Selena Quintanilla-Pérez (April 16, 1971 – March 31, 1995) was an American Tejano singer, songwriter, spokesperson, actress and fashion designer. She was born in Lake Jackson, Texas, 54 miles south of Houston, and her family moved to Corpus Christi after declaring bankruptcy. Her father, a musician before her birth, formed his children into Selena y Los Dinos (with A.B. Quintanilla on bass, Suzette Quintanilla on drums and Selena singing) when he discovered her musical talent. Selena received the Tejano Music Award for Female Vocalist of the Year for nine consecutive years, beginning in 1987. She signed her first major contract with EMI Latin in 1989, releasing four Spanish-language albums which were milestones in the Latin music industry. EMI Latin then wanted her to release a crossover a