Selena Quintanilla Gomez, better known simply as Selena, was adored by millions of fans for her music, style and personality. She blended traditional Tejano music with upbeat Mexican cumbia in both Spanish and English. Her albums, which sold over 30 million copies worldwide, were some of the first for a female Hispanic artist to reach the Billboard charts in Mexico and the United States.
The Queen of Tejano music was only 23 years old when she was murdered in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Over 60,000 fans attended her public funeral in Corpus Christi. Across South Texas, she is revered as a diva, a martyr and even a saint. She was so popular that after her death in 1995 Governor George W. Bush declared that in Texas, April 16, her birthday, would be remembered as Selena Day. "Dreaming of You" her record released just after her death, debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 album chart, something no other Latin recording artist had done and led Billboard magazine to name her the greatest female Latin artist of all time. The movie made about her life launched the career of a then-unknown actress, Jennifer Lopez.
Now, over 26 years after her death, Selena is still one of the most popular musicians on Spanish-language radio and her songs are covered by Tejano bands.
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, today we remember the Queen of Tejano music, Selena.
