Selena remembered: Friday marks 22 years since Queen of Tejano's death

KTRK logo
Friday, March 31, 2017
Forever Selena: Queen of Tejano's legacy lives on
More than two decades after her death, Selena's influence is still being felt.

It's been exactly 22 years since Selena Quintanilla-Perez - simply known as "Selena" - was fatally shot on March 31, 1995. Since her death, Selena's legacy has only grown stronger, bolstered by numerous pop-cultural markers that have popped up within the last few years.

Selena began singing the Tejano music that eventually made her famous in her father's restaurant in Lake Jackson, Texas. Her father Abraham taught the family band and named them Los Dinos after his own group from earlier years.

Selena's brother, A.B., played bass, and her sister, Suzette, played drums.

PHOTOS: Remembering Selena, the Queen of Tejano music

1 of 8

When the Quintanilla family moved to Corpus Christi, Texas, Los Dinos started landing gigs at parties and weddings.

Selena was only 15 when she won female entertainer of the year at the Tejano Music Awards. She rose to stardom in the traditionally male-dominated Tejano music industry, and achieved crossover fame after her death, with the release of her English language CD, "Dreaming of You."

More than two decades after her death, her influence is still felt. Her official Facebook page has nearly 4 million likes.

In 2016, Selena was awarded two Hollywood markers of success. She was awarded a posthumous star on the Walk of Fame, which will be placed this year. Madame Tussaud's also unveiled a wax figure modeled after Selena's performance at the Memorial Coliseum in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Feb. 7, 1993.

Selena's life and legacy are the inspiration behind the annual "Fiesta De La Flor," two-day music festival in Corpus Christi.

Copyright © 2024 KTRK-TV. All Rights Reserved.