Selena Quintanilla

Selena Quintanilla was born on April 16, 1971, and was 23 years old when she died on March 31, 1995. Selena Quintanilla was shot and killed by her fan club president, Yolanda Saldívar, in a Corpus Christi Days Inn motel. Selena Quintanilla is important for being the groundbreaking "Queen of Tejano Music" who expanded the appeal of Latin music in the United States, a Grammy-winning icon who broke barriers for women and Latin artists, and a cultural touchstone whose life and legacy continue to inspire fans through music, fashion, and ongoing commemoration. She brought a unique blend of Colombian and pop to mainstream audiences, celebrated her Mexican-American heritage by singing in both Spanish and English, and left a lasting cultural impact despite her tragic death in 1995. 

A white rose was thrown at Selena in a scene from a movie in 1997, which showed Selena as a powerful symbol, as white roses were her favorite flower, and the scene depicted her unable to catch it. While fans theorized it was a premonition of her death, Selena's father, Abraham Quintanilla, dismissed the idea as "hogwash," stating they simply incorporated the white rose due to her love for them. The rose was thrown to the stage, missed by the singer, before it fell to her feet, and was used in the film to represent her deep love for the flower and symbolize her death.    

Some of Selena Quintanilla's favorite things included Pizza Hut's thin-crust, double pepperoni pizza, hot tea with honey and lemon, long-stemmed white roses, animals like her five dogs, and collecting Faberge eggs. She also enjoyed the music of Bidi Bidi Bom Bom and Amor Prohibido, designing clothing for her boutiques, and inspiring others to stay in school and avoid drugs through her D.A.R.E. work. Their huge break came when Selena (age 15) won the Tejano Music Award for Female Entertainer of the Year, said imdb.com. She soon continued to receive more awards, like Female Vocalist of the Year. Her second solo album “Ven Comingo” gained a lot of success, especially one song from the album “Baila Esta Cumbia”.

Writer: Alyson Gomez

Editor: Kairi Tang

9/25/25