Selena(1971-1995)
- Music Artist
- Actress
- Music Department
Selena was born in Lake Jackson, Texas, 50 miles southeast of Houston, to
Abraham Quintanilla Jr. and
Marcella Quintanilla. Abraham
opened a Mexican restaurant, Papagayo, in Lake Jackson. Selena was
9 years old when her father discovered her talent for singing. He
formed a band consisting of Selena on vocals, her brother
A.B. Quintanilla on bass, and her
sister Suzette Quintanilla on drums.
The group, called Los Dinos after a band
Abraham was a member of in the 1950s and 1960s, frequently performed at
the restaurant. In 1981, the family moved to Corpus Christi where
Abraham started booking his band for weddings and parties. This
became their way of life. Selena and Los Dinos' big break came in 1987,
when 15-year-old Selena won the Tejano Music Award for Female
Entertainer of the Year. That award led Selena to a major record-label
contract with Capitol Records and six very successful albums. By 1992,
Selena had branched out and launched her clothing line and married her
guitarist, Chris Pérez. In 1994, she was nominated and won her
first Grammy for Best Mexican-American album, "Selena Live!" That year,
she opened her first boutique in Corpus Christi, Texas. On March 31,
1995, Selena was murdered by Yolanda Saldivar, her friend and
president of her fan club.