BIOGRAPHY
Selena Quintanilla-Pérez was born on April 16, 1971, in Lake Jackson, Texas, to Abraham Quintanilla and Marcella Ofelia Samora. Her father performed with the Tejano group Los Dinos in his youth but eventually retired from music to work at the Dow Chemical plant in Lake Jackson. He provided his children with instruments and taught them to play as a family activity and they became Selena y Los Dinos: her brother A. B. played bass, sister Suzette played drums, and Selena acted as lead singer. The band started performing regularly at the family restaurant, Papagayo’s, in 1980, as well as in clubs, local restaurants, and outdoor festivals, making a series of independent recordings starting with Selena y Los Dinos (1984). An excellent student, Selena had to be home schooled because of the demands and time commitment of touring throughout the Southwest when the band became the family’s main source of income. After winning awards for female vocalist of the year and performer of the year at the 1987 Tejano music Awards, Selena was signed to EMI Records and released her first major-label album, Selena, in 1989.
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