Sister of Ritchie Valens to perform with DC Drifters in Albert Lea Saturday

Published 5:29 am Tuesday, June 4, 2013

The relatives of a rock ‘n’ roll pioneer will bring the music of the 1950s back to life in an area town.

Connie Valens — the sister of Ritchie Valens — will perform with the Austin-based Denny Charnecki and the DC Drifters at Eddie Cochran Days in Albert Lea. The concert starts at 7:30 p.m. June 8 at the Marion Ross Performing Arts Center.

The music will be mostly music from the 1950s, including classics from Valens and Eddie Cochran performed in 50s attire.

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“I’m just thinking it would be a great, great time for anybody,” Charnecki said.

Charnecki said he sees Valens’ participation as a stamp of approval on the band and its performances.

“It’s really cool,” he said.

This year will be the 27th Eddie Cochran Days held in honor of the Albert Lea-born musician, who died at 21 of a car accident in 1960. Ritchie Valens also died young at age 17 in a plane crash with Buddy Holly in Iowa at 17 in 1959.

According to Charnecki, the Cochran and Valens families knew each other, and relatives from each attended the others’ funeral.

Charnecki said Connie Valens doesn’t answer many requests for performances, but she performed with Charnecki and the DC Drifters at the Surf Ballroom in February at the show marking her brother’s and Holly’s deaths.

Charnecki said this will be a special show for the band.

“Every now and then, we get these special, special events,” he said.

Not only will the show offer a trip down memory lane to the hits of the 1950s, but Charnecki said she will also tell about being on set of the film “La Bamba.”

“She’s got stories that are incredible about the ‘La Bamba’ movie,” he said.