Mega Latin cross-over artist Selena Quintanilla-Perez is revered by the Spanish-speaking world and beyond. Her greatest hits album Lo Mejor De … Selena currently sits at number three on the top ten Billboard charts. It’s no surprise as the beloved singer has been gone for over two decades yet her spirit and music still continues to impact the world.
Selena only completed four LP’s before her death, but has sold well over 60 million albums world-wide since her passing. Her album Live – The Last Concert released in 2001 is also certified platinum.
“The Queen of Tejano” laid the path for many of today’s Latin artists like Selena Gomez, Pitbull, Miguel and Bruno Mars, and the magnitude of the Mexican-American singer’s work is still felt. Billboard named her the “Artist of the Decade” in the 1990s, despite her passing in 1995.
This past March 31, the 21st anniversary of her death, her sister Suzette released this message to fans: “Can’t believe I’ve survived this long without you….it’s insane!! I miss you more than you can ever imagine…. For those who wonder what goes on inside my heart…it’s the same as what I felt on day one. Thank you to all who continue to remember her and love her.”
Despite never receiving formal singing training, Selena won her first Grammy in the early 1994 and has won over 66 major music awards before and after her death. Some of her biggest songs to date are “Como La Flor,” “Amor Prohibido,” “Si Una Vez,” “Baila esta Cumbia,” “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom,” and landmark U.S. pop hits “I Could Fall In Love,” and “Dreaming of You.”
In a year after her death there were eight books and three documentaries produced without the permission of the family. In her 1997 biopic, Jennifer Lopez was cast to play the iconic singer and in many ways this role helped jump start her budding career.
