Single:
Donna entered the Australian singles chart* on 7 March 1959 and peaked at #4. The song was #45 on the Top 100 of 1959.
Album:
The song is on the 1959 album Ritchie Valens.
Songwriter:
Ritchie Valens
Producer:
Robert Keane
Record label of Australian release:
London
*Kent Music Report / Australian Chart Book. See About.
Songfacts:
Ritchie Valens wrote this song about his girlfriend, Donna Ludwig. They were both high school students and started dating in 1957 after meeting at a party where Valens was playing. They stayed together until Valens died in the plane crash that also killed Buddy Holly in February 1959.
17-year-old Ritchie recorded this in Los Angeles.
According to Donna Ludwig (who later became Donna Fox), Valens told her that he was writing a song about her, but the first time she heard it was on the radio in her car. Her girlfriends went justifiably crazy and got even more excited when the DJ played it again.
Read more: www.songfacts.com/facts/ritchie-valens/donna
Lyrics:
Oh, Donna
Oh, Donna
Oh, Donna
Oh, Donna
I had a girl
Donna was her name
Since she left me
I’ve never been the same
Click for full lyrics
Find more songs to enjoy: Bang a Gong song finder
New to Bang a Gong? Click HERE to learn more about us.