Selena Quintanilla Pérez: The life story you may not know

Cesare Bonazza/Contour // Getty Images From a young age, it was evident that Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, better known as Selena, was destined to become nothing short of a historical figure in the music world. The Queen of Tejano began her career at 8 years old, performing with her siblings as Selena y Los Dinos. Throughout her career, she was constantly willing to experiment with different genres, releasing albums that turned the world of Tejano music into a whole new experience and giving the younger generation someone that felt more like them. Tejano music, a typically traditional space, didn’t amplify women’s voices often. Selena’s willingness to experiment and try something new changed the music industry as we knew it before her life was tragically cut short in 1995. How she presented herself, unapologetically claiming space and honoring her roots with conviction every time she stepped onto a stage, positioned her to become one of music’s most respected and recognizable Latinx artists. Her cultural influence is not just a testament but a love letter to Mexican American identity that remains as profound today as it was then. At 23 years old, her death sent shockwaves through the Tejano music industry and across the world. Selena was tragically murdered on March 31, 1995, by Yolanda Saldívar, the president of her fan club, after Selena’s family accused her of embezzling money from fan club members. Stacker analyzed biographical stories about Selena to compile the lesser-known life story of the influential late Tejano star. To recognize her achievements, we must explore compelling details of her persona and career (from fashion and accolades to public servitude) that transcended her craft. The Queen of Tejano is born TIZIANA SORGE/AFP // Getty Images According to Selena’s father, Abraham Quintanilla, doctors initially mistook the pregnancy of Selena’s mother, Marcella Ofelia Quintanilla, for a tumor. Thankfully, Selena’s parents did not follow the surgeon’s orders to remove the mass. Instead, the couple sought a second opinion and found out that the misdiagnosed tumor was a child. The Tejano queen was delivered on April 16, 1971, in Lake Jackson, Texas, by former congressman and presidential candidate Ron Paul, an obstetrician-gynecologist at the time. She was unknowingly named after a Moon Goddess Barbara Laing // Getty Images Selena’s name derives from the Greek word Selene, meaning “moon goddess.” In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Selena’s sister Suzette Quintanilla shared that her parents were positive they were having a boy when they were pregnant with Selena and didn’t have a name picked out for a girl. Another woman giving birth near her mom suggested the name Selena. Selena y Los Dinos