Carter Roy (6:57)
The first time Selena Quintanilla got recognized for her singing, she was just six years old, standing in her family's home in Lake Jackson, Texas. Her father, Abraham had returned from his shift at the chemical plant and picked up his guitar. As he strummed along, Selina opened her mouth and started to sing. Abraham couldn't believe what he was hearing. His daughter's voice stopped him in his tracks. She wasn't just good, she was remarkable. Suddenly, Abraham was transported back in time to his own youth. Growing up in Texas, Abraham Quintanilla had always loved music and by the time he was 15 in 1954, he joined a band called the Dinos. All the members were Spanish speakers, but like many young musicians at the time, they sang in English. This was intentional. They hoped to break into white venues across the state, but no matter how hard they tried, they hit the same wall. Or rather, they had the same doors slammed in their faces because of segregation, especially in the south. The opportunities just weren't there for a young Mexican American group. Eventually, the band decided to lean into their roots and began performing Tejano music, which originated from the Hispanic communities of South Texas. Tejano is a vibrant mix of styles, blending jazz, country and even German polka with fast rhythms, heavy accordion and lyrics sung in Spanish. Abraham loved it. He dreamed of a successful career as a Tejano musician, but before long life got in the way. In 1963, Abraham married his girlfriend, Marcella. They quickly had two children, Abraham III or A.B. and Suzette. Suddenly, the gig life didn't seem so appealing to Abraham. He was always on the road, constantly away from his family. So one day he packed it all up and became a serious family man. He took a job based in Lake Jackson, Texas, working for the Dow Chemical Company. He moved his wife and kids to the new area, a predominantly English speaking part of the state. That's where they had their third child in 1971, Selena. In the years since, Abraham had tried to put music behind him. But that afternoon in 1976, listening to his six year old daughter sing, he realized that maybe his story wasn't over after all. And this wasn't just a proud father projecting his hopes and dreams on his kid. Abraham understood talent and what it took to be a musician. He knew his daughter had something special. So he went out and bought some instruments for the family. He had his son AB playing the bass. Suzette learned the drums, and Selena became the lead singer. Initially, the kids weren't super excited about the idea of forming a family band. They had other interests and wanted to be outside playing during their free time. But Abraham was relentless. He insisted they practice every day, even if it was only for 15 minutes. For him, this was a second chance, and he was determined to succeed. Abraham's next move was a gamble, and at first glance, an odd detour. He poured his savings into opening a Mexican restaurant, but he made sure the plans included a small stage where his kids could perform. It was sort of genius. He didn't have to book them into gigs if he already controlled the venue. At first, it worked. But then a cruel twist of fate led the oil industry to collapse in the area. The local economy tanked and businesses dried up. Despite his best efforts, Abraham was forced to close the restaurant. Soon after, the family lost their home, and since all of their money had been invested in the restaurants, they were left with basically nothing. The family relocated about 170 miles away to Corpus Christi, a coastal city in South Texas where an uncle took them in. Thirteen people lived under his roof, Packed tightly together, Abraham and Marcella tried to rebuild, but some days, even food was hard to come by. Abraham searched for work, but music was the only thing he truly knew and loved. So once again, he doubled down. If his family was going to survive, it would be through the band. In 1981, when Selena was about 10 years old, she and her siblings officially became Selena de los Dinos, named after Abraham's original band. They played anywhere that would pay fairs, weddings, quinceaneras, and community events. The kids were singing songs they didn't fully understand. They barely spoke Spanish, even though every song was in it. But growing up in Lake Jackson, English had been their first language. They wanted to play the American pop and rock songs they loved, but their father shut them down. He'd tried that path before, and it hadn't worked. He insisted that Tejano music was the way forward, and it seemed like he was right. By 1984, when Selena was 13, the band recorded their first album. From then on, they were booked and busy. They traveled all over Texas, often opening for larger Tejano acts. The schedule was so intense that in eighth grade, Selena had to leave school. She was homeschooled instead. It allowed her to perform, which she loved, but she missed her classmates. In interviews, she admitted she didn't really have any close friends her own age anymore. Her world had shrunk to her family in the road. Still, momentum was building. The following year, the band released two more albums. And at just 15 years old, Selena won Female Vocalist of the Year at the Tejano Music Awards. Over the next three years, Selena e Los Dinos began to climb the Latin music charts fast. That kind of commercial success led the band to sign with a new label in 1989, when Selena was 18. Although Capital Latin was a division of the US based company Capitol Records, it was specifically focused on signing Tejano, regional, Mexican and Latin pop. But the label thought Selena could break boundaries and appeal to a broader audience. To do that, they decided to market Selena as a standalone artist. On the new album that was released that year. It no longer said Selena y los Dinos. It just read Selena. Despite the change in marketing, the band was still there. Selena's brother A.B. still played bass and her sister Suzette was still on the drums. They had picked up a few additional musicians from outside the family, too. No one seemed that upset about losing the Los Dinos part of the name. They all understood the goal was to turn Selena into an international pop star. One who is poised to cross over into the English speaking market. Because if Selina succeeded, they all did. The next chapter of Selina's life came at a cost. She was constantly on the move, either touring, promoting or recording her new albums. She spent nearly all her time in front of microphones and cameras, barely seeing anyone besides the band. She smiled through it, grateful for all her success. But she couldn't deny that she was lonely. Around this time, two people entered her life who would help ease that pain. The first was Chris Perez. Chris had joined the band as a guitarist brought in by Selena's brother ab. Her father, Abraham, wasn't thrilled. As Selena's manager, he didn't want anyone outside of the family joining. But Chris was undeniably talented and AB pushed hard. Eventually, Abraham relented. At first, Chris and Selena barely interacted. He had a girlfriend and Selena was almost always with her sister or mother. But once the tour began and they were on the road, the two bonded. On the long bus rides. They talked for hours about music, movies and life. Their chemistry was undeniable. And eventually, Chris broke up with his girlfriend. Soon, he and Selina started dating, but they kept it a secret. Both of them were terrified of Abraham's reaction if he found out. He didn't want Selena dating at all, especially not someone she worked with. But Selina and Chris didn't care. They were in love and no one was going to stop them. Around that same time, a woman named Yolanda Saldivar called Abraham with an idea. We don't know exactly how she got his number, whether it was publicly listed somewhere or what, but she told him she wanted to start a Selena fan club. Not just some casual fan run one, but an official one with the family's approval. Abraham was usually very cautious about outsiders, something Chris knew firsthand. But Yolanda didn't raise any red flags. She was soft spoken, respectful, and extremely enthusiastic. She told him how she'd seen Selena perform and had been mesmerized by her. And a fan club made sense from a business perspective. Membership fees would bring in more money, and building loyalty meant more sales in the future. He gave Yolanda the green light. At that point, Selina hadn't even met Yolanda. That would come later. But the decision to launch the fan club had been made, and it would change Selena's life forever.
