Selena’s Early Debut
Selena Quintanilla was born on April 16, 1971, in Lake Jackson, Texas, and at the age of 6 she was already a talented singer.
“His timing, his speech was perfect,” Selena’s father, Abraham Quintanilla, told PEOPLE in 1995. “I could see that from day one.”
Selena started performing at her family’s restaurant, Papagayo’s, at a young age. It wasn’t long before his father decided to reunite his three children and create a new iteration of Los Diños, a band he had previously recorded with.
That’s when Selena y Los Diños was born, consisting of Selena, sister Suzette on drums and brother AB on bass.
In 1981, when the family lost their restaurant and home amid a state recession, they took their bands on the road, playing at weddings, quinceañeras, and nightclubs.
“That’s when we started our music career,” Selena recalled in 1992. “We had no other alternative.”
Selena at the Tejano Music Awards
Just 15 years old, Selena won the first female vocalist of the year award at the Tejano Music Awards in 1986. year awards.
Selena and Los Dinos
While the group began as a family business, the group later acquired other musicians such as Chris Pérez, Ricky Vela, Joe Ojtaeda, and Pete Astudillo, as well as other musicians who joined at various times during their tenure.
Pérez shared this photo on Instagram as a tribute to her time in the group, saying, “What more can be said about this collection of musicians? We had so much fun living the dream together when this photo was taken! Thank you! To all of Selena’s fans for keeping her memory and legacy alive! GOOD! TIMES!”
Selena’s First Solo Album
After releasing numerous albums with Selena y Los Diños, Selena signed with EMI Latin in 1989 and released her self-titled album on October 17, 1989. She released five popular studio albums between 1989 and 1995.
Nicknamed the “Queen of Tejano Music” or the “Tex-Mex Madonna,” Selena would go on to become one of the best-selling female Latino artists ever (more than 65 million sold worldwide). Billboard).
Many of her songs were written by her sister AB and had to be learned phonetically as Selena’s first language was English, and she didn’t actually start taking Spanish lessons until the early 1990s.
Selena and Chris Perez
After Chris Pérez joined Selena y Los Diños as a guitarist, the two fell in love, even though his father disapproved. Upon learning that the two were secretly meeting, she kicked Pérez out of the group, but Selena insisted she go back to the ship.
When the couple eloped in 1992, the singer officially took her name and became Selena Quintanilla-Pérez.
In January 2023, Pérez, who often honored his late wife on social media, shared the photo on Instagram, saying, “Well, I just found this picture. Two children … trying to find their way. They are about to turn 23 and 24.”
“I can’t remember who took it… I think this was in Florida???” he continued. Good times were spent, no doubt!”
Selena On The Show In 1993
Selena’s star continued to shine through the late 1980s and early 1990s, and was even chosen by Coca-Cola as the brand’s spokesperson in 1989.
Here she is seen wearing one of her signature dazzling bustiers at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in February 1993.
Selena Releases ‘Amor Prohibido’
In 1994, Selena was released. Love Ban, It became one of the best-selling Latin albums in the United States.
Here, she saw him performing in Corpus Christi, Texas, that same year.
Selena at the Grammy Awards in New York
On March 1, 1994, Selena received the Grammy Award for best Mexican-American album for her 1993 live album. Live!
The following year, it was nominated for best Mexican-American performance. Love Ban, but Vikki Carr took the award home that year.
Selena Opens Her Own Boutique
In addition to her burgeoning music career, Selena joined Selena Etc.
Selena at the Hard Rock Cafe
In 1995, just months before her death, Selena performed at the opening of the Hard Rock Cafe in San Antonio, Texas.
Selena at the 1995 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
On February 26, 1995, Selena visited the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and performed in her iconic sparkly purple suit.
Selena’s Latest Performance
Selena took the stage in a horse-drawn carriage and kicked off the set with various disco tunes like “I Will Survive” and “Funkytown” followed by some of her biggest hits like “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” and “Si”. Una Vez” and “Como La Flor.”
The show would be the singer’s last performance before his tragic death just over a month later.
Selena’s Enduring Legacy
On March 31, 1995, Selena, then just 23 years old, went to confront former fan club president Yolanda Saldívar at the Days Inn motel in Corpus Christi, Texas, as Selena and her family became suspicious. she was embezzling after she rested to help her manage her boutiques.
Saldívar shot Selena in the back shortly after she arrived and was pronounced dead in hospital about an hour later.
Selena was working on her highly anticipated English album at the time of her death. I am dreaming of you. The project was released posthumously and debuted at #1. Billboard It hit the 200 chart on August 4, 1995 and remained on the chart for 49 weeks.
“Breaking the British record was always the next big goal for him,” Pérez said. “I felt like we had to finish it.”
In 2021, Selena was awarded the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards.
“Selena’s life was short-lived, but her fans have carried her through the years and her legacy is passed down from generation to generation,” her father told PEOPLE. “That in itself is incredible.”