H.R. No. 579 R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, A Texas star was forever dimmed with the tragic 1-2 passing of the internationally acclaimed queen of Tejano music, 1-3 Selena Quintanilla Perez, on March 31, 1995, at the age of 23, and 1-4 her death has both stunned and saddened the legions of fans around 1-5 the world whose lives have been touched by her music; and 1-6 WHEREAS, Born in Lake Jackson, Texas, on April 16, 1971, this 1-7 extremely gifted young woman developed her love for music at an 1-8 early age, having begun singing at the age of six and performing 1-9 with Los Dinos, the Quintanilla family band, by the age of nine, 1-10 following her family's move to Corpus Christi; and 1-11 WHEREAS, Selena recorded her first album while still in her 1-12 early teens and, as her popularity grew, her band became known as 1-13 Selena y los Dinos; blessed with the guidance of her father, 1-14 Abraham Quintanilla, who served as her manager and booking agent, 1-15 she successfully made the transition from teen star to adult artist 1-16 and garnered her first serious recognition in 1987 when she was 1-17 named Female Vocalist of the Year and Performer of the Year at the 1-18 Tejano Music Awards in San Antonio; and 1-19 WHEREAS, With artistry and hard work she continued to build 1-20 on her success by setting a dizzying pace for herself during which 1-21 she would captivate audiences by dancing and singing in her 1-22 trademark costumes; far from limiting herself to concert 1-23 performances and recording albums alone, this dynamic entertainer 1-24 was featured on one of Latin America's most popular shows, "Siempre 2-1 en Domingo," had appeared on the renowned soap opera, "Dos Mujeres, 2-2 Un Camino," played a singer in the newly released film, "Don Juan 2-3 DeMarco," and most recently had begun a new chapter in her 2-4 multi-faceted career with the establishment of a boutique and hair 2-5 salon in Corpus Christi and San Antonio; and 2-6 WHEREAS, Selena became an internationally recognized star who 2-7 was especially revered in Mexico, Latin America, and her home state 2-8 of Texas, and, while developing her own phenomenal career, she also 2-9 was instrumental in transforming the Tejano music industry into one 2-10 of the fastest growing markets of music in the world today; and 2-11 WHEREAS, Her achievements as an entertainer gave her a means 2-12 by which to reach a broader audience, and she put her accessibility 2-13 to her adoring fans to good use, frequently speaking directly to 2-14 her female fans in the audience between songs on women's issues and 2-15 empowering them through her lyrics; Selena also taped a public 2-16 service announcement in behalf of battered women for the Houston 2-17 Area Women's Center and had expressed interest in personally 2-18 visiting the shelter and performing in a fund-raiser to advance its 2-19 deserving cause; and 2-20 WHEREAS, A positive role model for Hispanic youth and women 2-21 from all walks of life, Selena gave many young people hope and 2-22 encouragement to persevere and to follow their dreams as she did, 2-23 and she used her success to encourage students to complete their 2-24 education, to stay away from drugs, and to make healthy choices 2-25 through her support and involvement with many worthy organizations 2-26 and events, including local schools, the DARE program, the Stay in 2-27 School Jamboree, and the Coastal Bend AIDS Foundation, to name but 3-1 a few; and 3-2 WHEREAS, In 1994, Selena was awarded a Grammy for the year's 3-3 best Mexican-American album, "Selena Live," and went on to sweep 3-4 the year's Tejano Music Awards as well, winning the best album, 3-5 recording, female vocalist, female entertainer, and Tejano 3-6 crossover categories; and 3-7 WHEREAS, Selena was nominated for a Grammy again this year 3-8 for her most recent album, the quadruple-platinum "Amor Prohibido," 3-9 which has produced three chart-topping singles and sold more than 3-10 400,000 copies in the United States alone; and 3-11 WHEREAS, A young woman of tremendous charisma and talent, she 3-12 became the first female crossover Latin artist signed to the SBK 3-13 sister label to the EMI Latin recording company and was recording 3-14 her first album in English at the time of her death in an 3-15 achievement that was widely expected to establish Selena as a 3-16 crossover star in the broader reaches of the pop music world; and 3-17 WHEREAS, Though she had attained fame and fortune as an 3-18 entertainer, Selena remained true to her roots and shared her 3-19 culture's long-standing devotion to family, keeping her music a 3-20 family affair with her husband, Chris Perez, backing her on guitar, 3-21 her sister, Suzette Quintanilla Arriaga, serving as her band's 3-22 drummer, and her brother, A. B. "Abe" Quintanilla III, assisting 3-23 her as her producer, bassist, and cowriter; and 3-24 WHEREAS, Though her life was cut tragically short, Selena 3-25 Quintanilla Perez left an indelible mark on this world and brought 3-26 dignity and honor to her culture through her vast achievements as a 3-27 performer of Tejano music, and it is fitting that she be remembered 4-1 at this time, for she is deeply mourned by the adoring family, 4-2 friends, and fans she leaves behind; now, therefore, be it 4-3 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas 4-4 Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Selena Quintanilla 4-5 Perez and extend sincere sympathy to the members of her family: to 4-6 her husband, Chris Perez; to her parents, Abraham and Marcella 4-7 Quintanilla; to her brother, Abraham Quintanilla III; to her 4-8 sister, Suzette Quintanilla Arriaga; to her grandfather, Abraham 4-9 Quintanilla, Sr.; to her niece and nephew; and to all who were 4-10 moved by the beauty of her life and her music during her short time 4-11 on this earth; and, be it further 4-12 RESOLVED, That when the Texas House of Representatives 4-13 adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Selena Quintanilla Perez.