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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, April 16, 2015, marks the 44th anniversary of the |
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birth of the internationally acclaimed queen of Tejano music, |
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Selena Quintanilla Pérez; and |
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WHEREAS, Born on that day in 1971 in Lake Jackson, this |
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extremely gifted young woman developed her love for music at an |
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early age, having begun singing at the age of six and performing |
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with Los Dinos, the Quintanilla family band, by the age of nine; and |
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WHEREAS, Selena recorded her first album while still in her |
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teens, and as her popularity grew, her band became known as Selena y |
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Los Dinos; blessed with the guidance of her father, Abraham |
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Quintanilla, who served as her manager and booking agent, she |
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successfully made the transition from teen star to adult artist and |
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garnered her first serious recognition in 1987 when she was named |
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Female Vocalist of the Year and Performer of the Year at the Tejano |
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Music Awards in San Antonio; and |
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WHEREAS, With artistry and hard work, she continued to build |
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on her success by setting a dizzying pace for herself during which |
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she would captivate audiences by dancing and singing in her |
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trademark costumes; in addition to performing at concerts and |
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recording albums, this dynamic entertainer was featured on one of |
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Latin America's most popular shows, Siempre en Domingo, appeared on |
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the renowned soap opera Dos Mujeres, Un Camino, played a singer in |
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the film Don Juan DeMarco, and had begun a new chapter in her |
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multifaceted career with the establishment of a boutique and hair |
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salon in Corpus Christi and San Antonio; and |
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WHEREAS, Selena became an internationally recognized star |
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who was especially revered in Mexico, throughout Latin America, and |
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in her home state of Texas, and while developing her own phenomenal |
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career, she was also instrumental in transforming the Tejano music |
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industry into one of the fastest-growing markets of music in the |
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world; and |
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WHEREAS, Her achievements as an entertainer gave her a means |
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by which to reach a broader audience, and she put her accessibility |
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to her fans to good use, empowering women through her inspiring |
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lyrics and through her community involvement; and |
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WHEREAS, A positive role model for Hispanic youth and women |
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from all walks of life, Selena gave many young people hope and |
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encouragement to persevere and to follow their dreams as she did, |
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and she used her success to encourage students to complete their |
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education, to stay away from drugs, and to make healthy choices |
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through her support of and involvement with many worthy |
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organizations and events, including local schools, the DARE |
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program, the Stay in School Jamboree, and the Coastal Bend AIDS |
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Foundation, to name but a few; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1994, Selena was awarded a Grammy for the year's |
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best Mexican American album, Selena Live, and went on to sweep the |
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year's Tejano Music Awards, winning the best album, recording, |
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female vocalist, female entertainer, and Tejano crossover |
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categories; and |
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WHEREAS, She was nominated for a Grammy again the following |
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year for the quadruple-platinum Amor Prohibido, which produced |
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three chart-topping singles and sold more than 400,000 copies in |
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the United States alone; and |
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WHEREAS, A young woman of tremendous charisma and talent, she |
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became the first female crossover Latin artist signed to the SBK |
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sister label to the EMI Latin recording company and, at the time of |
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her death, was recording her first album in English; that record was |
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widely expected to establish Selena as a crossover star in the |
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broader reaches of the pop music world; and |
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WHEREAS, Though she had attained fame and fortune as an |
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entertainer, Selena remained true to her roots and shared her |
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culture's long-standing devotion to family, keeping her music a |
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family affair with her husband, Chris Pérez, backing her on guitar, |
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her sister, Suzette Quintanilla Arriaga, serving as her band's |
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drummer, and her brother, A. B. "Abe" Quintanilla III, assisting as |
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her producer, bassist, and cowriter; and |
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WHEREAS, The tragedy of her death in 1995 was so deeply felt |
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by the Hispanic community that the People magazine issue in honor of |
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Selena sold a record number of copies and ultimately spurred the |
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creation of the popular People En Español; and |
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WHEREAS, After Selena's passing, her life inspired a hit |
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movie, a stage musical, and a successful clothing line, and the |
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soaring popularity of her music resulted in Billboard naming her |
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"Best Selling Latin Artist of the Decade" for the 1990s with 18 |
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million albums sold; and |
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WHEREAS, Though her life was cut tragically short, Selena |
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Quintanilla Pérez left an indelible mark on this world through her |
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vast achievements as a performer of Tejano music, and it is fitting |
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that she be remembered on the anniversary of her birth, for her |
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music continues to touch the lives of people the world over; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Selena Quintanilla |
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Pérez on April 16, 2015, the 44th anniversary of her birth. |