[4] Born as David Spencer in Ynysddu, Monmouthshire, Wales, the eldest of seven children,[3] he sang in his church choir and worked in a coal mine and a factory before joining the RAF at the age of 17.
[7] At his first recording session, Paramor suggested that Valance cover Ray Peterson's American hit, "Tell Laura I Love Her", co-written by Jeff Barry.
[10] The BBC refused to play teenage tragedy songs like "Tell Laura I Love Her", but, thanks to airplay on Radio Luxembourg, Valance was rewarded with a number 1 hit in September 1960.
[13] While Valance continued to have some international success, changes in musical taste in the mid 1960s resulted in the ending of his Columbia contract.
Later, he continued to perform, when living in Spain, and hosted a local golf-based chat show on television, Play a Round with Ricky.
[2] Valance lived in Cabo Roig on the outskirts of Torrevieja on the Costa Blanca in Spain, where he performed regularly.