DEL-FI RECORDS
Del-Fi Records was an American record label based in Hollywood, California and owned by Bob Keane. The label’s first single released was “Caravan” by Henri Rose released in 1958; however, the label was most famous for signing Ritchie Valens. Valens’ first single for the label was “Come On Let’s Go”, which was a hit. His next single, “Donna” / “La Bamba”, was an even bigger big hit, and brought notability to the label. Johnny Crawford, the co-star of the television series The Rifleman, was the Del-Fi artist who recorded the most hit singles. Del-Fi ceased operating in 1974. (More from Wikipedia)
Ritchie Valens was signed by producer Bob Keane to Del-Fi Records in 1958 after he saw one of the Silhouettes shows; it was Keane who suggested that he shorten his last name and add the “t” to his first. Bob Keane recalls of that night: “I’ll never forget the first time I saw Ritchie. He had a small, somewhat beat-up guitar amp worth about fifty bucks. He stood up there on stage, with complete command of his audience. He was this bull-like kid with an opera tenor’s torso. I knew he had a lot of potential. It should go without saying that what I heard impressed me, but I had no idea what to do with the raw talent I saw up there on the stage.”
(June 2013/1)
