Selena

Selena Quintanilla-Pérez (April 16, 1971 – March 31, 1995), known mononymously as Selena, 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.

Selena Quintanilla was born on April 16, 1971, in Lake Jackson, Texas.

She was the youngest child of Marcella Ofelia Quintanilla (née Samora), who had Cherokee ancestry, and Abraham Quintanilla Jr.., a Mexican American former musician.

The obstetrician-gynecologist at her birth was future House of Representatives member Ron Paul.

Selena was raised as a Jehovah's Witness.

Quintanilla Jr. noticed her musical abilities when she was six years old.

He told People magazine, "Her timing, her pitch were perfect, I could see it from day one".

In the 1980s, she was often criticized and was refused bookings at venues across Texas for performing Tejano music—a male-dominated music genre.

In 1980, Quintanilla Jr. opened his first Tex-Mex restaurant in Lake Jackson, Papa Gayo's, where Selena and her siblings Abraham III (on bass guitar) and Suzette Quintanilla (on drums) would often perform.

The following year, the restaurant was forced to close after a recession caused by the 1980s oil glut.

The family declared bankruptcy and were evicted from their home.

They settled in Corpus Christi, Texas; Quintanilla Jr. became manager of the newly formed band Selena y Los Dinos and began promoting it.

They needed the money and played on street corners, weddings, quinceañeras, and fairs.

As her popularity as a singer grew, the demands of Selena's performance and travel schedule began to interfere with her education.

Her father took her out of school when she was in the eighth grade.

Her teacher Marilyn Greer disapproved of Selena's musical career.

She threatened to report Quintanilla Jr. to the Texas Board of Education, believing the conditions to which Selena was exposed were inappropriate for a girl her age.

Quintanilla Jr. told Greer to "mind her business".

Other teachers expressed their concerns when they noticed how tired Selena appeared when she arrived at school.

However, her popularity grew after she won the Tejano Music Award for Female Vocalist of the Year in 1987, which she won nine consecutive times.

She signed with EMI Latin in 1989 and released her self-titled debut album the same year, while her brother became her principal music producer and songwriter.

Selena released Entre a Mi Mundo (1992), which peaked at number one on the US Billboard Regional Mexican Albums chart for eight consecutive months.

The album's commercial success led music critics to call it the "breakthrough" recording of her musical career.

One of its singles, "Como la Flor", became one of her most popular signature songs.

Live! (1993) won Best Mexican/American Album at the 1994 Grammy Awards, becoming the first recording by a female Tejano artist to do so.

In 1994, she released Amor Prohibido, which became one of the best-selling Latin albums in the United States.

It was critically acclaimed as being responsible for Tejano music's first marketable era as it became one of the most popular Latin music subgenres at the time.

Selena was shot and killed on March 31, 1995, by Yolanda Saldívar, her friend and the former manager of her Selena Etc. boutiques.

Saldívar was cornered by police when she attempted to flee and threatened to kill herself but was convinced to give herself up.

She was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison with possible parole after 30 years.

Two weeks later, George W. Bush, then-governor of Texas, declared April 16 as Selena Day in Texas.

Her posthumous crossover album, Dreaming of You (1995), debuted atop the Billboard 200, making Selena the first Latin artist to accomplish this feat.

In 1997, Warner Bros. released Selena, a film about her life and career, which starred a then-unknown Jennifer Lopez as Selena, catapulting Lopez into fame.

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 genre into the mainstream market.

The youngest child of the Quintanilla family, she debuted on the music scene as a member of the band Selena y Los Dinos, which also included her elder siblings A.B. Quintanilla and Suzette Quintanilla.

In 2020, Netflix released Selena: The Series starring Christian Serratos.

Selena has sold around 18 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling female artists in Latin music.