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"For a long time when I was young, I used to have dreams about it. Net Worth: $500 . Birthdate: May 13, 1941 Family: Parents: Joseph Steve and Concepcion (Connie) Reyes Valenzuela, brothers Robert (Bobby) and Mario, sisters, Connie and Irma. I don't. "I had a girl," Ritchie Valens crooned, "Donna was her name ". They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. He was a mechanic by profession with no certified license of driving for 25 years of his career. She was 72 years old when she died. It was love at first sight. Sleepwalk (1 hour) Ritchie Valens. Hoping to capitalize on the brief romance, her father arranged for her to sing two songs, "Lost Without You" and "Now That You're Gone," on the Pop label. 1 on the Billboard pop chart. But do you know that Keane presented me with a bill of $4,000 for Ritchies funeral? Valens was born Richard Steven Valenzuela in Pacoima, California in 1941. Due to material alterations, the residence may not retain sufficient . "God, it was so long ago," she says. Rock and Roll singer Ritchie Valens poses for a photo during the filming of 'Go, Johnny, Go!' on January 20, 1959 in Los Angeles, California. His insurance company settled for $75,000. She died on 18 October 1987, in Watsonville, Santa Cruz County, California, USA. Valenzuela died Sunday at Watsonville Community Hospital. However, Come On, Lets Go did indeed come from an expression used by both Ritchie and his mom whenever they went somewhere. Deejays began playing a sappy spinoff song about her loss, "Letter to Donna" by a group called the Kittens. "No one has seen her since but everyone is looking for her," Mandheim says. Ritchie Valens Wiki Biography. "We used to argue about that. can still lift themselves up with willpower, a positive attitude, hard work, And since Ritchie would dress up real sharp, theyd refer to him as hi tone when he did.. He died when I was barely 7. Here she is, a middle-aged woman who worries about her double chin, talking to the media about this kid who will be forever 17. Mother of Rock Star Ritchie Valens Dies October 20, 1987 WATSONVILLE, Calif. (AP) _ Connie Valenzuela, the mother of the late rock singer Ritchie Valens, has died of an apparent heart attack. She worked as a waitress, a farm worker, a bartender and a house cleaner. He was immortalized in La Bamba by Esai Morales, who captured his. Her mother, Concepcion died on 18 October 1987in Santa Cruz, Californiaat the age of 72. She had cried hearing it then, not because she suspected he would ever make her famous by recording it, but because she was 15 years old and to have a boy sing a song he'd written about her, even late at night when no one else could hear, seemed enough like a dream come true. I ultimately told him to forget about it, she said. I was a kid. It's no accident that Fox-Coots doesn't list her father among her dear ones. Torres and his twin brother were born in the East Bronx. 40th Anniversary of Buddy Holly's death and the 20th annual Buddy Holly Tribute. Valens, of course, was the pioneering Chicano rocker who managed to write and record "La Bamba," "Come On, Let's Go" and "Donna" as a high school sophomore during a career that lasted only eight. Red West, a Presley bodyguard, had learned from one of Fox-Coots' girlfriends that she was the legendary Donna. His father wasn't around at the outset . Richie's mother filed a $1.5 million lawsuit against the owner of the aircraft, Jerry Dwyer. "It's really too much. Ritchie's mother died in 1987, and is buried alongside him. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. . Oh Donna, oh Donna . Richard Steven Valenzuela was born outside of Los Angeles in 1941. I ran with a pack of girls and I was their leader.". Their daughters, Gloria and Kristin, play their own mothers (Ritchies sisters) as young girls in other scenes. No matter, said Frank Arteaga, who hitchhiked from Durango, Colo., for the occasion. Concepcions son Ritchie Valens died in a plane crash on February 3, 1959, in Clear Lake, Iowa, U.S. On the volar surface of the right forearm was a dark tatoo of initials "R.V." Though his career and life were short, Ritchie Valens' influence on culture has been . It was completed two years ahead of the deadline. In fact, when Donna Ludwig (Ritchies teen-age girlfriend whom he immortalized in the song Donna) read the script, Ulloa had to change it because he had portrayed Donnas parents as bigots. Actually, Connie Valenzuela explained, Donnas mom liked Ritchie, it was her father who didnt. Just before her passing in 1987, she formed Hi-Tone Five Corporation for According to the Los Angeles Times, Connie Lemos and her sister Irma Padillaappeared in their brothers biopic. not the typical stage mother; instead, she entrusted Ritchies career to Just before her passing in 1987, she formed Hi-Tone Five Corporation for "See his hair in this picture?" ", Fox-Coots says she and Valens had "an arrangement" after he dropped out of high school to record music and tour the country. He died of Prostate Cancer. Ritchie Valens. Just one fave moment from this week: In a dream, Rory talks to her mother, and it's Madeleine Albright, who is a pretty good actor. In those days, before son Ritchie became a star, the family lived in the San Fernando Valley. Connie Valens, younger sister of rock and roll legend Ritchie Valens visited Red Rock Center for the Arts in Fairmont on Tuesday to discuss her brother, and how losing him affected her family. Valdez lives 15 miles away in San Juan Bautista (home for El Teatro Campesino, of which he and Luis are founding members). "As far as I know, Ritchie died a virgin. The body of Richard Valenuela was clothed in a black wool cloth overcoat containing a label "Harris & Drank, Los Angeles, Cal.", a black wool cloth suit containing inside, the coat label "Sohel's, San Fernando Cal.", a white shirt and underclothing. Oh Donna, oh Donna . When they (Keane and associates) came in to the mortuary, they brought copies of the album. We were so happy we were referred to Abby. Somehow, Connie Valenzuela seems more resigned than angry about these incidents. "Who knows? One day Herb called me and said to sign a contract just in case anything might happen to Ritchie; otherwise, I wouldnt get anything. People are wondering what happened to Ritchie Valen's brother, and . Her tears seem as much for a time gone by as for a lost love. ", For almost 30 years now people have been asking her if Valens was the love of her life. . Also Read: Connie Lemos: Facts About Ritchie Valens sister. Her big date with Elvis Presley came a year after her high school graduation while she was working as a nightclub hostess in Los Angeles. Yet hardly anyone in the Valenzuela family had met her before he died, and one of Valens' former business associates recently stated that Fox-Coots was little more than a casual acquaintance of Valens. Contains printable sheet music plus an interactive, downloadable digital sheet music file. Ritchie, who was a native of San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, hopped on a plane from an airport in Mason City, Iowa on February 3, 1959. Also on board were Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper. There are Bob Morales, Irma Norton, and Mario Ramirez. We went over to his house one day to get it away from him--Connie Valenzuelas voice was stern as she continued--but he kept insisting it was his., Keane, an L.A. big band leader and record producer, has just released a 12-inch Latin dance cut--La Bamba 87--using an alternate take of Valens vocal track recorded during the original 1958 session). Valens, whose real name was Richard Valenzuela, is considered to be the first Chicano to make it big in rock music. Ironically, Richie Valens had a fear of flying. The plane they were chartered, a four-passengerBeechcraft Bonanza, (N3794N), left forFargo, North Dakota. Concepcion Valenzuela is the mother of five children. His short career ended when he died at age 17 in the 1959 plane crash in which Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper also perished. On Saturday, Bob Morales died. Well, he kept it in his garage after I lost Ritchie. ", Fox-Coots cooperated with screen writer and director Luis Valdez in researching "La Bamba," but says she was "grossly offended" when she read the first draft of the screenplay. In a span of less than 18 months in 1958 and 59, his songs Donna, Come On, Lets Go, Thats My Little Susie and his rollicking version of La Bamba, the traditional Mexican folk song, made him a star. Ritchie Valens was an immediate sensation: "Come On, Let's Go," his first single, soared on the national pop charts. The excited screams of her friends drowned out the rest of the tune, but she had already recognized it. Charley Palmer Rothwell: Who Is Patsy Palmers Son? . Kelley James Donoho: Facts About Holly Marie Combs Son. Now is that weird or what?". Abby, Thank you so much for forming my LLC. Mark Montalbn: Who is Ricardo Montalbns son? Ritchie valens . The performers were shuttled from venue to venue on school buses that lacked heat in the bitterly cold Midwest weather. Unfortunately, death interrupted his promising career after he was killed in a plane crash. Apart from Ritchie Valens, Connie had three other siblings. When he was younger, a freak accident occurred over his school playground in which two planes collided, killing and injuring a number of Richies friends. He has been the subject of several biopic films. They will also see that its OK to be sensitive, tender and care for their families, too., Connie Jr., a customer service rep for a local insurance company and the mother of two, summed up how she will always remember her brother Ritchie. They didnt send him to me by plane. I was a little nervous the first time I saw the film. I didn't want a big thing made about it. where can you be? Over the July 4 weekend, La Bamba had a hometown preview for Valens family and neighbors at the Fox Theater here, a typical Art Deco-styled movie house from the 30s that usually plays Spanish-language films today. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Start where you are. I was devastated. My husband and I hired Abby to prepare our estate plan. Donna . When Danny Valdez (Luis brother and associate producer of the film La Bamba) finally connected with the Valenzuelas, they werent interested in another film project. I didn't like it that way." It took them eight days to send Ritchies body back from Iowa. I definitely would recommend her if you are looking for someone to help with your estate planning needs. The release of "La Bamba," the summer movie celebrating Valens' short life, assures her a permanent footnote in the history of pop culture. So Id call up one of the deejays, because at that time they would sponsor dances. A rock and roll pioneer and a forefather of the Chicano rock movement. Omissions? Significance Statement. The album track Boogie With Stu is credited to John Bonham, John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, Ian Stewart and Mrs Valens. I certainly will be calling you again if I need any help in the future. In 1990, he posthumously . I couldn't tell if she was a hanger-on or not, but if Ritchie had had a girlfriend I would have been the last person he would have told about it. According to friends, Ritchie Valens wanted to become a success in rock 'n' roll so he could buy his mother a nice home. While we try to make this information as accurate and useful as possible, you should always consult a lawyer to discuss the application of the law to your specific circumstances. Mama lived to see her dream realized, that Ritchie Connie Valenzuela said many of Ritchies early songs came from things around his barrio when the family lived in the San Fernando Valley community of Pacoima. Dated 3 February 1959 Immediate cause of death is listed as "(a) Gross trauma to brain due to (b) Crash of airplane." Other significant conditions are described as "Multiple fractures, left foream and both legs." Nature of injury: "Thrown from plane when it . The crew cleaning up after the crash found the site littered with candy bars. But I never really promised him one.. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Estate Planning Frequently Asked Questions, Powers of Attorney & Healthcare Directives, Terminate Joint Tenancy With Survivorship, How Starting a New Job Can Affect Your Estate Plan, Estate Planning For Unmarried Couples: Why They Should Care, Estate Planning for Unmarried Partners: What You Need to Know, Creditors Threat Inherited Retirement Accounts: What You Need to Know, Protecting Your Retirement Accounts: Five Reasons to Do So Now, Pros and Cons of a Family Limited Partnership, Estate Planning Awareness Week: Having a Conversation with Your Family About Their Estate Plan, Estate Planning Lessons We Can Learn from Encanto. Concepcion's son Ritchie Valens was a rock and roll pioneer and a forefather of the Chicano rock movement. Ritchie Morales' elder brother, Bob had a decent net worth of $100,000 at the time of his death. Ritchie Valens was pure, Rocha said. My Head in the film Go, Johnny, Go! The record executive that discovered Richie, Bob Keane claimed that he should retain the vast majority of the music rights. Ritchie signed the contract with the record label after his audition on May 27, 1958. While this website is an indirect advertisement for the Neal Law Firm, PLCs legal services, the attorneys of the Neal Law Firm, PLC are not your attorney nor are you our client until you enter into a written agreement with the Neal Law Firm, PLC to provide legal services. I still have the check somewhere., As far as the Thunderbird, Keane said: I may have told Ritchie at one time that if he kept doing as well as he was, I might get him a car. Most recently in May 2022, the United States Post Office in Pacoima, California named the post office in honor of Ritchie Valens. He made several hits, most notably "La Bamba" and "Donna". After their February 2, 1959, performance inClear Lake, Iowa, Holly, Richardson, and Valens flew out of theMason Cityairport in a small plane that Holly had chartered. Robert and Ritchie. It was sort of a slang expression for something or someone that was fancy or stuck-up. Joe died at his residence at 13058 Filmore Street. Mrs. Consuelo (Connie) Valenzuela would often take her kids to the Spanish-language movies, especially to the Million Dollar Theater in downtown Los Angeles where they would see master comic Cantinflas and Mexican charro/singer Tito Guizar. I never took Ritchie to that brothel. It did not matter that the guitar-strumming teen-ager from Pacoima has been dead for 31 years. Connie Lemos parents are Concepcion Valenzuela and Joseph Steven Valenzuela. The 17-year-old died in a small plane crash in Iowa on Feb. 3, 1959, along with Buddy Holly, J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson and the pilot. Bob Morales,Irma Norton,Mario Ramirez, Ritchie Valens. Childhood & Early Life. We found Ms. Neal through a friend of ours and she was kind enough to walk us through the estate planning process and answer our questions with ease. She opens it to a glossy studio photograph of Valens. But they could not explain her absence. . In 1987, a biographical movie of his life and times entitled 'La Bamba' was released, both the film and soundtrack became a worldwide smash hit with Los Lobos covering his songs on the soundtrack. Product Information La Bamba by William Baldwin - Digital Sheet Music. "He looked like Ritchie," she says, "but he was not the same kind of person." The marriage only lasted a year. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). He was never too busy for us. I tire easily from a recent operation I had. They dont have to be macho or mean or cuss or take drugs to be a man. Richard Steven Valenzuela was born May 13, 1941 in Pacoima, California, says Biography. Greenbambinis posted 12 years ago. . His story is told in the film La Bamba (1987). "I mean, because he was a nice boy. Do what you can. Another later discovery rocked the community. "Going back to school after he died was so hard. I got an insurance policy on his life.. Ritchie Valens' mom, Connie Valenzuela, passed in 1987. Ritchie Valens was one of Rock n' Roll's first Latino superstars and has inspired countless musicians around the world. When Ritchie died, it broke their mother's heart, Lemos said. She and Valens liked to walk, arms linked, in the rain. Corrections? Richies mother would get small amount of money here and there, but Keane retained nearly everything including a classic car allegedly owned by Valens. The 1987 Ritchie Valens biopicLa Bambawas a hit by any metric, amassing $54 million at the box office, earning a Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture Drama and Los Lobos soundtrack cover of the title song hitNo. I will definitely be recommending you to friends and calling you in the future. However, people still couldnt explain why the plane went down. He was like my mom, dad or best friend. I originally wasnt going to play the album because it was too painful. Ritchie was a singer, guitarist, and songwriter, best known for being one of the pioneers of rock 'n' roll. Valens, of course, was the pioneering Chicano rocker who managed to write and record "La Bamba," "Come On, Let's Go" and "Donna" as a high school sophomore during a career that lasted only eight months. Organizers said Ludwig-Coots had been invited to attend the ceremony. Ritchie Valens, original name Richard Stephen Valenzuela, (born May 13, 1941, Pacoima, California, U.S.died February 3, 1959, near Clear Lake, Iowa), American singer and songwriter and the first Latino rock and roll star. Oh, I get a bit of money now and then. He often improvised new lyrics and added new riffs to popular songs while he was playing. Failed to subscribe, please contact admin. Mark Montalbn: Who is Ricardo Montalbns son? Valens died on 3 February 1959 at the age of 17. According to sources at the time of his death, Connie Lemos father, Joseph, and her mother Concepcion were separated. When did Connie Valenzuela pass away? After his father's death, Lou was adopted by his mother's second husband and he took his surname, Phillips. Valens left a small legacy of recordings, but his compositions (often based on only three or four chords), exciting guitar style, emotional singing, and stylistic versatility influenced generations of rock musicians. One of Valens favorite songs, Mrs. Valenzuela said, was a childs lullaby he called The Paddi Wack Song, which he sang accompanied by his guitar to his young sisters in the familys backyard. And you can understand what hes saying. And that 57 black and silver-chromed Thunderbird (its blue in the movie) that Keane gave Ritchie? And whenever she laid her head on his shoulder, he always smelled so clean, like soap and water. This website merely provides information about the law to help educate people about important legal topics. While quoted fees are appropriate for many clients, some may require additional services. she says, totally absorbed. However, in the film this incident is colored by Valdez who allows Morales to escape his mothers wrath with his machismo intact. licensing the rights to Ritchies name and image. . Pale and thin, she clutched a framed 8-by-10 picture of Valens hard against her chest. Get our L.A. ", Instead of making her feel special, being the real Donna just as often embarrassed her. Ive gotten used to it now. Not all of the Valenzuela familys memories are quite as pleasant. I never knew all the problems poor Bob went through or all my mother had to put up with him at the time. The film stars honorary Latino Lou Diamond Phillips as Ritchie Valens (born Richard Valenzuela), an American singer/songwriter/guitarist who broke through the rock 'n' roll ranks to become one . SAN JOSE, CALIF. CONNIE VALENZUELA, 72, the mother of 1950s rock singer Ritchie Valens whose overnight climb to fame was chronicled this year in the hit movie La Bamba, died Sunday of an. They began a drive to get Valens a star on the Walk of Fame as the ultimate recognition of his success. "It's really funny, I'll dream about Ritchie now and instead of him I'll see Lou Diamond Phillips," she says. In what could be viewed as an ominous portent of future tragedy, Valens avoided an airplane-related death two years earlier. Unfortunately, death interrupted his promising career after he was killed in a plane crash. A few minutes after takeoff, the aircraft experienced mechanical problems and it crashed into an Iowa field. 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Concepcions ex-husband Joseph Steven Valenzuela died on 8 January 1952, in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, USA, at age 55. Concepcion Valenzuela was an actress and the mother of the late guitarist, singer, and songwriter Richard Steven Valenzuela, known professionally as Ritchie Valens. The devastated public demanded to know why the plane crash. In 2001 Valens was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. While in high school, he used an electric guitar made in shop class to front a band and came to the attention of Bob Keane, owner of Del-Fi records, who produced the sessions at Gold Star Recording Studios that resulted in Valenss hits. Along with Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens was one of the first guitarists to play on a Fender Stratocaster. who played her in The Plane Crash that Claimed Three Rock Legends Smithsonian Channel 4.03M subscribers Subscribe 2.6K 200K views 4 years ago The death of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper in an. I was pleased with your expertise, speed, and professionalism. My wife and I were thinking about our family and how we could help our two boys if anything were to happen to us. At the end of 1987, all music publishing rights for Valens compositions were to go to Richies mother. I remember calling New Visions one day and asking if the film was still about Ritchie. Morales, the older brother of famed musician Ritchie Valens, was an icon in his own right. The newly named highway stretch is located on the I-5 freeway between state Routes . Many claim that Richie didnt read the agreement he signed with Keane that stated how the royalties from his music were to be handled. Use what you have. A rock and roll pioneer and a forefather of the Chicano rock movement, Valens' recording career lasted only eight months. Although many people seem confused about this, under the laws of most states a person needs to be 18 or older to execute a Will or sign any other legal documents. In the mid-1950s, the family moved to the Los Angeles suburb of Pacoima, where the teen-ager attended high school and began playing in a rock band. He made several hits, most notably La Bamba and Donna. . But they got it wrong. He showed a talent for music at an early age, teaching himself how to play a number of instruments. One hand-tinted studio portrait shows a grinning teen-age Valens in a sport coat and bow tie, another of him standing next to a black-and-chromed 57 Thunderbird. Her brother Valens was on the plane because he won a coin toss with Hollys backup guitarist Tommy Allsup. The conversation seemed to have put her in a jovial mood. Music sheet with photo of Ritchie, "Donna" Donna., Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Daisy Jones & the Six becomes the first fictional band to hit No. I, of course, was the one that had wound up in the red-light district on several occasions, he smiled mischievously. She then tried to manage an Asian-Mexican singer, Chan Romera, who gained some regional recognition in California with his version of Hippy Hippy Shake. After attending a Ritchie Valens memorial dance here, she decided to move from Pacoima, which harbored many unhappy memories. Concepcion Valenzuela is not alive as of 2022. "If I'd known I was going to get all this attention," she cracks, "I would have lost 20 pounds. She received more than 8,000 lettersafter a fan magazine printed her address. In a nostalgic tribute to the man whose hit Donna rocketed him to stardom in 1958, fans and relatives of Chicano rock n roll legend Ritchie Valens gathered to see him honored with the 1,913th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. "I have to tell myself, 'No, Donna! He is also the father of the Chicano rock movement, and all of his efforts helped put his net worth to . I feel kind of silly. The tour conditions were miserable. As his career took off, he changed his name to Ritchie Valens. Concepcions son Ritchie Valens was a rock and roll pioneer and a forefather of the Chicano rock movement. The teen-ager probably dated while on tour in Hawaii, and he was apparently involved with a mystery woman from New York at the time of his death. ALSO, READ; Anne Robin Morrison- Truth About Jim Morrisons sister. . Do what you can. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. Ritchie Valens, original name Richard Stephen Valenzuela, (born May 13, 1941, Pacoima, California, U.S.died February 3, 1959, near Clear Lake, Iowa), American singer and songwriter and the first Latino rock and roll star. "I was attracted to him because he was a nice man, er " She stops herself. Valens was only 17 years old. By age five Ritchie Valens had an interest in making his own music. You had to be from L.A. to really know what he was all about. Once, I called Art Laboe and told him it was time to get the guys home. He was eight months into his music career. Ritchie Valens In an all too brief career, Ritchie Valens was the first Chicano rock and roll star, having his best remembered hit, "La Bamba," just one month before his untimely death with Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper on February 3, 1959. . There are Bob Morales,Irma Norton,and Mario Ramirez. (Ritchie's siblings are alive and living in California, his father died in 1951 and his mother in 1987) She was the wife of Joseph Steven Valenzuela (18961952). He and his mother Concepcion Valenzuela were buried by each other. Bob Morales died on 15 September 2018, in Watsonville, Santa Cruz County, California, US, at age 81. Contacting us via this website does not create a confidential or attorney-client relationship. Donna couldnt be found Friday. In reality, Fox-Coots says, "I was something of a little rebel. . As there were several Richards around at that time, he took the name "Ritchie" for him. Connie was a child when her big brother lost his life in a plane crash, only hours after performing at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake with a group of musicians that included Buddy Holly and J.P. The Big Bopper Richardson. Updates? owner of several businesses. She lives in Pollock Pines, a small community in the hills near Sacramento, with her third -- and she says last -- husband. I hung up the phone and called my attorney. she says. His family is poor, and he works as a farm worker after school. It became their song. Mrs Valens is the mother of the late Ritchie Valens, whose 1959 track Ooh My Head 'inspired' Boogie With Stu. The record, which never became popular, remains an acute embarrassment to Fox-Coots. But we had Ritchie. This caused major anxiety for Dwyer, especially since Dwyer was operating his air transport business without being incorporated, meaning his personal assets could be taken to satisfy any potential judgment. She and six of her friends were cruising the main drag in downtown San Fernando, in the white convertible her daddy had bought her, top down, radio blaring. . He was eight months into his music career. "I was 15 years old, for heaven's sakes," she exclaims. I was not sweet and innocent, I was more of a hell-raiser. . 40 minutes 4 seconds 196.4K. "I liked it better that way.". However, Richies mother may have signed a contract dealing with Richies music rights when he first got started. Even the very young--who only know Valens music from oldies radio stations--professed their love. Instead, they sent him on a train to San Fernando. Fox-Coots consented to sing the songs, she says, but only after a contract was drawn up ensuring that her share of the royalties would go to Valens' mother. ", "He wanted to know all about Ritchie," recalls Fox-Coots, who accompanied Presley to a penthouse party at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Although totally unprepared to enter the world of contracts and music rights, she claims that one day Herb (Keanes partner) called me and said to sign a contract just in case anything might happen to Richie Valens; otherwise, I wouldnt get anything. When Fox-Coots reminisces about Valens it can seem as if a teen-ager is talking through an adult body. Still, there was the matter of the elusive Donna.