winter Dance Party |url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A186866089/ITOF |publisher=PR Newswire Association}}</ref>

Many murals have been painted around Pacoima in honor of the late Valens.
In 1985, artist Manuel Velasquez (assisted by 25 students) created a {{Convert|12 by 20|ft|4=0|abbr=on}} mural, which was painted on the side of a classroom building at the former Pacoima Junior High (now Pacoima Middle School) depicting Valens's image, records labeled with some of his greatest hits, and the newspaper article about the plane crash that took his life.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.muralconservancy.org/murals/richie-valens|title=Richie Valens – Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles|website=Muralconservancy.org|access-date=26 October 2017|archive-date=December 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181209124012/http://www.muralconservancy.org/murals/richie-valens|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Another mural went up in 2012 at the intersection of Van Nuys Boulevard and Amboy Avenue, which was painted by Hector Ponce. A second one was painted in 2012 by Levi Ponce and is located on Van Nuys Boulevard and Telfair Avenue. A monument has also been built as a tribute. It was put on display in 2013, and is located at Ritchie Valens Park at 10731 Laurel Canyon Boulevard.<ref name="auto">{{cite news|url=https://www.dailynews.com/2018/08/06/pacoima-is-ready-to-celebrate-the-ritchie-valens-memorial-highway-in-one-more-reminder-of-the-late-chicano-rockers-legacy/|title=Pacoima is ready to celebrate The Ritchie Valens Memorial Highway in one more reminder of the late Chicano rocker's legacy|author=Dalia Espinosa|newspaper=Los Angeles Daily News|year=2018}}</ref>

On May 13, 2016, the 75th anniversary of Valens' birthday, the [[Los Angeles City Council]] declared May 13 "Ritchie Valens Day".<ref name=":4" />

A section of the [[Interstate 5|Interstate 5 Freeway]] in the northeast [[San Fernando Valley]] has been named after Valens. The Ritchie Valens Memorial Highway is located between the 170 and 118 freeways.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-section-of-i-5-in-san-fernando-valley-1504219079-htmlstory.html|title=Ritchie Valens, late rock star and local hero, gets a stretch of the 5 Freeway in the Valley named after him|work=Los Angeles Times|author=Patrick McGreevy}}</ref> On August 25, 2018, a celebration was held in his honor to commemorate his legacy. The unveiling ceremony was held at Ritchie Valens Park, located at 10731 Laurel Canyon Boulevard in Pacoima. Replicas of the freeway sign were revealed at the celebration. The event was open to the public and free to attend. A few relatives of Valens played live performances as a tribute to the late singer. Leaders from the community and state gathered for the festivities.<ref name="auto"/>

In May 2022, the [[United States Postal Service|United States Post Office]] in Pacoima, California was renamed the Ritchie Valens Post Office in honor of Valens.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dailynews.com/2022/05/13/ritchie-valens-post-office-dedicated-to-pacoimas-rock-n-roll-legend/ |title=Ritchie Valens Post Office dedicated to Pacoima's rock 'n' roll legend |last=Andres |first=Holly |work=Daily News |date=May 13, 2022 |access-date=June 1, 2022}}</ref>