La Bamba (film)

La Bamba is a biopic of the life of rock star Ritchie Valens, rock's first Mexican-American superstar. Directed by Luis Valdez, La Bamba (the film draws its name from Valens' signature song) charts Valens' meteoric rise as a musician and his tragic death at age 17 in a 1959 plane crash, along with Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper.

Lou Diamond Phillips stars as the late Valens. The film's success not only reinvigorated interest in Valens' brief but notable musical legacy, it also brought the title tune back to the charts (in a cover version by Los Lobos) 28 years after its first appearance.

La Bamba was added to the National Film Registry in 2017.


 * Silent Credits: Originally, the second half of the ending credits were shown in silence. Later releases added a cover of "Come on, Let's Go".