The internet is buzzing with questions about part two of the popular series about the late singer Selena Quintanilla.
Selena: The Series documents the life and tragic death of the famous Tejano singer and one particular scene left fans talking and searching for some facts. In a dramatized scene in episode six of part two, a young girl is shown with her mom as they shop at a mall.
The young girl pauses as she spies Selena and the girl’s mom encourages her to be brave, saying, “Beyoncé Knowles, you better learn not to be afraid of people if you ever wanna be famous too.”
Did Beyoncè really meet Selena?
Although the scene left many wondering if the characters and line had been added merely for dramatic effect, the superstar really did meet Selena when she was young.
In an interview with MTV, Beyoncè talked about her experience, saying, “I did actually meet Selena in the Galleria Mall in Houston but I didn’t say much to Selena ‘cuz I wasn’t a celebrity and I just saw her and said hello and kept it moving. Definitely growing up in Texas I heard her on the radio and I think listening to her albums, even though I didn’t know exactly what she was singing, it helped me in the studio with my pronunciation. I think she is a legend and I admire her. She was so talented so, even though she didn’t know who I was, I still feel so excited that I got that opportunity.”
Where was Selena born?
Selena was born in 1971 in Lake Jackson, Texas.
She came to fame at a young age, starting a band at the encouragement of her father, whom also helped teach the young girl to speak Spanish so she could find a niche among the Latino community.
She soon found her way into the music industry and became affectionately known as the Queen of Tejano, which is when Mexican music is mixed with different genres, like country or pop.
What awards did Selena win?
Selena won her first Grammy in 1993 for her album Live!, taking home the award for Best Mexican-American album of the year.
After a few more years of success with her Spanish-focused recordings, Selena went to work in the studio in 1995 to release her first English-only album in the hopes of gaining more fans in the United States.
Who was Selena married to?
Despite her young age, Selena married her boyfriend, Chris Pèrez in 1992 after he had joined her band in 1990.
The pair secretly married at City Hall, afraid that Selena’s father would go on a tirade if they shared their plans with him prior to being wed.
In an episode for Biography, Pèrez shared more details about the day they eloped, saying, “We took off to City Hall, I remember man, it was really weird, I kept looking over my shoulder…I’d just be paranoid and she thought it was funny.” Selena’s father, Abraham Quintanilla, Jr., shared his side of the drama, telling Biography that he eventually learned to accept it and move on.
How did Selena die?
At the peak of her career, and right after recording her American album Dreaming of You, Selena was tragically killed by a crazed fan. Yolanda Saldivar had been part of the Quintanillas’ life since the early 1990s, creating a Selena fan club after hounding Abraham for permission.
Yolanda’s efforts paid off and she soon started the fan club and her outreach work garnered over 1,500 members, which at the time was considered to be a huge following.
Apparently, Yolanda grew more and more obsessed with the singer, even creating a wall-to-wall shrine of Selena photos in her room. As Yolanda’s bizarre behavior became more worrisome, Selena had decided to meet with her to discuss her concerns that Yolanda was embezzling money.
As Selena was leaving the room, Yolanda took out a gun and shot the singer in the back. Selena was taken to a hospital in Corpus Christi and was pronounced dead ninety minutes after the attack.
Yolanda was arrested after a nine and a half hour stand-off with police, all the while claiming that the shooting was an “accident” and that she “didn’t mean to do it.” She is currently still in jail as she serves a life sentence. She will be eligible for parole in 2025.