21 Facts Every Selena Fan Needs to Know

By Macy Daniela Martin
Facebook | Selena
Facebook | Selena

Although 21 years have passed since Selena Quintanilla's life was cut tragically short at the hands of her former fan club president, Yolanda Saldívar, on March 31, 1995, her legacy remains stronger than ever.

With the highly anticipated MAC x Selena collection on its way in October 2016 and Latina celebrities like Jackie Cruz and Kat Von D covering her songs, the Texas native and still-reigning queen of Tejano is the very definition of an icon.

But even with such widespread exposure over the course of two decades, there are still some things you probably don't know about Selena. Don't believe us? Keep reading to discover some little-known facts, and then be sure to listen to our curated playlist of her hit songs.

  1. She was 5'6".
  2. She got her GED in 1989.
  3. She had six pets, including five dogs and a python.
  4. Her favorite flowers were white long-stemmed roses.
  5. She was the first artist to ever sign with EMI Latin.
  6. She called her tour bus Big Bertha.
  7. She asked her dad, "How'd I do?" after all her shows.
  8. Speaking of her shows, she was a budding fashion designer who crafted her own onstage costumes.
  9. She cut her own hair.
  10. She knew a lot about the history of Mexican-American music.
  11. As featured in the movie Selena, starring Jennifer Lopez, her favorite food was pizza.
  12. She met Marlon Brando.
  13. She won best Mexican-American album for "Live" at the Grammy Awards on March 1, 1994.
  14. She loved to say "You go girl" and "Hey, Buffy."
  15. She had a small part in the telenovela Dos Mujeres, Un Camino.
  16. Her very last performance was in Bryan, TX.
  17. She had five albums on the Billboard 200 charts in May 1995 — two months after her death.
  18. She was honored by the USPS in its Latin Music Legends commemorative Forever stamp collection.
  19. She was the most dominating artist in the 1999 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records.
  20. April 16 is Selena Day in Texas thanks to former Governor George W. Bush.
  21. She is nominated for two 2016 Billboard Latin Music Awards: top Latin albums female artist of the year and Latin pop albums artist of the year.