Selena Quintanilla Perez........Born April 16th, 1971 in Lake Jackson,Texas..Daughter of Abraham and Marcela Quintanilla.Sister of Suzette and AB Quintanilla.Selena grew up in Lake Jackson,Texas until about the age of 6.Her father had a purchased a local restuarant near by.That's where Selena Y Los Dinos was born.With Selena as lead vocalist,brother AB on bass,and sister Suzette on drums.The legendary group Selena Y Los Dinos was formed.They would perform at her fathers resturant, night after night.Soon the restuarant took a turn for the worse and was put out of buisness.So, Abraham Quintanilla took his family on the road.The family moved to Corpus Christi,Texas where Selena would make her debut.Starting off a music career and also adding other band members to the band.As time moved on,Selena got a contract with Freddie Records.As Selena began performing at local concerts in the Texas state.Selena Y Los Dinos status of popularity kept on growing.Selena released quite a few hits with Freddie Records such as Dame Un Beso,Dulce Amor,Oh Mama,and Call Me.Selena also one quite a few Texas state awards for Female Vocalist of the year.It wasn't until 1989 when Selena signed a contract with EMI Latin and president Jose Behar new she would be a huge star.Releasing there first album on EMI Latin titled Selena...It would be there first top 10 album ever...Pushing out hits such as Sukiyaki,Besitos,and My Love...This album hit so hard..It kept leaving fans for more.By 1991 Selena released another Cumbia album tited "Ven Conmigo".It would be there first album to reach number #1 on Billboard Latin Albums.Ven Conmigo would be a very strong album.Spinning out hits such as Baila Esta Cumbia,Ya Ves,and No Quiero Saber.This is also the first Tehano album to achieve gold status.This is also the album that reached to fans beyond the U.S.A....Selena had reached the country of Mexico with the song Baila Esta Cumbia and she was loved by so many fans in Mexico...Also in 1991 is when new band members would start appearing in the group such as Pete Astrillio,Ricky Vela,and Chris Perez By 1992 Selena Y Los Dinos already had another album for release.But what they didnt know is that what this album would be huge for them.The album was titled "Entre A Mi Mundo".An album which would sparks Selena's VERY FIRST NUMBER #1 song "Como La Flor"...This is also known as Selena's signature song. Como La Flor became a huge hit in latin markets. Another cumbia hit from the album would be La Characha,which would also be Selena's very first video.La Characha showed a sizzling side of Selena and the fans gobbled up the albums like crazy....sending Entre A Mi Mundo directly to the top of the charts....Other hits from the album included Las Cadenas,Amame,and Missing My Baby.Also in 1992 Selena married her lead guitarist Chris Perez.In 1992 as well Selena signed a contract with EMI America to record her very first English language album.This was a dream come true for Selena.She has always wanted to record an English album.In 1993 Selena released "Live"..Another #1 album on Billboard Latin albums and this album also won Selena her very first Grammy Award.The album spawned hits such as No Debes Jugar and La Lalamada. By this time everything for Selena Y Los Dinos kept going Gold for them.Also in 1993 a women by the name of Yolanda Saldivar approached Selena to give an idea about Selena fan club.As kind hearted as Selena was she hired Saldivar on the spot.In 1993 as well Selena found another talent for fashion.She opened up 2 boutiques in Corpus Christi and San Antonio.The boutique was called "Selena Etc".Everything for Selena was working out very well.In 1994 while working on her English language album,she released "Amor Prohibido",which would be her best selling latin album ever and also the final latin album as well.This album included hits such as No Me Queda Mas,Bidi Bidi Bom Bom,Amor Prohibido,Fotos Y Recuerdos,El Chico Del Aparmento 512,Si Una Vez,and Techno Cumbia.The album spent 57 weeks at number 1 spot...knocking out Gloria Estefan from the top....also spending an astounding 110 weeks in the Top 10.Selena kept winning award after award.Selena was on the top of the world.In 1994,Selena was getting letters in stating that fans were sending in there money and not recieving the fan club pack material.Selena did approach Yolanda and of course Yolanda lied and stated it was an honest mistake.Selena was working on the English album and was planning on releasing it in late 1995.By early 1995,Selena would perform her biggest concert ever and also would be her final televised performance.Selena performed at the Houston Astrodome,Performing for over 64,000 fans and the largest crowd in the history of the astrodome.This is also one of Selena's greatest performances.She put all the hits into one show and the outfit she wore is one of her signature outfits.About a month after this performance. About a month following Selena, still finds no information on the money for the boutiques and the fan club.On the day of March 31,1995,Selena woke up early that morning to go meet Yolanda at near by hotel in Corpus Christi.Selena was going to find all missing paper work from the boutiques and fan club.Selena was actually scheduled to be working on her English album that morning.Yolanda pleads to Selena that she was raped and needs to go to the hostipal.As kind hearted as Selena is,she takes Yolanda to get checked out and tunrns out Yolanda is leing again!.......so as Selena finally realizes that Yolanda really did take the money...She fires Yolanda and walks out the door.Going through Yolandas mind back fires and Yolanda pulls out her handgun and fires it at Selena.....Selena is hit in the back...by her hardest Selena runs to the front lobby and pleads for help.As she collapses in the lobby,she pleads the killer is Yolanda Saldivar and passes out.Yolanda gets in her vechile and starts circling the hotel.Selena is rushed to a near by hospital where at 1:05 P.M....The Queen of Latin Music is pronounced dead....The world is a tramadic lost for the world's beloved star...Candle light viduals would be planned later that evening.Every magazine in the world had Selena on the front page....Several months later,the unfinshed English album "Dreaming Of You" was released.It was the FIRST album by a latin artist to Debut #1....The album has sold more than 5 million copies in the US and has sold over 14 million worldwide.The first single from the album "I Could Fall In Love" became a smash hit..Selena was the first Latin artist to pull 6 Latin albums onto the Billboard 200 album charts....Even though she was not here to witness her first footsteps in English market.Selena reached far more people than she ever imagined.Selena will always be remembered through her music and beautiful personality.In 1997,Jennifer Lopez got the lead role in the movie,Selena.....The movie would be based on Selena's life and rise to stardom.The movie made an astounding 60 million at the box office.Selene was well on her way to becoming a huge star.In 2005,10 years after her death,a concert was put on,titled "SELENA VIVE" a tribute concert on April 7th,2005 in Houston,Texas.The concert was aired live on Univsion Televsion.It drew nearly 40 million viewers worldwide to watch.It was the largest viewed program ever on Univision.The concert included such artists as Thaila,India,Kumbia Kings,Gloria Estefan,and many more.....The concert sold out with over 60,000 fans in attendance.Now 13 years after her death,Selena still remains the biggest selling latin artist ever.....Make sure you pick up her catolog of albums.......Selena will always be remembered through her music and for her beatiful smile,personality for everyone she has met.
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