LOU DIAMOND PHILLIPS
Lou Diamond Phillips (né Upchurch; born February 17, 1962) is an American actor and director. His breakthrough came when he starred in the film La Bamba as Ritchie Valens. He earned a supporting actor Golden Globe Award nomination for his role in Stand and Deliver and a Tony Award nomination for his role in The King and I. Other notable films in which Phillips has starred include Courage Under Fire, Che, and Love Takes Wing. (More from Wikipedia)
Sadly the Latin presence in American rock and roll is not at all recognized. Most people only know about Ritchie Valens, who had a couple of hit songs back in the 1950’s, “Donna” (or “Oh Donna”) and “La Bamba” (the title of a 1987 biopic film about him, La Bamba starring Lou Diamond Phillips). Along with the better known Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper, Valens died in the 1959 plane crash in Iowa that was immortalized in Don McLean’s haunting “American Pie” as “The Day the Music Died”.
(January 2011)
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The 1987 film La Bamba that helped revive interest in Ritchie Valens’ music starred Lou Diamond Phillips; the Chicano rock band Los Lobos (celebrating their 40th anniversary together this year) faithfully recreated Ritchie Valens’ music in the movie.
(June 2013/1)
