Please someone help me understand this.... - La Bamba (1987) Discussion

[–] thefantomprheak 20 years ago

He needed some rest cause he was sick, and they needed some time between shows to do laundry.

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[–] Louis275 19 years ago

In the movie Ritchie was sick but in real life he was fine. I myself is afraid to fly and I can tell you no matter how sick I was I'd say "Here buddy take my seat on the plane". I'd much rather die of pnumonia than in a plane crash.

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[–] 19 years ago

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[–] Jamer218 19 years ago

i think that is something that noone will ever know, considering the fact that all the parties involved are dead.....

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[–] kman1020 19 years ago

That is not 100% accurate. According to an interview with Ritchie's brother Bob, one of the only ones he ever gave, he could barely understand Ritchie because of his cold. Both the Bopper and Ritchie contracted the flu and needed to get off the bus. It is true Ritchie was afraid of flying, but he had flown a few times before and probably felt that a warm bed, clean clothes, and a chance to rest comfortably took presence than freezing. Anyhow, like you said, we probably will never really know the whole truth.

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[–] BethH24 15 years ago

I wondered about that too. As others have said, we will never know why though.

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[–] Lifeguardfan 15 years ago

Where are you getting your information? According to Ritchie Valens' official website, Ritchie was not terrified of flying. Quote from the FAQ section:

Was Ritchie afraid to fly?

No, it was not an obsession for Ritchie. In the 1950's flying was not as common as it is today. Everyone was a little nervous in a plane.

Source: http://www.ritchievalens.com/faqs.html

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[–] 15 years ago

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[–] texasturkey 14 years ago

Actually, Ritchie wasn't sick. The only Band member that was sick was the Big Bopper. He had a bad cold and begged Waylon Jennings for his seat. Ritchie was shown having a cold to add drama to the film. It is listed under factual errors on this IMDB website and page.

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[–] gretschguy66 15 years ago

Waylon Jennings was NOT in Ritchie's band. He was playing bass for Buddy. However he did state that both performers were ill. Bob Morales confirmed this to me in Feb 2009, at the Surf Ballroom at the 50th anniversary of the last performance. Also Tommy Alsup (who actually flipped the coin with Ritchie) stated that both performers wanted to try and find a Doctor to get a flu shot. The coin toss occured at the Surf, and not the airport.

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[–] reality_bites77 15 years ago

According to Wiki, the conditions on the tour bus were horrible- one person was hospitalized for frost bite. So I could see wanting to get quickly out of the cold, esp. if he was really sick. And he had flown several times before, so it's not like it was his first time.

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[–] jporter-6 15 years ago

The fictional reason was to tie together the theme that Ritchie was afraid to fly and the irony of him dying in a plane crash. Another question asked in these threads was whether or not Ritchie was really afraid to fly and whether he dreamed of an airplane crash killing his friend. Who knows? It is a question that may be settled by the Valenzuela family.

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[–] SFlaDavid 15 years ago

According to the website his family maintains, he wasn't all that afraid to fly.
http://www.ritchievalens.com/faqs.html

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[–] 15 years ago

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[–] jefgg 12 years ago

Did flipping a coin for a seat on the plane really happen? It was a movie, not a documentary.

I HATE to fly, but do it when necessary.

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[–] TheGraveLittleToaster 12 years ago

Yes. Waylon Jennings "lost" at which Buddy Holly joked "I hope your bus freezes up". Jennings replied "I hope your plane crashes".

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[–] utkamb 12 years ago

Yep, I can't find it now, but I remember reading an interview with Jennings a few years ago where he opened up about it. I think he said I hope your bus breaks down, which prompted the other.

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[–] trigger-22 10 years ago

The infamous coin flip was between Ritchie Valens and Tommy Allsup. Waylon Jennings voluntarily gave up his seat to the Big Bopper and there was no coin flip involved between these two.

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