| Revision as of 02:44, 21 November 2006 view source71.37.151.167 (talk) →Aftermath← Previous edit | Revision as of 00:12, 25 November 2006 view source 24.128.75.104 (talk) ←Replaced page with 'selena is so cool i wsh she was hereright now i miss her..........love me her #number 1 fan-----------------------'Next edit → | ||
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| selena is so cool i wsh she was hereright now i miss her..........love me her #number 1 fan----------------------- | |||
| {{dablink|For the movie based on the life of the singer, see ]; for things with a similar name see ]}} | |||
| {{Infobox musical artist | |||
| |Name = Selena | |||
| |Img = Selena.jpg | |||
| |Img_capt = | |||
| |Background = solo_singer | |||
| |Birth_name = Selena Quintanilla | |||
| |Born = ], ] | |||
| |Died = ], ] | |||
| |Origin = ], ], ] | |||
| |Genre = ] | |||
| |Years_active = 1984–1990 (group)<br>1991–1995 (solo) | |||
| |Label = ] | |||
| |URL = | |||
| }} | |||
| '''Selena Quintanilla Pérez''' (], ] – ], ]), best known as '''Selena''', was a Mexican-American ] who has been called the "queen" of ] music.<ref name="queen">Mitchell, Rick. ''Houston Chronicle'', ] ]. Retrieved on ] ].</ref> The youngest child of a Mexican-American couple, Selena released her first album at the age of twelve. She took the award for Female Vocalist of the Year in ] at the ] and landed a recording contract with ] a few years later. Her fame continued to grow throughout the early nineties, especially in Spanish-speaking countries. Her album '']'' won a ] for ] at the ] and her ] album '']'' was nominated for another Grammy and produced four number one Spanish hits. | |||
| Selena attained further notability in the ] and ] after ], the president of her fan club, murdered her at the age of 23. On ], ], two weeks after her death, ], then the ], declared her birthday "Selena Day" in Texas.<ref name="rolemodel">Orozco, Cynthia E. The Handbook of Texas online. Retrieved on ] ]</ref> ] made a ] starring ] in ]. As of June 2006, Selena was commemorated with a ] and a ] life-sized statue (] in ]). Both the statue and museum are visited by hundreds of fans each week. | |||
| ==Early career== | |||
| Born in ], to the ]<ref name="BaylorHSA">, Baylor University press release, November 4, 1999. Retrieved ], ].</ref> father Abraham Quintanilla and a Mexican/Native American mother Marcella Ophelia Zamora.<ref name="ancestrybirthrecord">]. Provo, UT, USA: MyFamily.com, Inc., 2005. Original data: Texas. Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997. Texas: Texas Department of State Health Services. Microfiche. Retrieved ], ].</ref> She began singing at the age of six; when she was nine her father founded the singing group '']'', which she fronted. They initially performed at the Quintanilla family's restaurant, "Papagallos," but the restaurant failed shortly afterwards.<ref name="rolemodel" /> | |||
| The family soon went bankrupt and was evicted from their home. Taking all their musical equipment in an old bus, they relocated to ] in Southern ]. There, they performed wherever they could: at street corners, weddings, '']s'', and fairs.<ref name="Gale"> ''Thompson Gale'' (Gale.com). Retrieved on ] ].</ref> These efforts at spreading their name paid off in ], when Selena, then twelve years old, recorded her first album for a local record company. The album was not sold in stores, and her father bought all the original copies. It was later released in ] under the title '']''. | |||
| Selena did well in school, but as she grew more popular, the travel demands of her performance schedule began to interfere with her education. Her father pulled her out of school altogether when she was in eighth grade.<ref name="queen" /> She continued her education on the road; at age seventeen she earned a high school diploma from ] in Chicago and was accepted at ].{{fact}} Selena released her second album, '']'', in ]. | |||
| ==Successes== | |||
| {{seealso|List of Selena awards and achievements}} | |||
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| {{multi-listen item|filename=Selena-ComoLaFlor.ogg|title="Como La Flor" (1993)|description=The song ] is one of Selena's most well-known spanish songs.|format=]}} | |||
| {{multi-listen end}} | |||
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| At the ] in 1987, Selena took the award for Female Vocalist of the Year (and would continue to dominate the Awards for the next seven years).<ref name="TejanoAward"> CBSNews.com, ] ]. Retrieved on ] ].</ref> <ref name="queen" /> In ], she released two albums, ''Preciosa'' and ''Dulce Amor''. In ], ], the former head of the Sony Latin Music division, signed Selena with Capitol/EMI records, a record company founded by Behar. Behar later said that the reason he signed Selena was because he thought he discovered the next ].<ref name="queen" /> Selena signed a contract with ] to become one of their spokespersons the same year,<ref name="rolemodel" /> and her concerts were drawing thousands of people. | |||
| In ], Selena met guitarist ], 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.<ref name="Married">Patoski, Joe Nick. ''Houston Chronicle'', ] ]. Retrieved on ] ].</ref> Selena accepted and on ], ], Selena and Perez married in ], and Selena added her new husband's surname to her own. | |||
| In 1990, Selena released another album, '']'', written by her main songwriter and brother ]. 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.<ref name="Gale" /> Selena released another hit album in 1992, '']'', which also achieved gold status.<ref name="Gold"> Who2.com. Retrieved on ] ].]</ref> Songs from that album, such as "]", helped make Selena a star. Her 1993 ''Live'' album won a Grammy award for Best Mexican-American Performance. | |||
| Selena released her next album, '']'' in 1994. The album was nominated for another Grammy award for Mexican-American Album of the Year. She began designing and manufacturing a clothing line in 1994, and opened two boutiques called Selena Inc., one in Corpus Christi and the other in San Antonio. Both were equipped with their own in-house beauty salons. ] reported that the singer earned over five million dollars from these boutiques.<ref name="Fivemillion"> ''Corpus Christi Caller Times'', ] ]. Retrieved on ] ].</ref> Selena also made appearances alongside ] in a Latin soap opera titled '']''.<ref name="Gale" /> | |||
| Selena and her band continued to receive accolades; Billboard's ] awarded them a total of six prestigious awards, including Best Latin artist and song of the year for ''Como La Flor.'' ] released a commemorative bottle in her honor to celebrate their five-year relationship. Meanwhile, her duet with the ], "Dondequiera Que Estes", raced to the top of the Latin charts. This prompted Selena to tour in ], ], ] and ], where she was in growing demand. The duet with Salvadoran singer ] "Buenos Amigos" was also a hit. | |||
| ] | |||
| 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.<ref name="Gale" /> 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. | |||
| In 1995, Selena made a ] appearance in the romantic comedy ], which starred ], ] and ]. She appeared as a background ] singer during the first scene. In February, 1995, Selena played a concert at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in the ], which attracted over 61,000 fans -- more than country stars such as ], ] and ].<ref name="rolemodel" /> Despite her busy schedule, Selena visited local schools to talk to students about the importance of education. She also donated her time to civic organizations such as ], and planned a fundraising concert to help ] patients. These demonstrations of community involvement won her loyalty from her fan base.<ref name="vh1"> VH1.com. Retrieved on ] ].</ref> Selena scheduled her English album for release in the summer of 1995. Afraid that her fans would think she was turning her back on them, she was working on a new Tejano album as well. Meanwhile, she planned to open two more boutiques, including one in ]. | |||
| ==Death== | |||
| In early 1995, the Quintanillas discovered that ], the president of Selena's fanclub and the manager of her boutiques, was stealing money from the boutiques and decided to fire her. Soon after the fallout, Selena agreed to meet Saldívar in a ] hotel in ], on the morning of ], ] in order to retrieve paperwork for tax purposes. At the motel, Selena demanded the missing financial papers. Saldívar delayed the handover by claiming she had been raped in Mexico.<ref name="queen" /> The singer drove Saldívar to a local hospital, where doctors found no evidence of rape.<ref name="Rape"> ] ] testimony of Carla Anthony in the Selena trial".] ''Houston Chronicle'', ] ]. Retrieved on ] ].</ref> Saldivar returned to the motel where Selena again demanded the missing financial papers. | |||
| An argument ensued and Saldívar drew a gun from her purse, pointing it first at her own head and then at Selena. As the singer turned and left the room, Saldívar shot her once in the back. Selena fled to the manager's office in the lobby for help, with Saldivar chasing her, calling her a ].<ref name="Bitch">] ], the testimony of Norma Martinez in the Selena trial".] ''Houston Chronicle'', ] ]. Retrieved on ] ].</ref> Before collapsing to the floor, Selena named Saldívar as her assailant and gave the number of the hotel room where she was shot.<ref name="Assailant">], testimony of Shawna Vela in the Selena trial".] ''Houston Chronicle'', ] ]. Retrieved on ] ].</ref> An ambulance and the police arrived on scene and Selena was transported to a local hospital. She died there from loss of blood at 1:05 P.M., at the age of 23, sixteen days shy of her 24th birthday.<ref name="Death">Villafranca, Armando and Reinert, Patty. ''Houston Chronicle'', ] ]. Retrieved on ] ].</ref> The gun used to kill Selena was later destroyed and the pieces thrown into ]. <ref name="Gun"> ''New York Times'', ] ]. Retrieved on ] ].</ref> <ref name="Gun2"> ''The Daily Texan'', ] ]. Retrieved on ] ].</ref> | |||
| ==Aftermath== | |||
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| {{multi-listen start|Audio sample of:}} | |||
| {{multi-listen item|filename=Selena-DreamingOfYou-wiki.ogg|title="Dreaming of You" (1995)|description=One of Selena's English songs, "] peaked at #21 in the Billboard charts.|format=]}} | |||
| {{multi-listen end}} | |||
| {{sample box end}} | |||
| Selena's death shocked and saddened Latinos and non-Latinos alike across the United States and abroad. Major networks interrupted their regular programming to break the news; ] referred to Selena as "The Mexican ]".<ref name="Maddona"> by ''Gregory Rodriguez'' ''Pacific News'', ] ]. Retrieved on ] ].</ref> Numerous vigils and memorials were held in her honor and radio stations in Texas played her music non-stop.<ref name="queen" /> Her funeral drew approximately 60,000 mourners, many of whom traveled from outside the ].<ref name="queen" /> Among the celebrities who were reported to have immediately phoned the Quintanilla family to express their condolences were ], ] and ].<ref name="Gale" /> The magazine ] published a commemorative issue in honor of Selena's memory and musicial career, titled ''Selena 1971-1995, Her Life in Pictures''. <ref name="queen" /> A few days afterwards, ], mocked Selena's murder and burial, poked fun at her mourners, and criticized her music. Stern said, "This music does absolutely nothing for me. ] have more soul, Spanish people have the worst taste in music. They have no depth." Stern's comments outraged the Hispanic community all across Texas.<ref name="Stern">Asin, Stephanie and Dyer, R.A. ''Houston Chronicle'', ] ]. Retrieved on ] ].</ref> Two weeks after her death, on ], ], ], the then ], declared ], Selena's birthday, "Selena Day," in Texas. | |||
| That summer, Selena's album ''Dreaming of You'', a combination of ] songs and several new ] tracks, debuted at number one on the ] in the US, making her the first Hispanic singer to accomplish this feat<ref name="firstHispanicsinger">Hodges, Ann. ''Houston Chronicle'', ] ]. Retrieved on ] ].</ref> and the second highest debut after ]'s '']''.<ref name="Gale" /> On its release date, the album sold over 175,000 copies, a record for a female pop singer, and sold two million copies in its first year.<ref name="Copies"> ''Houston Chronicle'', ] ]. Retrieved on ] ].</ref> Songs such as "I Could Fall In Love" and "Dreaming Of You" were played widely by mainstream English language radio with the latter reaching #21 on the ]. Meanwhile, "I Could Fall In Love," while ineligible for the Hot 100 at the time, did reach #12 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart and the top 10 on the Adult Contemporary Chart. "Dreaming of You" has sold approximately five million copies in the USA. | |||
| In October 1995 a ] jury convicted Saldívar of first-degree murder and sentenced her to life in prison, with the possibility of parole in thirty years.<ref name="convicted">Graczyk, Michael. ''Associated Press'', ] ]. Retrieved on ] ].</ref> | |||
| ==Legacy== | |||
| ] | |||
| In 1997, ] played Selena in a film about her life, called ]. Directed by ], the ] opened with mostly positive reviews.<ref name="review"> ''Rotten Tomatoes'', Retrieved on ] ].</ref> More than 12,000 people auditioned for a role in the film.<ref name="tried"> ''Houston Chronicle'', ] ]. Retrieved on ] ].</ref> 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.<ref name="elevate"> Thompson Gale (Gale.com). Retrieved on ] ].</ref> 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.<ref name="voice"> ''Roger Ebert'', Retrieved on ] ].</ref> For her role in the film, Lopez was nominated for a ] award for Best Actress in a Musical.<ref name="movieaward"> IMDb.com. Retrieved on ] ].</ref> | |||
| ] in ] hosted a tribute concert, ''"]"'', on ], ]. Held a week after the 10th anniversary of her death, more than 50,000 fans attended the concert, which featured various high-profile artists including Gloria Estefan, ], ], ], ], ], ], and ]. All of the artists at the event performed renditions of Selena's music, as did her brother, ], who performed along with his band ] backed with footage of Selena singing ''Baila Esta Cumbia''. Broadcast live on the ] 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.<ref name="highest-rated"> Univision, ] ]. Retrieved on ] ].</ref> | |||
| ==Selected discography== | |||
| {{main|Selena discography}} | |||
| ===Early releases=== | |||
| {| class="wikitable"|width=100% | |||
| |- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" | |||
| !align="center" valign="bottom" width="20"|Year | |||
| !align="center" valign="bottom" width="230"|Album | |||
| |- bgcolor="#efefef" | |||
| |align="left" valign="top"|'''1984''' | |||
| |align="left" valign="top"|'']'' | |||
| |- | |||
| |- bgcolor="#efefef" | |||
| |align="left" valign="top"|'''1986''' | |||
| |align="left" valign="top"|'']'' | |||
| |- | |||
| |- bgcolor="#F0F8FF" | |||
| |align="left" valign="top"|'''1987''' | |||
| |align="left" valign="top"|'']'' | |||
| |- | |||
| |- bgcolor="#efefef" | |||
| |align="left" valign="top"|'''1988''' | |||
| |align="left" valign="top"|'']'' | |||
| |- | |||
| |- bgcolor="#F0F8FF" | |||
| |align="left" valign="top"|'''1988''' | |||
| |align="left" valign="top"|'']'' | |||
| |- | |||
| |} | |||
| ===EMI Music releases=== | |||
| {| class="wikitable"|width=100% | |||
| |- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" | |||
| !align="center" valign="bottom"|Year | |||
| !align="center" valign="bottom"|Re-released | |||
| !align="center" valign="bottom" width="230"|Album | |||
| |- bgcolor="#efefef" | |||
| |align="left" valign="top"|'''1989''' | |||
| |align="center" valign="top"|'''2002''' | |||
| |align="left" valign="top"|'']'' | |||
| |- | |||
| |- bgcolor="#F0F8FF" | |||
| |align="left" valign="top"|'''1990''' | |||
| |align="center" valign="top"|'''2002''' | |||
| |align="left" valign="top"|'']'' | |||
| |- | |||
| |- bgcolor="#efefef" | |||
| |align="left" valign="top"|'''1992''' | |||
| |align="center" valign="top"|'''2002''' | |||
| |align="left" valign="top"|'']'' | |||
| |- | |||
| |- bgcolor="#F0F8FF" | |||
| |align="left" valign="top"|'''1993''' | |||
| |align="center" valign="top"|'''2002''' | |||
| |align="left" valign="top"|'']'' | |||
| |- | |||
| |- bgcolor="#efefef" | |||
| |align="left" valign="top"|'''1994''' | |||
| |align="center" valign="top"|'''2002''' | |||
| |align="left" valign="top"|'']'' | |||
| |- | |||
| |} | |||
| ===Posthumous releases=== | |||
| {| class="wikitable"|width=100% | |||
| |- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" | |||
| !align="center" valign="bottom"|Year | |||
| !align="center" valign="bottom" width="230"|Album | |||
| |- bgcolor="#efefef" | |||
| |align="left" valign="top"|'''1995''' | |||
| |align="left" valign="top"|'']'' | |||
| |- | |||
| |- bgcolor="#F0F8FF" | |||
| |align="left" valign="top"|'''1996''' | |||
| |align="left" valign="top"|'']'' | |||
| |- | |||
| |- bgcolor="#F0F8FF" | |||
| |align="left" valign="top"|'''2002''' | |||
| |align="left" valign="top"|'']'' (CD/DVD) | |||
| |- | |||
| |- bgcolor="#F0F8FF" | |||
| |align="left" valign="top"|'''2003''' | |||
| |align="left" valign="top"|'']'' (CD/DVD) | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="left" valign="top"|'''2004''' | |||
| |align="left" valign="top"|'']'' | |||
| |- | |||
| |- | |||
| |} | |||
| ==References== | |||
| <div class="references-small"> | |||
| <references /> | |||
| </div> | |||
| ==External links== | |||
| * - Official Web Site | |||
| * | |||
| {{Chicano/Mexican-American}} | |||
| {{featured article}} | |||
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Revision as of 00:12, 25 November 2006
selena is so cool i wsh she was hereright now i miss her..........love me her #number 1 fan-----------------------