1994 was her best year, that was when she truly became a superstar.
Selena Quintanilla-Pérez grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas, to which the family already had two other children, Abraham Quintanilla III (A.B.) then 8, and Suzette then 4, to where Selena Quintanilla-Perez began her musical career.In 1988, two more Selena albums were released, Preciosa and Dulce Amor. But it was in 1989 when Selena got her big break. That year, she signed with Capitol/EMI Latin label. By this time, Selena's concerts were drawing thousands of people and her band was expanding. Pete Astudillo joined Selena Y Los Dinos and can be heard on such hit duets as "Yo Te Amo" ("I Love You") and "Siempre Estoy Pensando En Ti" ("I'm Always Thinking Of You"). A.B. (who was already writing most of Selena's songs) joined Pete and wrote such it songs as "Como La Flor" ("Like A Flower"). Pete stayed with the band for 4 years but left in 1993 to go solo.
In 1988, Selena Quintanilla-Perez met a guitarist named Chris Perez. Chris had performed with the popular singer Shelly Lares and even had his own band. The Quintanilla family hired him to be in the band in 1990. On April 3, 1992, Selena married Chris Perez.
In 1990, a fan approached Abraham with the idea of starting a fan club, her name was Yolanda Saldivar, a Selena Etc. clothing boutique manager who had been her fan-club president In February, when the trouble started with the Selena Fan Club. People were complaining that they weren't receiving their packets they paid for. The Quintanilla family confronted Yolanda, who by this time was also manager of the boutiques. Other money also started to turn up missing from the Selena Etc. account from around 30,000 dollars. Yolanda was stealing from them. On March 12, 1995, Selena fired Yolanda. Although she was fired, Yolanda continued to work because there were papers missing, and Yolanda persuaded the singer to meet with her secretly, and on March 30, Selena went to where Yolanda was staying in Corpus, a Days Inn motel, to get the missing paperwork. When Selena and Chris got home that night, they found out that some of the papers were still missing. Early the next morning, Selena got up, kissed her husband good-by and went to face Yolanda again at The Days Inn in Corpus Christy, Texas. There Yolanda told her she had been raped in Monterey, Mexico and needed to go to the hospital. Being the kind person that Selena was, she took her. After about an hour, Selena and Yolanda returned to the motel and argued. Selena told her that she just could not be trusted anymore. At 11:48 am, Yolanda took out a gun, and fired at Selena. The bullet struck her in her right shoulder. With all her strength, Selena ran towards the lobby to get help. She collapsed on the floor as the clerk called 911. Soon an ambulance came to take Selena to the hospital where she was pronounced dead at 1:09 PM.and shot her in the back, severing an artery and killing her. Saldívar claimed that in an attempt to end her own life she accidentally shot Selena, but the jury at her trial did not believe her; she was found guilty of murder and was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 2025.
She was often referred to as Selena's biggest fan. Yolanda became a very close friend of Selena's, but later on, one of her worst enemies. Ven Conmigo (Come With Me) was released in 1990. That album had such hits as "Baila Esta Cumbia" ("Dance This Cumbia"). Another hit album, Entre A Mi Mundo (Come Into My World), was released in 1992. Such hits from that album like "Como La Flor" and "La Carcacha" ("The Old Car") made Selena a star. Her 1993 Live album one her a Grammy award for Best Mexican American Performance. But 1994 was her best year, that was when she truly became a superstar.
In 1994, Selena released Amor Prohibido (Forbidden Love). An album that even knocked Gloria Estefan's "Mi Tierra" off the number one spot on the charts. By March of 1995, it had sold over 400,000 copies. Amor Prohibido included such hits as "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom," the title track, "Fotos Y Recuerdos" ("Photos And Memories"), "No Me Queda Mas" ("I've Got Nothing Left"), and "El Chico Del Apartamento 512" ("The Boy Of Apartment 512"). Also, Selena Quintanilla-Pérez's wish was granted in that year, Selena opened her boutique and salon, Selena Etc., in Corpus Christi. It had been her dream since she was a little girl to sell the clothing and jewelry that she loved to design.
The Hispanic community was stunned by the murder, naming the event "Black Friday". Radio personality Howard Stern mocked Selena's mourners and funeral, spawning boycotts by her fans. The reaction to Selena's murder was compared to those following the deaths of John Lennon and Elvis Presley. Selena Quintanilla-Pérez's funeral drew 60,000 mourners, while numerous tributes and memorials were held throughout the United States and Spanish speaking Latin America.
Selena's father, Abraham Quintanilla Jr., was a singer with the original Los Dinos from 1957-1972, and nurtured the burgeoning musical talent of his children. Selena, her brother Abe III (bass), and their sister, Suzette (drums), were a second generation of Los Dinos. Its other two members who started in the band were Ricky Vela on keyboards and Roger Garcia on guitar.. When Selena was just 3 years old, she demanded to know why her father was leaving her out of the music. Abraham simply said she was too young. Right then Selena showed him she was not too young, and she showed him her own instrument, her voice. Abraham could not believe what a beautiful sound he heard, and by the time Selena was 6, she was already singing like a pro in English and in Spanish, even though she did not speak the Spanish language fluently, alongside her brother, sister, and father, and when Selena was 9, her father started the group Selena Y Los Dinos (Selena and The Guys). The group's first performances were in Papagallos, the Quintanilla family's restaurant opened in 1980. Everyone who saw her, even at that young age, knew she was going to be a star someday. Selena Quintanilla-Perez recorded her first album in 1984 under the Freddie label. This album was not released just then and the original copies were bought by Abraham. However, the album was released in 1995 titled "Mis Primeras Grabaciones." Because Selena Quintanilla-Perez was getting even more popular and the traveling to perform was interfering with school, Abraham pulled her out of school when she was in the 8th grade. Even though she was not attending school anymore, Selena earned a high school degree from a correspondence school in Chicago. In 1986, Selena's career really began to take off. Her second album, Alpha, was released then. At the Tejano Music Awards, she took the award for Female Vocalist of the Year (this was just the start of Selena sweeping the Tejano Music Awards for the next 10 years). Another important thing that happened in 1986 was she was discovered by two huge names in the Tejano music industry; Rick TreviÒo, founder of the Tejano Music Awards, and Johnny Canales, an entertainer with one of the top Spanish television shows.In January of 1995, another boutique opened in San Antonio, Texas.
In February of 1995, Selena sold out the Houston Astrodome with her last concert for the Houston Livestock and Rodeo. A record attendance for any Tejana.
The Murder of Selena
Life and career
During the early 1990s Selena became the "Queen of Tejano music", and was poised to become a successful American solo artist. To manage her growing admirers, Selena hired Saldívar as her fan-club president. Before her death, Selena had sold approximately 1.8 million albums in the U.S.; she was recording songs for a crossover album, which was intended to increase her success in the U.S. and expand her English-speaking fan base. Selena Quintanilla-Pérez 's goal was to become a pop icon similar to Donna Summer, Paula Abdul, Madonna and Mariah Carey.
Selena Etc. and Saldívar.
In early 1994 Selena opened her Selena Etc. boutiques in Corpus Christi, Texas, hiring Yolanda Saldívar to manage the chain. Eight months later, she signed Saldívar as her registered agent in San Antonio, Texas. The Quintanilla family believed Saldívar was the best choice because of her excellent job in boosting membership of the Selena Fan Club (to over 400,000), organizing special events and helping Selena deal with admirers at public events. After being hired for the boutiques, Saldívar moved from South San Antonio to Corpus Christi to be closer to Selena.
Saldívar's room was covered with Selena posters and pictures, burning votive candles and a library of Selena videos (which she used to entertain guests). During an interview with Saldívar in 1995, reporters from The Dallas Morning News believed that Saldívar's devotion to Selena bordered on obsession. Saldívar then began telling the staff that she wanted to "be like Selena". Around this time, Selena gave Saldívar her American Express card for the purpose of conducting company business but Saldívar used the credit card to rent Lincoln Town Cars, travel to and from Mexico, entertain associates in fancy restaurants and purchase two cellular phones which she carried. She also altered Ellen Tracy designer jackets made for the boutiques, backing up her authority to do so with the card. When Saldívar became a business associate (in addition to being a friend), their relationship began to fall apart. Staff members at Selena Etc. complained that Saldívar was always "nice" when Selena was around; when she was not, Saldívar treated everyone terribly.
Employee dissatisfaction
In December 1994, the boutiques began to suffer. Staff at both stores had been reduced from 38 to 14 employees, largely because Saldívar fired anyone she did not like. The remaining employees began complaining to Selena Quintanilla-Pérez about Saldívar, but Selena did not believe that her "friend" would do anything to hurt her or her business. The employees then began to take their concerns to Selena's father, Abraham Quintanilla, Jr., who cautioned Selena that Saldívar might be a dangerous person. Selena did not suspect that Saldívar would turn on her because her father had always distrusted people.
In January 1995 Debra Ramirez, Selena's cousin, was hired to work in the boutiques and to help Selena expand the fashion venture into Mexico. Ramirez quit within a week, telling Saldívar that she was dissatisfied with staff members' failure to report sales. Saldívar replied that it was not Ramirez's business, and that she would take care of it. Martin Gomez (a fashion designer for Selena) and Saldívar frequently clashed, with Gomez complaining that Saldívar was mismanaging Selena's affairs. Their animosity intensified during Selena Quintanilla-Pérez's fashion shows; Gomez accused Saldívar of mutilating (or destroying) some of his original creations, claiming that she never paid bills. When Saldívar visited the factory in Mexico, she intimidated the seamstresses by telling them to either leave or side with her. Gomez tried to convince Selena that Saldívar was "bad news", but Saldívar claimed that he was exaggerating. A few weeks later, Saldívar asked employees to help pay for a gift for Selena. Philip Randolph (who helped design the gift, a diamond-encrusted-egg ring) noted that Saldívar did not want Selena to know that she had bought anything, let alone its cost.
Termination
Starting in January 1995, Abraham began receiving phone calls and letters from angry fan club members who claimed to have paid their enrollment fee and had not received the promised memorabilia. Upon investigation, Abraham discovered that Saldívar was embezzling more than $30,000 in forged checks from both the fan club and the boutiques. With this evidence, Abraham held a closed meeting the night of March 9 with Selena and her sister, Suzette Quintanilla, at Q-Productions to confront Saldívar. Abraham presented Saldívar with the inconsistencies concerning the disappearing funds. He reported that Saldívar simply stared at him without answering any of his questions. Abraham told Saldívar that if she didn't come up with evidence that disproved his accusations, then he was going to get the police involved. Still, without saying a word, Saldívar abruptly got up and left the meeting and Suzette accused Saldívar of being a liar and a thief. The next morning Eddie Quintanilla (Abraham's brother), called him because Saldívar had shown up at Q-Productions with Laurie Rothe, another employee. Abraham drove to Q-Productions and chased Saldívar off the premises, telling her that she was no longer welcome. The same day, Selena Quintanilla-Pérez and Saldívar engaged in an intense argument over the phone; Selena hung up and told her husband, Chris Pérez, that she could no longer trust Saldívar. However, she did not want to dissolve their friendship; she felt that Saldívar was essential to whether the clothing line would take off in Mexico. Selena Quintanilla-Pérez also wanted to keep Saldívar close because she had bank records, statements and financial records necessary for tax preparation.
Selena's murder:
At around 11:00 pm on March 30, 1995, Selena and Chris Pérez went to Saldívar's room at the Days Inn motel in Corpus Christi to pick up the missing documents Selena needed for tax purposes. Saldívar told Selena to come alone, but Pérez, out of fear for his wife's safety, insisted that he come with her. When Selena and Pérez returned home, Selena Quintanilla-Pérez discovered that there were still some bank statements missing. Saldívar later called Selena, saying that she had been raped in Mexico and again told Selena to come alone to the motel. Pérez told Selena to tell Saldívar that it was too late, but Selena agreed to meet secretly with Saldívar the following morning, and at around 9:00 am, Selena got dressed and left Chris sleeping in bed and headed out to meet with Saldívar. At the motel, Selena demanded the financial papers; Saldívar delayed the handover by claiming she had been raped in Mexico. The singer then drove Saldívar to Doctors Regional Hospital where doctors found no evidence of rape, left Selena bewildered with all the lies going on at this time in their lives, and then these two women left the hospital, and they both returned to the motel where Selena again demanded the financial papers. Selena told Saldívar that she could no longer be trusted, and after 11am, Selena dumped out some papers onto the bed, and then at 11:48 am, Saldívar drew the gun from her purse and pointed it towards the same door Selena was then trying to leave from after receiving all these mixed messages. As Selena attempted to flee, Saldívar shot her once on the right lower shoulder, severing an artery and resulting in a massive loss of blood. Critically wounded, Selena ran towards the lobby, leaving a trail of blood 392 feet (119 m) long. She collapsed on the floor as the clerk called 9-1-1, with Saldívar still chasing after her and calling her a "bitch". Selena clutched her chest, screaming "Help me! Help me! I've been shot!" Before collapsing, she named Saldívar as her assailant and gave the number of the room where she had been shot. Selena's condition began to deteriorate rapidly as motel staff attended to her. A staff member tried to talk to her, but noted that she was beginning to fade away; he stated that she was moaning and moving less. An ambulance arrived at the scene in one minute and 55 seconds. The paramedics applied a Vaseline gloss to Selena's wound, which stopped the surface bleeding. By now Selena's heartbeat was very slow, and a paramedic performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation to keep her blood circulating.
During this time, a paramedic tried inserting an IV needle into Selena, but due to the massive blood loss and low (or no) blood pressure, her veins had collapsed making the insertion extremely difficult. Navigation Boulevard was shut down by local police. At 12:00 pm, paramedics delivered Selena to Corpus Christi Memorial Hospital. She was transferred to the trauma room where doctors and surgeons began blood transfusions in an attempt to reestablish blood circulation after opening Selena's chest and finding massive internal bleeding. Since the bullet had pierced an artery, after 50 minutes the doctors realized that the damage was irreparable. Selena was pronounced dead at 1:05 pm from blood loss and cardiac arrest.
Standoff
Meanwhile, negotiators ran a phone line to their base of operations (adjacent to Saldívar's pickup truck) as the standoff continued. Lead negotiator Larry Young tried to establish a rapport with Saldívar and persuade her to give herself up. Another negotiator, Isaac Valencia, suggested that the shooting was accidental; Saldívar later changed her story, claiming that the "gun went off" by itself.
During the third hour, an autopsy was performed due to overwhelming media interest. It revealed that the bullet had entered Selena's lower back, passed through her chest cavity (severing the right common carotid artery) and exited her right upper chest. It also revealed that Selena's heart, fueled by adrenaline, increased the rate of blood loss.
Abraham Quintanilla tried to remember his daughter, Selena Quintanilla-Perez as she would have looked the last time he saw her, just the day beforehand, her fate. As, Selena Quintanilla-Perez was a full-grown woman of 23, a budding superstar who dreamed of raising a big family with her guitarist/husband once her music career settled down. She had a smile that could torch up the night, and a figure that turned heads wherever she went. But the only image that would come into focus in Abraham's mind was that of an 8-year-old girl, were she started her career, standing nervously behind the microphone at the family restaurant in Lake Jackson.
Cause of death: Murdered
Burial: Seaside Memorial Park
Corpus Christi
Nueces County
Texas, USA
Plot: Section LL
Maintained by: Find A Grave
Record added: Jan 01, 2001
Find A Grave Memorial# 1460
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=1460
Biography Selena Quintanilla
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Selena The last concert astodome houston 1995 completo full HD
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