| Selena Quintanilla | |
|---|---|
| [image] | |
| Born | April 16, 1971 Lake Jackson, Texas, United States |
| Died | March 31, 1995 Corpus Christi, Texas, United States |
Selena Quintanilla Pérez (April 16, 1971 - March 31, 1995), principally known by her first name, was a Mexican-American (or more specifically, Tejano) singer who has reached mythical status and is considered to be one of the most popular and influential Hispanic music icons of all time. Very few other Hispanic celebrities (e.g. Jennifer Lopez, Gloria Estefan) rival her popularity among American Hispanics.
In 1994, Selena won a Grammy for Best Mexican-American Album for Live.
She holds the record of drawing the largest concert crowd – over 67,000 screaming fans – in the history of the Houston Astrodome, for her 1993 performance at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. It is erroneously believed that her largest crowd at the Astrodome was the famed 1995 concert, which she gave a little over a month before her death. The crowd she drew that night, however, was nevertheless enormous: over 64,000 fans.
The greatest irony in Selena's musical career is that she became a star singing in her second language. She grew up speaking English, recording her early Spanish hits phonetically.
Aside from her singing, Selena was an avid clothing designer. Boutique shops with the Selena name opened in Corpus Christi and San Antonio in the 1990s. She also dabbled in acting, making a cameo in the Johnny Depp film Don Juan de Marco.
Selena's death shocked and saddened Latinos and non-Latinos alike across the United States. Major networks interrupted their regular programming to break the news. The outpouring of grief by her massive faithful fanbase was unprecendented. Soon, America's reaction to her death was being compared to the reactions to the deaths of John Lennon and U.S. President John F. Kennedy. Numerous vigils and memorials were held in the singer's honor.
Her funeral drew 60,000 mourning fans, many of whom came from outside the United States.
That summer her album Dreaming of You, a combination of Spanish language hits and new English language tracks, debuted at #1 on the Billboard music charts in the US, making her the first Hispanic singer to accomplish that feat. On its release date, it sold over 175,000 copies, the most ever by an American female singer in pop history. To date, it has sold approximately 4,000,000 copies in the United States.
People magazine issued a commemorative edition in her honor – the third such tribute in its history. It sold a record number of copies – over 1 million – and ultimately spurred the creation for People En Espańol.
In October of 1995 a Houston jury convicted Saldívar of murder and sentenced her to life in prison, without possibility of parole.
In 1997, Jennifer Lopez played Selena in the movie of the same name. This fact stirred some controversy in the Mexican-American community as Jennifer Lopez was a Hispanic of Puerto Rican descent playing the role of a singer who was of Mexican descent. But Selena's fans embraced the touching autobiography, and Lopez's role in Selena catapulted her to superstardom.
Selena's enduring popularity is evidenced by the fact that she continues to outsell many living artists. In fact, the Guinness Book of World Records, in 2003 (she had previously graced the book's pages as the "most dominating artist"), considered adding her to their pages as being the only deceased celebrity who continues to compete with today's top pop stars.
A massive tribute concert, "ˇSelena Vive!", – which over 50,000 fans attended – was organized on April 7, 2005, a week after the tenth anniversary of the star's death. Reliant Stadium in Houston hosted the event, which featured many high-profile artists, including Gloria Estefan, Pepe Aguilar, Thalía, Paulina Rubio, Banda El Recodo, Ana Barbara, Alejandra Guzmán, Aleks Syntek, Ana Gabriel, Fey and many others. All of the musicians present performed renditions of her music, including her brother A.B. Quintanilla, who performed along with his band Kumbia Kings, backed with footage of Selena singing "Baila Esta Cumbia".
"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 3 hours long, scored a whopping 35.9 household rating.
On April 12, 1995, George W. Bush, then the Governor of Texas, declared April 16 to be "Selena Day".
Many young girls, most of whom were not even born at the time of Selena's death, still visit her grave and sing her songs.
Released posthumously'