The real Rosie from “La Bamba,” Rosie Morales, faced a difficult life after the death of her husband, Ritchie Valens. She struggled with the loss and later remarried, but she passed away in 2018.
Rosie Morales, whose maiden name was Rosanna DeSoto, was the girlfriend and later the wife of Ritchie Valens, the famous rock and roll star who tragically died in a plane crash in 1959 alongside Buddy Holly and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson. The movie “La Bamba,” released in 1987, tells the story of Valens’s life and career, with Rosie being portrayed by Elizabeth Peña.
After Valens’s death, Rosie was left to cope with the immense grief of losing her partner at such a young age. The loss had a profound impact on her life, and she eventually remarried. Despite the hardships she faced, Rosie tried to keep the memory of Ritchie alive and was involved in various events commemorating his legacy.
Rosie’s later years were spent away from the public eye, and she maintained a private life. She passed away on December 3, 2018, at the age of 72. Her death was not widely publicized, and details about her later life are relatively scarce. Rosie’s story, as depicted in “La Bamba,” remains a poignant reminder of the personal tragedies behind the music industry’s glamorous facade.