This page is for the real person. For the dramatization/character in the 2020 Netflix series, see Selena/Netflix series.
Biography | Selena Quintanilla Pérez (Spanish pronunciation: [seˈlena kintaˈniʝa ˈpeɾes]; April 16, 1971 – March 31, 1995) was an American singer. Referred to as the "Queen of Tejano music", her contributions to music and fashion made her one of the most celebrated Mexican-American entertainers of the late 20th century. In 2020 Billboard magazine put her in third place on their list of "Greatest Latino Artists of All Time", based on both Latin albums and Latin songs chart. Media outlets called her the "Tejano Madonna" for her clothing choices. She also ranks among the most influential Latin artists of all time and is credited for catapulting the Tejano (or "Tex-Mex") genre into the mainstream market.
Personal Life[]
Selena Quintanilla Pérez was born at the Freeport Community Hospital in Lake Jackson and grew up in Corpus Christi, where she began her musical career. Her father , Abraham Quintanilla Jr, was a singer with the original Selena y Los Dinos (formerly known as Los Dinos) and nurtured the burgeoning musical talent of his children. Selena, her brother A.B. Quintanilla III (bass), and their sister, Suzzette Quintanilla (drums), were a second generation of Los Dinos. Two other members who started in the band were Ricky Vela on keyboards and Roger Garcia on guitar.
Selena made her first public appearance at the Quintanilla's family restaurant, Papa Gayo's, in Lake Jackson at eight and recorded her first record at nine. Throughout her adolescence, Selena was constantly on tour. She finished high school by mail and lived most of her life on the tour bus "Big Bertha". She completed her education via correspondence courses. The singer signed with Capitol EMI's Latin division in 1989, and released the rest of her albums with the label, including 1994's hit album Amor Prohibido, which knocked Gloria Estefan's Mi Tierra off the number one spot.
Career[]
Chris Pérez was the electric guitarist in Los Dinos. A romance budded between Chrisiopher and Selena and the two married on April 2nd, 1992. Even as Selena's career skyrocketed, she remained very close to her family. In June of 1992, Chris and Selena moved into the house beside Selena's parents'.
On March 1 of 1994, Selena won a Grammy for Best Mexican-American Album from her 1993 first live album, Selena Live! .
She holds the record of drawing the largest concert crowd – over 67,000 fans – in the history of the Houston Astrodome, for her 1995 performance at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. It is erroneously believed that her largest crowd at the Astrodome was the 1993 concert. She drew over 64,000 fans and broke her attendance record all 3 times.
Selena's musical career was predominantly renowned for singing in her second language, Spanish. She grew up speaking English, but began recording her early Spanish hits phonetically to reach broader audiences.
Aside from her singing, Selena had a strong passion for fashion. Her official boutique named Selene Etc, Inc. Boutique & Salon opened in Corpus Christi and San Antonio during 1994. She also appeared as a cameo in the Johnny Depp film “Don Juan DeMarco” the same year.
Death[]
In January of 1995, Selena's father Abraham found evidence that Yolanda Saldívar, who had been the manager of Selena's fanclub since 1991, had managed to embezzle up to $60,000 from Selena's boutiques and the fanclub.
On March 31, 1995, Selena confronted Yolanda, where she was shot at a Days Inn Motel on Navigation Boulevard and later died at Corpus Christi Memorial Hospital.
Yolanda Saldívar tried to escape the scene in a car where a responding police officer spotted her, ordering her to pull over which she did. Ambulance transported Selena to Corpus Christi Memorial Hospital where they would perform surgery on her for 50 minutes. Selena ultimately could not be saved because of substantial blood loss and was pronounced dead at the age of 23 years old. Throughout that fateful day, Yolanda Saldívar was in a nine hour standoff with police.
Legacy[]
There is a museum to honor Selena, holding all of her awards, stage outfits, car, & records. A life-sized statue of Selena was built in Corpus Christi called “Mirador de La Flor”.fame.
The Selena Wikipedia logo
On April 12, 1995, George W. Bush, then the Governor of Texas, declared April 16 to be "Selena Day". [1]
Since its creation on April 2011, Selena Quintanilla seeks to attract fans and other volunteers to help this website to become one of the largest and informative Selena sites on the internet.
Discography[]
- Selena y Los Dinos (album) (1984)
- The New Girl in Town (1985)
- Alpha (1986)
- Munequito De Trapo (1987)
- And The Winner Is... (1987)
- Preciosa (1988)
- Dulce Amor (1988)
- Selena (1989)
- Ven Conmigo (1990)
- Entre A Mi Mundo (1992)
- Selena Live! (1993)
- Amor Prohibido (1994)
- Dreaming of You (1995)
Film and television[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Dos mujeres, un camino | Herself | 2 episodes |
| 1995 | Sábado gigante | Herself | Guest |
| 1995 | Latin Nights | Herself | TV documentary |
| 1995 | Don Juan DeMarco | Mariachi singer | Minor role/cameo appearance (posthumous release) |
Portrayals in Media[]
1997 film[]
In the 1997 film Selena, Selena is portrayed by Jennifer Lopez.
Selena: The Series
2020 Netflix series[]
- Main article: Selena/Netflix series
In the 2020 Netflix series Selena: The Series, Selena is portrayed by Christian Serratos as an adult, and by Madison Taylor Baez as a young girl.
"Selena" movie released in 1997, just 2 years after the singer's death.
Gallery[]
-Frontal.jpg "Selena-Amor Prohibido (CD Single)-Frontal.jpg (218 KB)")
.jpg "Costumbres (CD Single).jpg (185 KB)")
-Frontal.jpg "Selena-Bidi Bidi Bom Bom (CD Single)-Frontal.jpg (128 KB)")
External links[]
- Facebook profile
- Twitter profile
- Instagram profile
- TikTok profile
- YouTube profile
- Selenaforever.com fansite
- Selena at Todomusica.org