Selena Quintanilla-Pérez (April 16, 1971 – March 31, 1995), known mononymously as Selena, was an American singer, songwriter, a spokesperson, actress, and fashion designer. Called the Queen of Tejano music, her contributions to music and fashion made her among the most celebrated Mexican American entertainers of the 20th century. She was named the "top Latin artist of the '90s" and "Best selling Latin artist of the decade" by Billboard magazine, as well as the "Mexican equivalent" of Madonna. The youngest child of the Quintanilla family, she debuted on the music scene along with her elder siblings A.B. Quintanilla III and Suzette Quintanilla as a member of Selena y Los Dinos in 1980, and began recording professionally in 1982. In the 1980s, Selena was often criticized and was turned down at venues across Texas for performing Tejano music—a male-dominated music genre. However, her popularity grew after she won the Tejano Music Award for Female Vocalist of the Year in 1986, which she won eight consecutive times.By the time Selena signed with Capital EMI Latin in 1989, she released six independent LP records for several small record companies in Texas. Her self-titled debut album was released the same year, while her brother became her principle music producer and songwriter. After its release, Coca-Cola named her their spokesperson in Texas, and Selena became a sex icon, despite her comments on being a role model for young women, which she was often criticized for wearing suggestive outfits. In 1990, Selena released Ven Conmigo, which became the first recording by a female Tejano singer to achieve gold status by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The single, "Baila Esta Cumbia", became one of Selena's biggest hit single. A year later, Selena's duet with Salvadoran singer Álvaro Torres on "Buenos Amigos", became Selena's first number one song in her musical career.Selena's father and manager, Abraham Quintanilla, Jr. accepted Yolanda Saldívar's request to start a Selena fan club. In April 1992, Selena decided to elope to her guitarist, Chris Pérez, after Quintanilla, Jr. fired Pérez from the band after confronting them about his concerns over their relationship. Quintanilla, Jr. later accepted the relationship and Pérez back into the group. A month later, Selena released Entre a Mi Mundo, which peaked at number one on the US Billboard Regional Mexican Albums chart for eight consecutive months. The album's commercial success led music critics to name the album as her "breakthrough" recording of her musical career. Entre a Mi Mundo became the first recording by a female Tejano artist to sell over 300,000 units, and its single "Como La Flor", became one of her signature and most popular songs. Her Live! (1993) album won Best Mexican/American Album at the 1994 Grammy Awards, becoming the first recording by a Tejano artist to do so.Selena's 1994 album, Amor Prohibido, became one of the best-selling Latin albums in the United States. The album spawned five number one singles; its title track, "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom", "No Me Queda Mas", "Techno Cumbia", and "Fotos y Recuerdos", becoming the first Latin artist in history to do so. The album was critically acclaim, and was responsible for Tejano music's first marketable era in its history as it became one of the most popular Latin music genre at the time, it also marked Tejano music's first commercial success outside of the United States. Selena began recording English-language songs for her crossover album. On March 31, 1995, Selena was shot and killed by Saldívar after being caught of embezzling money from the fan club and from the singer's boutiques. Hispanics reacted negatively to the news of her death, and was compared to the death reactions of John Lennon, Elvis Presley, and former US president John F. Kennedy. Her posthumous crossover album, Dreaming of You (1995), debuted atop the Billboard 200, becoming the first Latin artist to accomplish this feat. Two weeks after her death, George W. Bush (governor of Texas at the time) declared her birthday Selena Day in Texas. In 1997, Warner Bros. released a film about her life and career, which starred Jennifer Lopez as Selena, which has been cited by critics as being Lopez' breakout role. As of 2012, Selena has sold over 60 million albums worldwide.