Selena Quintanilla

At the age of 23, Selena Quintanilla, a well-liked Latin singer known as the “Queen of Tejano Music,” was murdered by the head of her fan club. From 1971 to 1995

Who Was Selena Quintanilla?

With albums like Amor Prohibitor and Live!, Selena Quintanilla, who made her recording debut in the 1980s, rose to prominence as a best-selling artist in the Latin music scene. She became the first female Tejano artist to win the Grammy for Best Mexican-American Album in 1994 for the latter. IN March 1995, just before her 24th birthday, Selena was tragically killed by her fan club president and business associate. Later that year, her album Dreaming of You became the first primarily Spanish-language album to top the Billboard 200 chart. IN a 1997 biopic, Jennifer Lopez played the late singer.

Early Life and Family

Born in Lake Jackson, Texas, on April 16, 1971, Selena Quintanilla is most commonly known by her stage name, Selena. Abraham Quintanilla Jr., Selena’s father, used to be a musician. Marcella Ofelia Samara, her mother, was a housewife. After having two older children, the couple went on to open a restaurant. In order to connect with the Latino community, Selena’s father taught her to sing in Spanish, even though she was raised speaking English. After initially learning the lyrics by phone, she eventually became fluent in Spanish. She started performing when she was young. Selena took the lead vocals in Selena Y Los Dynos, her family’s band, when she was ten years old. In their home state of Texas, the musical group began performing at clubs and weddings. Abraham oversaw and generated. Selena Quintanilla

Selena y Los Dinos Albums

As Selena Y Los Dinos, the Quintanilla family recorded seven albums with Selena as the lead singer. The majority were released by independent labels. Manny Guerra of G.P. Productions, a Tejano music specialist, produced Alpha and And the Winner Is. Selena gained recognition in the Latin music industry thanks to Dulce Amor, which featured original songs written by her brother. These are the seven albums: My First Grabations (1984) (1985) The New Girl in Town Alpha (1986) Trapo Muñequito (1986) Furthermore, the winner is… (1987) Preciosa (1988) Dulce Amor (1988). Selena Quintanilla

Solo Career: Albums, Songs, and Grammy

José Behar, a music executive who had recently opened EMI Records’ Latin division, saw Selena perform at the 1989 Tejano Music Awards. He signed Selena to the EMI label as a solo artist shortly after the performance. That year, she released her album of the same name. Many of her songs were written and produced by her brother, A.B., who went on to form the Kumbia Kings and Kumbia All Starz. Selena put out five studio albums and one live album between 1989 and 1995. Her family supported a new album in 2022 that included previously unreleased recordings. The “Queen of Tejano” continues to be one of the best-selling female Latin artists with over 65 million albums sold. 12 Super Exitos is one of Selena’s well-known compilation albums. Selena Quintanilla

Popular Songs

Seven of Selena’s songs peaked at number one on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart, and 14 more were in the top ten. “Tu Solo Tu” topped the charts for ten weeks, while “Amor Prohibido” led for nine. Other Selena hits that reached No. 1 on the Hot Latin Songs chart include “No Me Queda Mas,” “Fotos Y Recuerdos,” and “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom.” Her iconic song “Dreaming of You” peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100. Additional favorites like “Como La Flor,” “Baila Esta Cumbia,” “La Carcacha,” “El Chico del Apartamento 512,” “I Could Fall In Love,” and “Siempre Hace Frio” are also among her best-known songs. Selena Quintanilla

Grammy and Other Awards

Selena was the winner of both Performer of the Year and Best Female Vocalist of the Year at the 1987 Tejano Music Awards. Because of her sensual attire and dancing skills, she was occasionally referred to as the “Mexican Madonna.” Eventually, people outside of Tejano music fans began to notice her abilities. Selena’s album Live! earned her a Grammy in 1993 for Best Mexican-American Album. At the 2021 Grammy Awards, she received the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously.

Latin Music Icon: Spokesperson, Boutique Owner, and Actor

Choosing Selena as a spokesperson for Coca-Cola in 1989 was based on her wide appeal to Latin audiences. Her appearance in Coke advertisements was a first for the marketing industry: a demographic-focused advertisement. In 1994, Selena opened two boutiques called Selena Etc., where she sold her signature jewelry and clothing line, further establishing her personal brand outside of her music career. San Antonio and Corpus Christi, Texas, were the locations of the stores. In addition, she had a brief acting career. She sang mariachi in the 1995 film Don Juan DeMarco, which also starred Johnny Depp. Selena Quintanilla

Husband

Chris Perez, seen here in 2016, was married to Selena for three years.

On April 2, 1992, Sna wed Chris Pérez. When Pérez became the lead guitarist for Selena’s band in 1990, the two started dating covertly. Before Selena was murdered in 1995, they had been married for almost three years. To Selena, With Love, a book Pérez wrote about his relationship with Selena, was released in 2012. He intended to adapt the book into a television show. In 2016, Abraham sued Pérez for violating an estate contract signed after Selena’s death, granting him lifelong rights to her name, voice, photos, and story. After Pérez’s appeal was denied in late 2018, both parties dropped the case in May 2019.

Death: Murder Details and Killer

On March 31, 1995, Yolanda Saldívar shot and killed Selena in Corpus Christi, Texas. Her age was 23. The Latino community was shocked by Selena’s murder, and her admirers around the globe lamented the singer’s death. Saldívar urged Abraham to start a fan club for his daughter after seeing one of Selena’s shows. In addition to being the club’s president, the former nurse had been running Selena’s San Antonio boutique.

Movie and Netflix Series

The 1997 film Selena, starring Jennifer Lopez as the Tejano superstar and Edward James Olmos as her father, was based on Selena’s life story. Lopez received a Golden Globe nomination for her performance and became the first Latina actor to earn $1 million for a film role. To commemorate its 25th anniversary, the film was re-released in theaters in April 2022. A few decades later, Netflix revealed that the Quintanilla family would be executive producing a scripted series about the singer’s life. In December 2020, Christian Serratos from The Walking Dead made his television debut in Selena: The Series.

Legacy

Chris Perez, A.B. Quintanilla III, Suzette Quintanilla, Marcella Samora, and Abraham Quintanilla Jr. attend the 2017 ceremony unveiling Selena’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

With posthumous honors, honorary holidays, a museum, and even a college course, Selena’s music and image have endured over the years. George W. Bush, the governor of Texas at the time, proclaimed the singer’s birthday, April 16, 1995, to be “Selena Day,” two weeks after her passing. The Quintanilla family established the Selena Museum in Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1998 to commemorate Selena’s life and legacy. On exhibit are a number of the deceased performer’s personal belongings, including her tour bus, red Porsche, recording studio replica, awards and memorabilia, and clothing. In November 2017, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as a posthumous tribute. As part of her tribute that year, reality star Kim Kardashian also donned the Tejano singer’s outfit. Selena Quintanilla

Quotes

• People dislike it when you try to project an attitude while being a big-time star. Declaring oneself a star is akin to declaring oneself a freak. It wasn’t until I was older, around the age of 15, and I was truly winning the awards, that I even began to take this seriously. You don’t expect love to hit you when it does. Since every day is different, I’m not one to say that this is where I want to be in five years. Even if you plan a whole day, nothing will turn out as you had hoped. I know that the public will respect me if I treat them with respect while I’m singing. It is apparent. Putting on the bras