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| Birth Name(s) : Selena Quintanilla[1] |
Date of Birth: N/A |
| Status:
Single
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Partner:
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| Profession:
N/A |
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Full Selena Biography
Selena attained further notability in North America after Yolanda Saldívar, the president of her fan club, murdered her at the age of 23. On April 12, 1995, two weeks after her death, George W. Bush, then the governor of Texas, declared her birthday "Selena Day" in Texas. Warner Brothers made a film based on her life starring Jennifer Lopez in 1997. As of June 2006, Selena was commemorated with a museum and a bronze life-sized statue (Mirador de la Flor in Corpus Christi, Texas). Both the statue and museum are visited by hundreds of fans each week.
In 1988, Selena met Chris Perez, who had his own band. Two years later, the Quintanilla family hired him to play in Selena's band and they quickly fell in love. At first her father didn't approve of the relationship between Perez and Selena, and went as far as firing Perez from the band. He eventually came to accept the relationship, telling Selena that Perez could come back only if they married and moved next door to the family home. Selena accepted, and on April 2, 1992 Selena and Perez married in Nueces County, Texas, and Selena added her new husband's surname to her own.
In 1990 Selena released another album, Ven Conmigo, written by her main songwriter and brother Abraham Quintanilla, III. This recording was the first Tejano album ever to achieve gold status. Around the same time, a registered nurse and fan named Yolanda Saldívar approached Selena's father with the idea of starting a fan club. Her wish was granted, and she became the club's president; later she would become the manager of Selena's clothing boutiques. Selena released another hit album in 1992, Entre A Mi Mundo, which also achieved gold status. Songs from that album, such as "Como La Flor", helped make Selena a star. Her 1993 Live album won a Grammy award for Best Mexican-American Performance.
By fall of 1994, Amor Prohibido was a commercial success in Mexico and made four number-one Latin hits, replacing Gloria Estefan's "Mi Tierra" on the chart's number one spot. It sold over 400,000 copies by March of 1995, reaching gold status. At this point, Selena developed plans to record an English-language album, but continued to tour for Amor Prohibido while beginning preparations for the album.
One of Selena's English songs, "Dreaming of You peaked at #21 in the Billboard charts. 34 second sample.
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Selena's death devastated and saddened Latinos and non-Latinos alike across the United States and abroad. Major networks interrupted their regular programming to break the news; Tom Brokaw referred to Selena as "The Mexican Madonna". Numerous vigils and memorials were held in her honor, and radio stations in Texas played her music non-stop. Her funeral drew approximately 60,000 mourners, many of whom traveled from outside the United States. Among the celebrities who were reported to have immediately phoned the Quintanilla family to express their condolences were Gloria Estefan, Julio Iglesias and Madonna. The magazine People published a commemorative issue in honor of Selena's memory and musical career, titled Selena 1971–1995, Her Life in Pictures. A few days afterwards, Howard Stern mocked Selena's murder and burial, poked fun at her mourners, and criticized her music. Stern said, "This music does absolutely nothing for me. Alvin and the Chipmunks have more soul… Spanish people have the worst taste in music. They have no depth." Stern's comments outraged and infuriated the Hispanic community all across Texas. Two weeks after her death, on April 12, George W. Bush, then Governor of Texas, declared Selena's birthday April 16 as "Selena Day" in Texas.
In October 1995, a Houston jury convicted Saldívar of first-degree murder and sentenced her to life in prison, with the possibility of parole in thirty years. The gun used to kill Selena was later destroyed and the pieces thrown into Corpus Christi Bay.
In 1997, Jennifer Lopez played Selena in a film about her life. Directed by Gregory Nava, the biopic opened with mostly positive reviews. Over 12,000 people auditioned for a role in the film. The film stirred some controversy in the Mexican-American community, since Lopez is Puerto Rican and played the role of a singer of Mexican descent. But Selena's fans supported the movie, and Lopez's role in the film helped elevate her career. Although Lopez would succeed as a pop star herself a few years later, Selena's voice was dubbed in for all the songs in the movie. For her role in the film, Lopez was nominated for a Golden Globe award for Best Actress in a Musical.
Reliant Stadium in Houston hosted a tribute concert, Selena ¡VIVE!, on April 7, 2005. Held a week after the 10th anniversary of her death, more than 65,000 fans attended the concert, which featured various high-profile artists including Gloria Estefan, Pepe Aguilar, Thalía, Paulina Rubio, Ana Barbara, Alejandra Guzmán, Ana Gabriel, and Fey. All of the artists at the event performed renditions of Selena's music, as did her brother, A.B. Quintanilla, who performed along with his band Kumbia Kings backed with footage of Selena singing Baila Esta Cumbia. Broadcast live on the Univision network, Selena ¡VIVE! now holds the record for the highest-rated and most-viewed Spanish-language show in American television history. The show, which was over three hours long, scored a 35.9 Nielsen household rating. |
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