Twenty years ago today, Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, 23, was fatally shot by the former president of her fan club, Yolanda Saldívara, in a Days Inn motel room in Corpus Christi, Texas. This tragic event sent shock waves through her legions of fans and two years later sparked the career of Jennifer Lopez who portrayed the Tejano singer in the 1997 biopic, Selena.
Jennifer Lopez, 45, spoke with Billboard about the Mexican-American musician’s legacy, “It has always bugged me that people would try to think that there’s a ‘next Selena,’” the singer-actress stated. “It’s like saying there’s another James Dean or Marilyn Monroe. People like that don’t come along every day. There is never going to be another Selena. It’s a special thing that Selena had. That’s why we’re still talking about her 20 years later.”
“Getting to play the part of Selena was life-changing for me,” Lopez told Para Todos magazine. “I got to immerse myself in her life, got to know her family, her home, her culture … every part of her story. It was a special time in my life both professionally and personally. Playing her not only opened doors for me in the film world, but it inspired me to start my own music career. In a lot of ways, I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t had that experience.”
Sadly, Selena never got to experience the release of her highly anticipated 1995 English-language crossover album, “Dreaming of You,” which rocketed to the top of the Billboard 200 the first week it was released.
Rest in peace, Selena.
