Selena Quintanilla sings at the Houston Astrodome Livestock Show & Rodeo in February 1995.Photo: Arlene Richie/Getty
Selena Quintanilla’s talent was taken from the world too soon.
The singer, known mononymously as Selena, was still reaching new heights in her music career when she died at 23 years old. The “Como La Flor” artist began performing as a child with her brother A.B. Quintanilla and sister Suzette Quintanilla in their band Selena y Los Dinos. In 1989, Selena embarked on a solo singing career and won aGrammy Awardfor best Mexican-American album forSelena Live!in 1993.
Selena’s sudden death devastated the world — particularly her deeply devoted fan base. Years after thousands of fans mourned the loss, her family and her widowed husband,Chris Pérez, have kept her legacy going with annual musical tributes,a museumpreserving her belongings and celebrating her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
When asked about Selena’s long-lasting impact, her dad, Abraham Quintanilla, told PEOPLE that her memory continues to live through fans.
“Over the years, thenew generations have discovered herand have fallen in love with her,” he said in 2021. “Selena’s life was cut short, but her fans have carried her throughout the years and her legacy is being passed on from generation to generation. That in itself is incredible.”
Here’s what to know about Selena Quintanilla’s death, and the legacy she left behind.
How did Selena Quintanilla die?
Selena Quintanilla backstage at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo at the Houston Astrodome in Texas on February 26, 1995.Arlene Richie/Getty
According toThe New York Times, Selena and her family accused Saldívar of embezzling money from the singer’s businesses during a meeting on March 2, 1995. After Saldívar was fired, she purchased a .38-caliber revolver and arranged to meet Selena at a Days Inn motel in Corpus Christi at the end of that month.
When Selena reached the front desk just before noon, she yelled for help and collapsed on the floor. While the Days Inn staff called for an ambulance and attempted to stop the bleeding, Saldívar returned to her room. Per eyewitness accounts, the singer identified who shot her and the motel room number before losing consciousness.
TheAssociated Presslater reported that the hollow-point bullet damaged Selena’s right shoulder, lung veins and a major artery in her collarbone. The culmination of the injuries caused “a massive ongoing blood loss,” according to cardiac surgeon Dr. Louis Elkins, who was supposed to perform surgery on the artist. By the time she arrived in the emergency room, Selena was clinically brain dead.
When did Selena Quintanilla die?
Selena died at 1:05 p.m. on March 31, 1995.
Where did Selena Quintanilla die?
Selena Quintanilla performs at the opening of the Hard Rock Cafe on January 12th, 1995 in San Antonio, Texas.Larry Busacca/Getty
Selena died outside the Days Inn in Corpus Christi, Texas.
The motel staff called for an ambulance, which arrived on the scene in 1 minute and 55 seconds. By this point, Selena had stopped breathing, and paramedics performed CPR on her. They also applied gauze with pressure to stop the bleeding while transporting her from the Days Inn motel to the Corpus Christi Memorial Hospital.
When they arrived, doctors made efforts to save her life, including performing open heart massage and blood transfusions. Although medical staff attempted to reestablish a steady heart rate, Selena showed no sign of neurological function due to massive internal bleeding, according to the Associated Press. After about an hour, the “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom"singer was pronounced dead at 1:05 p.m.
How old was Selena Quintanilla when she died?
Selena Quintanilla in the press room at the 1994 Grammy Awards in New York City.Vinnie Zuffante/Getty
Selena was 23 years old at the time of her death. The artist was two weeks away from her birthday on April 16.
What were Selena Quintanilla’s last words?
Selena Quintanilla poses for a portrait in the late 1980s.Courtesy Everett Collection
A short time later, Saldívar was caught in a standoff with authorities while in a pickup truck in the motel’s parking lot. After more than nine hours, she surrendered to the police and FBI but declared it was an accidental shooting.
Saldívar was charged with first-degree murder and pleaded not guilty to the charges. On Oct. 23, 1995, the jury found her guilty, and she was later sentenced to life in prison with no eligibility for parole for 30 years, perThe New York Times.
She is currently serving her sentence at the Patrick O’Daniel Unit (formerly known as the Mountain View Unit) in Gatesville, Texas, and will become eligible for parole on March 30, 2025.
How did the public react to Selena Quintanilla’s death?
Fans of Selena Quintanilla pay their respects after her death on March 31, 1995.Barbara Laing/Getty
Selena’s death was devastating to her loved ones and fans, prompting vigils and memorials throughout Texas and California, where she was most popular.
Only a few miles from Selena’s burial site, a monument opened in her honor on May 25, 1997.Mirador de la Flor, which translates to Lookout of the Flower, features a motif of white roses and a life-size bronze statue of the singer leaning against a center pillar, looking over the Corpus Christi Bay.
What legacy did Selena Quintanilla leave behind?
Left to right: Chris Perez, A.B. Quintanilla III, Suzette Quintanilla, Marcella Quintanilla and Abraham Quintanilla attend Selena Quintanilla posthumously receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on November 3, 2017 in Hollywood, California.David Livingston/Getty
Selena was killed before the completion of her first album in both Spanish and English,Dreaming of You. It was released posthumously on July 18, 1995, and was an immediate success, debuting at No. 1 on theBillboard200 chart. The album remained in the top 200 for 49 weeks. Three years later, fans could start visiting the Selena Museum, which houses her iconic wardrobe, numerous awards and other memorabilia, including her family’s tour bus.
Fast forward to November 2017, Selena posthumously received a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame. More than 4,500 fans attended the unveiling, and former Mayor Eric Garcetti declared November 3 as “Selena Day” in Los Angeles. Selena’s sister, Suzette, received it on her behalf, and at the event, Selena’s mom, dad, brother and husband posed together.
During the 63rd annual Grammy Awards in March 2021, Selena was also posthumously honored with the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Ahead of the show, her father, Abraham, told PEOPLE his daughter “would have been very excited for this honor, just like she was when she won her Grammy back in 1994.”
source: people.com
