# 1950's music question....

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1950s-music-question/240907>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 19, 2004, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1950s-music-question/240907 "2004-04-19T22:22:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![chefIL11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chefIL11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chefIL11)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1950s-music-question/240907/1 "2004-04-19T22:22:46Z")

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Who was the most popular Chicano rock artist of the 1950’s? What are this artists influences culturally and musically?

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**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1950s-music-question/240907/2 "2004-04-19T22:54:13Z")

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I would guess [Richie Valens](http://www.rockabillyhall.com/RitchieValens.html).

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**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1950s-music-question/240907/3 "2004-04-19T23:18:31Z")

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Since he died so early, he only had a limited amount of material with which to influence others. But I imagine that acts such as Chan Romero and (obviously) Los Lobos would name him as an influence.

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**Author:** ![Susanann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@Susanann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susanann)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1950s-music-question/240907/4 "2004-04-20T01:53:04Z")

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> [@Biffy the Elephant Shrew](#):
>
> I would guess [Richie Valens](http://www.rockabillyhall.com/RitchieValens.html).

It cant be valens, he was only around a few months and then he died. What about Johnny Mathis, Triney Lopez, Chris Montez, Sal Mineo?

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**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1950s-music-question/240907/5 "2004-04-20T02:02:39Z")

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Richie Valens hands down. He may have been around only a short time, but he had _HITS!_ (Donna, LaBamba, Turkish Girl, Seagulls Over the Sea, etc.)  
Harry Belafonte would be second.

Johnny Mathis wasn’t recognized as Chicano, Sal Mineo was…Italian? Trini Lopez I don’t think was '50’s.