Who was Selena Quintanilla Perez? Everything to know about Tejano singer Selena Gomez was named after

Singer, actor, producer, and philanthropist, Selena Gomez, was named after Tejano singer, Selena Quintanilla Perez. Referred to as the Queen of Tejano music, Quintanilla is regarded as one of the most influential Latin music artists. She was a Grammy Award winner for her album Selena Live!, and became the first female Tejano singer to win the award in that category.

During Season 2 of Chef+ Selena, an HBO cooking show starring Selena Gomez, she revealed that she was named after Selena Quintanilla. She reported,

"I'm actually named after Selena Quintanilla."

The Love On singer described her love towards Quintanilla and added,

"It gives me goosebumps sometimes because I was obsessed with Selena. I knew everything about her."

---

Selena Gomez was named after iconic Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla Perez

Madame Tussauds New York Hosts Selena Quintanilla's Sister for Unveiling of Late Singer's Figure in Times Square. (Photo by Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Madame Tussauds New York)

According to Business Insider, Selena Gomez also revealed that her name was originally going to be Priscilla, but her father wanted to keep it after the iconic Tejano singer's name. While Gomez is ruling the charts with her songs and soaring in her acting career, Quintanilla is to date considered as one of the youngest and most influential Latin artists.

At 10, Quintanilla became the lead singer in her family's band, Selena Y Los Dinos. According to The Things Celebrity, they would play at various weddings and clubs in her hometown, Texas. While she wasn't fluent in speaking Spanish, she could sing fluently in Spanish, similar to Selena Gomez's experience.

Selena Quintanilla embarked on a solo singing career and was awarded the Grammy for her album Selena Live! in 1993.

Three years after Gomez was born, Quintanilla's life came tragically to an end on March 31, 1995. She was fatally shot by Yolanda Saldívar, the former president of Selena's fan club and manager of the singer's clothing boutiques.

Quintanilla was only 23, and in her prime to lead one of the best Mexican bands. Her story was immortalized by a biopic in 1997 called Selena, starring Jennifer Lopez. Additionally, she was honored with a wax figure at the Madame Tussauds New York in 2017.

---

Gomez opened up about meeting Quintanilla's family

What happened when Gomez met Quintanilla's family? (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for The Business of Fashion)

Selena Gomez has been a huge fan of Quintanilla, just like her parents. The Rare Beauty founder and Quintanilla were both born in Texas. In an interview with Teen Vogue, Gomez revealed that she went to visit Quintanilla's grave and reported,

"I grew up and I went to her grave."

The Wizards Of Waverly Place alum also revealed that she got the opportunity to visit Quintanilla's home. She reported,

"It was really crazy."

She added,

"When I started working, I remember I got to meet her family and I just got super emotional 'cause it’s so crazy to see how far everything ... I don’t know where she’d be right now. It’s nuts.”

---

Selena Quintanilla was the first Tejano artist to win the Grammy award for the best American Mexican album. Apart from their names, Gomez and Quintanilla are proud Latinas. The music industry and fans have not forgotten Quintanilla, and currently look up to Gomez to represent the American-Mexican heritage.