Editor’s Note: Earlier this year, Joshua Josué shared reimagined unfinished songs of Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens via his latest album, Broadcast to the Surf Ballroom. You can learn more about the excellent final result in our album preview.
Prior to his vinyl album release show on May 15th in Eugene, Oregon, and May 16th in Portland, Oregon, Josué shared an exclusive Artist Essay he wrote that delves deeper into what led him to this project.
The idea of recording some of the unfinished demos that rock n roll legends Ritchie Valens and Buddy Holly left behind after their tragic deaths in that 1959 plane crash had always been on my mind. I learned to play guitar by listening to their recordings; their songs were my blueprint as I began to craft my own songs as a teenage songwriter, and for most of my life, I have collected any and all of their obscure recordings.
As a teenager, I would listen to side 2 of Ritchie Valens in Concert at Pacoima Jr. High, with Ritchie’s producer and manager, Bob Keene, preceding the last track of the album by saying, “…now here is the final song on the album, a perfect cross section of the great Ritchie Valens playing the songs he would have made famous had he lived.” Those words would echo in my mind.
Years passed; high school became a distant memory that I was all too happy to leave behind and did my best to forget. I began to spend the next years of my life becoming a songwriter in my own right, touring with bands, traveling solo through Mexico and other Latin American countries on my motorcycle, and playing music wherever the opportunity presented itself. I was just as happy to play as a solo artist as I was to front a band or fill in as a hired gun on guitar or bass.
Ritchie Valens and Buddy Holly have kept me good company through my years of travels and countless shows. When in doubt on how to approach a musical project, I go back to my beginnings, the foundation of songwriting—that place where Buddy and Ritchie crafted a framework for the generations that followed.
Last year, as I was revisiting some of their early tracks, those words from Bob Keene began to echo in my mind again: “…playing the songs he would have made famous had he lived.” One can’t help but wonder what could have been.
I titled this project Broadcast to the Surf Ballroom as it is my letter—or broadcast, if you will—to the venue where Ritchie, Buddy, and The Big Bopper played their final concert, and I chose that final demo track from Ritchie Valens in Concert at Pacoima Jr. High, titled “Let’s Rock N Roll,” as the first song on this new album.
Created with absolute respect and reverence for Ritchie, Buddy, and all of the people who love and hold their music dear, I hope this album will find a place in the hearts of those who love rock n roll and will help quiet the voice of Bob Keene that echoes in my mind.
You can follow and listen to Joshua Josué in the author box links below the photos.
Joshua Josué
Contributor
Joshua Josué is a rising bilingual singer-songwriter and performer blending Latin soul, R&B, and pop with heart-centered storytelling. A native of Eugene, OR and Los Angeles, CA, Joshua has captivated audiences across the U.S. with his emotionally-charged performances and versatile vocal range. From headlining shows to sharing the stage with artists like Metalachi, Old 97’s, and Teddy Thompson, Joshua brings an electric presence and deep authenticity to every show.
