According to Distractify, “Donna” is dedicated to Valens’ high school sweetheart, Donna Ludwig. The couple met in 1957 at a party where Valens was playing (via Ritchie Valens). Ludwig’s parents reportedly did not approve of the relationship, as she was white and Valens was Hispanic. Nonetheless, the relationship would continue for over two years as she would “regularly” sneak out of her bedroom window to see him.
Released in 1959, Valens had told Ludwig that he had written a song for her. She, however, did not think he would record it. Per The Washington Post, Ludwig heard the song on the radio for the first time while she was driving with friends. After Valens dropped out of school to pursue music, Ludwig said that they had an “arrangement.” They would date other people, except when he was back in town. A few months later, Valens died.
Years later, Ludwig stated that she “can’t say [she] loved him” because she was only a child when their brief romance occurred. Nonetheless, the death “devastated” the 16-year-old. Shortly after, Ludwig’s father reportedly made her record two songs to capitalize on his death. She never forgave him and stopped speaking to him. In 1987, it was reported that she was living in Sacramento with her third husband.
