Selena Quintanilla Perez: The Life and Death of a Tejano Star

Born: 16 April 1971
Birthplace: Lake Jackson, Texas
Died: 31 March 1995 (shot to death)
Best Known As: The 'Queen of Tejano'

Name at birth: Selena Quintanilla

Until her untimely death at age 23, Selena was the sexy and charismatic 'Queen of Tejano.' (Tejano music is a South Texas creation which uses guitars and accordions to blend Mexican musical styles with European polkas and waltzes.) Selena was raised in Corpus Christi, Texas, and before she turned 10 she was already fronting the family band, Los Dinos. Their 1989 album Selena y Los Dinos put them on the map, and the 1992 album Entre a Mi Mundo (Enter My World) went gold. Still unknown in much of America, Selena became a star in Mexico and Latin America, known both for her Spanish-language hits and her wholesome sex appeal. A fashion plate who liked to design her own clothes, Selena favored snug pants and midriff-baring bustiers that earned her the nickname "the Mexican Madonna." Selena Live! (1993) won a Grammy as best Mexican-American album, and Amor Prohibido (Forbidden Love, 1994) was another hit.

In 1995 Selena began recording her first English-language album, Dreaming of You, and seemed poised to cross over to mainstream success. But on 31 March that year she was shot and killed at a Days Inn hotel in Corpus Christi. The shooter was Yolanda Saldivar, the founder of the Selena fan club and manager of Selena's clothing boutiques, who apparently realized she was about to be fired for embezzling money from the singer. Saldivar was sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum of 30 years. Selena was played by Jennifer Lopez in the 1997 film Selena. A greatest hits album, Ones, was released in 2002.

Selena married Christopher Perez, a guitarist in her band, on 2 April 1992... She had a small role as a mariachi singer in the Johnny Depp film Don Juan DeMarco, which was released just a week after her death in 1995... According the Houston Chronicle, the name Los Dinos "was taken from the Italian slang word for los muchachos, the boys"... Yolanda Saldivar's first opportunity for parole will be in the year 2025, coincidentally the same year of release as Arthur Bremer, who shot George Wallace... In 2002, with the approval of her family, the revolver used to shoot Selena was cut into pieces and scattered in Corpus Christi Bay.

-From Answers.com

05/21/95

In life, she was the queen of Tejano music. In death, the 23-year-old singer is becoming a legend
By RICK MITCHELL
Copyright 1995 Houston Chronicle

Abraham Quintanilla tried to remember his daughter as she'd looked the last time he saw her, just the day before.

Selena Quintanilla-Perez was a full-grown woman of 23, a budding superstar who dreamed of raising a big family with her guitarist/husband once her music career settled down. She had a smile that could torch up the night, and a figure that turned heads wherever she went.

But the only image that would come into focus in Abraham's mind was that of an 8-year-old girl, standing nervously behind the microphone at the family restaurant in Lake Jackson.

Even back then, Abraham had been convinced that Selena was destined to become a star. A former musician himself, he recognized the rare power and precise pitch in her voice.

He had staked everything on her talent. From the band's early years traveling the South Texas back roads in an old, beat-up van with a foldout bed in the back, to playing for 60,000 rodeo fans in the Astrodome, Selena had become the biggest star in Tejano music. She was a household name in Mexico and much of Latin America and was on the verge of an unprecedented breakthrough to the English-speaking pop audience.

Now, through a tragic turn of events, the dream Abraham had shared with his wife, Marcela, and their three children had been shattered.

That morning, Selena had failed to show up at Q Productions studio. It wasn't unusual for her to be late. Perpetual tardiness was part of her charm.

But on this particular Friday morning, it was surprising that Selena hadn't at least called. She had a 10 a.m. appointment with her older brother, A.B., and sister, Suzette, to cut the vocal tracks for a demo tape of a new song A.B. had written. Selena also was midway through the recording of her first crossover album, with lyrics in English. The album was coming together slowly because of her hectic schedule.

Read the rest here.

Abraham Quintanilla built a museum to honor his daughter, Selena and provide her fans a place to visit. The museum showcases the beautiful dresses designed and worn by Selena, her candy-apple red Porsche, and other personal memorabilia.

5410 Leopard St.
Corpus Christi, TX 78408
Phone: (361) 289-9013

Here are links to photos of the Selena Museum in Corpus Christi. There is a $1 dollar donation required to enter the museum that goes to the Selena Foundation.

Pictures of the Museum from Q-Productions, Selena's Record Label
Even more images available from a fan site.

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