Trivia / La Bamba

• Cast the Expert: Real-life musicians Brian Setzer, Marshall Crenshaw, and Howard Huntsberry play Eddie Cochran, Buddy Holly and Jackie Wilson, respectively.
• The Danza: Coincidental case with Esai Morales playing Bob Morales (which was Ritchie's brother's real name).
• Dawson Casting: Lou Diamond Phillips was 24 when he filmed La Bamba, and was, in fact, a few months older than Esai Morales, who played older half-brother Bob. Valens died before he turned 18. Danielle von Zemeck, who played Donna, was 21. Elizabeth Pena, who played Bob's wife (and Ritchie's ex) Rosie, was 27.
• Non-Singing Voice: Rock band Los Lobos performed all of Ritchie Valens's songs in the film.
• Race Lift: Lou Diamond Phillips is Filipino-American, but looked very much like Ritchie (except Ritchie had lighter hair and was slightly chubbier).
• Star-Making Role: For Lou Diamond Phillips.
• Underage Casting: Rosanna DeSoto, who played Richie and Bob's mother, was 36 at the time of filming, only 12 years older than the men who played her sons. At the time of Ritchie's death, his mother was 44.

• Phillips bonded with the Valenzuelas during production and, at one point, actually became Ritchie to them. This led to an incident where during the filming of Phillips (as Valens) boarding the plane for their ill-fated flight, Connie Lemos (Ritchie's real-life sister^note who was only 6 when Richie died) hysterically grabs Phillips screaming, "Don't go Ritchie! Please don't get on the plane! Why did you have to die?". Connie admitted on Behind the Music that she realized at that moment that she never fully accepted her brother's death.