Untold Truth About Selena Quintanilla, Her Husband and Family 

Quick Facts

Music biopics are presently dominating Hollywood with the likes of Freddie Mercury and Elton John getting their own films. Another musician who is also scheduled to get her own biopic treatment is Selena Quintanilla. The Mexican-American singer held sway in the 90s, releasing several chart-topping albums. She popularised the Tejano subgenre of Latin music and rose to become one of the bestselling Latina artistes of all time. Selena was sadly cut down in her prime but her legacies remain evergreen. Discover more details about the late singer here including the circumstances surrounding her death as well as family life.

The Life and Times of Selena Quintanilla

Selena Quintanilla was born on the 16th of April 1971 in Lake Jackson, Texas. She grew up in Lake Jackson and began exhibiting her exquisite singing talent at the age of six. Her musician father immediately noticed this and set up a band called Selena y Los Dinos for her and her two elder siblings.

The band initially endured tough times as many disapproved of a woman singing in the male-dominated Tejano genre. They, however, remained undeterred and performed anywhere they could. Selena and her siblings also released several albums and one of them eventually fetched her the award for female vocalist of the year at the 1987 Tejano Music Awards.

Following this breakthrough, Selena landed a recording contract with EMI Records. She went on to drop several acclaimed albums including Live!. The 1993 album sold more than 750,000 copies. It also won several awards including the best Mexican/American album at the 1994 Grammy Awards.

Who was She Married To?

Prior to her demise, Selena Quintanilla was married to her bandmate, Chris Perez. She first met Perez when he joined her band in 1989. They eventually commenced a relationship but hid it from Selena’s father who strongly disapproved of Perez. This disapproval stemmed from Quintanilla Jr’s belief that Perez was a chauvinist who would hinder his daughter’s career. Selena and Perez succeeded in hiding their romance for some time but the bubble eventually busted. Her father fired Perez from the band but the couple continued to see each other clandestinely.

They eventually eloped and tied the knot on the 2nd of April 1992. Following these nuptials, Selena’s family had no choice but to accept her husband. The couple thus remained together until the singer’s death in 1995. Following Selena’s death, Perez continued to pursue his music career. He also remarried a lady named Vanessa Villanueva in 1998. The union lasted for a decade and produced two children.

Selena Quintanilla’s Family Members 

Selena Quintanilla hailed from a family of five. Her father’s name is Abraham Quintanilla Jr. while her mother’s name is Marcella. Abraham Quintanilla Jr. is also a musician as well as a record producer. He spent much of the 50s and 60s touring with a band known as the Los Dinos. He later set up a band known as Selena y Los Dinos for his 3 children. Since his daughter’s demise, Quintanilla Jr. has been involved in the production of several projects aimed at honoring her legacy. He also runs a charity foundation in her name.

Selena’s two siblings are Abraham Quintanilla III (brother), and a sister, Suzette. Both siblings were part of her band; Quintanilla III played the bass and provided backup vocals while Suzette played the drums and provided backup vocals as well. Following their sister’s death, Quintanilla III has pursued a thriving music career with various groups including Kumbia Kings, Kumbia All Starz, and Elecktro Kumbia. Suzette, on the other hand, has largely flown under the radar. She has however revealed that her sister’s death still hurts and that she still misses her.

How Did Selena Quintanilla Die?

Selena Quintanilla was murdered by the former president of her fan club, Yolanda Saldivar. The singer first met Saldivar when the latter started a Selena fan club in San Antonio. She ran the fan club successfully and Selena decided to entrust her with the management of her clothing boutiques. The partnership between the two ladies blossomed until the singer discovered that Saldivar was embezzling funds from the fan club as well as her clothing boutique.

She subsequently sacked her and the disgruntled lady retaliated by shooting the singer during a meeting on the 31st of March 1995. Selena’s demise led to an outpouring of grief, especially in her home state of Texas. Her funeral attracted tens of thousands of mourners and she was buried on the 3rd of April 1995. Saldivar was subsequently found guilty of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.

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