50 Fun Facts About Selena Quintanilla

Selena is known by which regal nickname?

Media outlets also called her the 'Tejano Madonna' for her stage outfits.

In which Texas town was Selena born on April 16, 1971?

The obstetrician who delivered her was future congressman Ron Paul.

Which future congressman was the obstetrician at Selena's birth?

She was raised as a Jehovah's Witness and her father spotted her talent at age six.

What was the name of the family's Tex-Mex restaurant where the kids first performed?

The 1980s oil glut forced it to close and the family, bankrupt and evicted, moved to Corpus Christi.

Which instrument did Selena's sister Suzette play in Selena y Los Dinos?

Brother A.B. played bass and became her principal producer and songwriter.

Where did the name 'Los Dinos' come from?

Abraham Quintanilla Jr. managed the new group to support the family after the restaurant failed.

What did Abraham Quintanilla name the old bus he refurbished as the band's tour vehicle?

In the early years the family sang for food and could barely afford gasoline.

How did Selena learn the Spanish lyrics for her early Tejano recordings?

She had wanted to record in English, but her father insisted on music tied to her heritage.

Selena won Female Vocalist of the Year at the Tejano Music Awards how many consecutive times?

The first win came in 1987, when Texas venues were still turning her down for being a woman in a male genre.

Selena signed with which newly formed record label in 1989?

Executive José Behar thought he had found 'the next Gloria Estefan'; Sony had offered twice the fee.

Selena covered 'Sukiyaki' in Spanish; the song was originally recorded in which language?

Kyu Sakamoto's 1960s hit reached her via an English adaptation by Janice Marie Johnson.

Which soft-drink company made Selena a spokesperson in Texas in 1989?

A.B. and new guitarist Chris Pérez composed the jingle for her first two commercials.

Chris Pérez joined Selena y Los Dinos playing which instrument?

He and Selena confessed their feelings for each other at a Pizza Hut and dated in secret.

Selena and Chris Pérez eloped on what date?

Her father had fired Pérez from the band and called him 'a cancer in my family'; he later apologised and rehired him.

Selena's first Billboard Top Latin Songs number one was a duet with which Salvadoran singer?

'Buenos Amigos' opened up touring on both US coasts for her.

Which 1992 album is called Selena's 'breakthrough' record?

It topped the Regional Mexican Albums chart for eight straight months.

'Como la Flor' was inspired by a family selling what at a 1982 concert in Sacramento?

A decade later A.B. leapt out of a hotel shower in Bryan, Texas, to get the melody down; the music took 20 minutes.

Who wrote 'Como la Flor'?

Astudillo, her backup singer and dancer, took about an hour to finish the lyrics.

'Bidi Bidi Bom Bom' was originally written about what?

The title ended up as an onomatopoeia for a lovestruck heartbeat.

Selena's Live! album was recorded at a free concert in which venue?

It was taped on February 7, 1993, and included three new studio tracks.

Live! made Selena the first female Tejano artist to win what?

It took Best Mexican/American Album at the 36th Grammys in 1994.

Selena briefly appeared opposite Erik Estrada in which Mexican telenovela?

Her two episodes drew record ratings for the series.

What were her two clothing boutiques called?

One was in Corpus Christi and one in San Antonio, both with in-house beauty salons.

Selena's 1994 album Amor Prohibido spawned how many number-one singles?

The title track, 'Bidi Bidi Bom Bom', 'No Me Queda Más' and 'Fotos y Recuerdos' all topped the chart.

The title track of Amor Prohibido was based on a love story about whom?

Her great-grandmother's letters described life as a maid who fell for a man of higher rank.

'Fotos y Recuerdos' reworks which Pretenders song into a cumbia?

A.B. heard it on the radio in New York and was worried the band lacked material for the album.

Selena played a record-breaking sold-out show in February 1995 at which venue?

Work on her English crossover album had already begun by then.

Selena had a cameo in which 1995 film starring Marlon Brando and Johnny Depp?

Two songs she cut for its soundtrack were shelved and later appeared on Dreaming of You.

Yolanda Saldívar first entered Selena's life in what role?

The registered nurse later managed the boutiques and was caught embezzling more than $30,000.

Selena was shot at a Days Inn motel in which city?

She had gone to collect financial records Saldívar kept delaying; she died at Memorial Hospital at 1:05 p.m.

How old was Selena when she died?

She died on March 31, 1995, sixteen days before her 24th birthday.

How long was the standoff before Saldívar surrendered to police?

She sat in her pickup truck in the motel parking lot while hundreds of fans gathered.

What sentence did Yolanda Saldívar receive in October 1995?

Her first parole request was denied in March 2025; the next review is set for 2030.

Which Texas governor declared April 16 'Selena Day' two weeks after her death?

He said she represented 'the essence of south Texas culture'.

Selena's posthumous album Dreaming of You made her the first Latin artist to do what?

It sold 175,000 copies on release day, then a record for a female vocalist.

Selena is buried in which cemetery?

About 30,000 to 40,000 fans filed past her open casket the day before.

Which magazine's Selena tribute issue sold nearly a million copies and spawned a Spanish spin-off?

The sell-out prompted the launch of People en Español.

Who played Selena in the 1997 biopic?

More than 21,000 people auditioned, the biggest search since Scarlett O'Hara; Lopez earned a Golden Globe nomination.

Who wrote and directed the 1997 film Selena?

Abraham Quintanilla initially resisted him because of his ego, but producer Moctesuma Esparza won him over.

Which actor played Abraham Quintanilla in the 1997 film?

Jon Seda played Chris Pérez and Constance Marie played Selena's mother Marcella.

Which Mexican actress turned down the chance to test for the film role, saying it was 'too early'?

The film grossed $35 million on a $20 million budget.

Who starred as Selena in Netflix's 2020 Selena: The Series?

The family-authorised series ran two seasons, produced with Abraham and Suzette Quintanilla.

What is the Mirador de la Flor?

Sculpted by Buddy Tatum and unveiled in 1997, it draws about 30,000 visitors a year.

Which cosmetics brand released a Selena line in 2016 after a fan petition?

It became the best-selling celebrity line in cosmetics history.

Selena's 2017 Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony set what record?

Around 4,500 fans turned out.

Chris Pérez's band won a Grammy for its debut album titled what?

The Chris Pérez Band signed to Hollywood Records and took Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album.

Selena earned her diploma at 17 through which institution?

She was also accepted at Louisiana State University and later enrolled in business administration by correspondence.

Which radio host's mockery of Selena's murder prompted Texas retailers to pull his products?

Sears and McDonald's also wrote to the media disapproving of his remarks, which had compared her music to Alvin and the Chipmunks.

Which singer did Selena credit with opening the door for female artists of Hispanic descent?

EMI's José Behar saw Selena herself as a cross between Janet Jackson and Whitney Houston in style, feel and range.

How many US copies did the posthumous album Dreaming of You sell on its release day in July 1995?

That was then a record for a female pop singer, and by 2017 the album had passed 2.9 million US sales, the best-selling Latin album in the country.