Selena Quintanilla's name was all over the magazines and newspapers during the prime years of her career. She made history, topped the charts, and sold millions of albums worldwide. However, her fate was met with a tragic incident at an early age.
Today, the musician's fans and family are celebrating her birthday. In honor of her life and legacy, take a look back at the early days of her career as well as her blossoming success in the music industry.
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Born Selena Quintanilla on April 16, 1971, the singer, who was dubbed the Queen of Tejano Music, would have been 51 years old today.
Before the prime years of Jennifer Lopez, Camila Cabello, and more Latin musicians, Quintanilla was one of the most celebrated Mexican-American performers of her time. She even placed third on the "Greatest Latin Artists of All Time" list by Billboard.
Her career started by being a member of the Selena y Los Dinos band along with her siblings Suzette and A.B. Quintanilla.
The singer's early days in the industry were tough as venues would often refuse her to perform in Texas for her genre of Tejano music. One of the main contributors to why she wasn't accepted was because the genre was mainly dominated by men.
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However, everything changed in 1987 when she was awarded the Female Vocalist of the Year at the Tejano Music Awards.
Following this, she struck a deal under EMI Latin later that decade and released her self-titled debut album, which was produced and written by her brother.
Her commercial success grew in the 90s after releasing "Entre a Mi Mundo" as it topped the US Billboard Regional Mexican Albums chart for eight months straight.
As her career continued to skyrocket around the world, an unfortunate incident happened when she was shot and killed on March 31, 1995, by Yolanda Saldivar. Selena Quintanilla was only 23 at the time.
Selena Quintanilla New Music
Last year, the musician's fans were surprised after her estate announced that a posthumous album would be released featuring songs that were never been heard before.
Her father, Abraham Quintanilla, revealed that A.B. Quintanilla worked on the project and some of the songs are "ballads" while some are "cumbias."
"Selena's been gone 26 years now... It's amazing how fast time flies. What amazes me (and my family) is 26 years later, the public still remembers Selena, you know. They haven't let go of her. So they're waiting for a project like this to come out," he added. (via KHOU 11)
Selena Quintanilla's recent album, "Moonchild Mixes," is available for streaming on major music platforms online like Spotify and Apple Music.
