Valens wrote this about his girlfriend, Donna Ludwig. They were both high school students at San Fernando High, 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 on February 3, 1959. Valens won a coin toss to get a seat on the plane, beating Tommy Allsup, who was a member of Holly's band.
A 17-year-old Ritchie Valens recorded this in Los Angeles just a few months before his death. His first recordings came in May 1958, resulting in his first single, "Come On, Let's Go," which made #42 US in November. "Donna" became his breakout hit, entering the charts on December 15, 1958 and peaking at #2 on February 23, 1959.
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.
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