11 Famous People Inspired by Selena Quintanilla
The pioneering Tejano star died 25 years ago, but her lasting legacy has shaped many artists you know.
25 years ago, Mexican-American Tejano sensation Selena Quintanilla was murdered.
In her short 23 years, Selena took the Latin music scene by storm throughout the late '80s and early '90s, playing an unprecedented role in driving the genre towards the mainstream in the United States. Some of her greatest influences included Donna Summer, Gloria Estefan, Paula Abdul, and the Jackson family, though her father encouraged her to pay homage to her roots by singing in Spanish and implementing Mexican cumbia and mariachi into her music.
With hits like "Dreaming of You," "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom," and "Como la Flor" — as well as an unmistakable, but often replicated, sense of style — Selena was a phenomenon with a lasting legacy.
Reactions to her tragic death by gunshot wound in 1995 were comparable to those following the deaths of John Lennon, Elvis Presley, and President John F. Kennedy. Two weeks after her death, George W. Bush — then governor of Selena's home state of Texas — declared her birthday, April 16, Selena Day in the state. Most recently, Netflix's Selena: The Seriespays tribute to her life and legacy with viral success.
In honor of her, we've rounded up 11 artists who've cited the Queen of Tejano as an influence in their own careers.
Selena Gomez
Hailing from the same state, it shouldn't be a surprise that the "Lose You to Love Me" singer looked up to her namesake. "I am named after her. She was a big deal to my family and growing up from the get-go, I knew who she was and who I was named after," Gomez told The View in 2012. "I got to visit her grave. I've actually met...some of her family, and it's such an honor to be named after someone so amazing."
▲Jennifer Lopez
It's a gruelling task to try living up to Selena's legacy, but J. Lo gave it an impressive shot when she starred as the singer in the 1997 film Selena. Feeling the fuel of Selena's star power, Lopez released her own debut album two years later. Lopez has also been known to cover Selena classics like "No Me Queda Más" and "I Could Fall in Love" during live performances.
▲Beyoncé
A native Houstonian growing up in the '80s and '90s, Beyoncé's early years were constantly surrounded by the sounds of Selena, contributing to the "Crazy in Love" singer's desire for musical fame. In 2007, Beyoncé released a deluxe edition of her second solo album, B'Day, with a handful of songs sung entirely in Spanish. "I listened to Selena all the time," Queen Bey toldPeople en Español.
▲Whitney Houston
The late singer who popularized "I Will Always Love You" also spoke of her admiration for Selena. "What Selena did in the English market was brilliant," Houston toldNew York Daily News in 1999.
▲Lady Gaga
No, Selena never sported a dress made of raw meat or a coat embellished with dangling Kermit the Frogs, but Lady Gaga still looked up to her for outstanding fashion choices. The influence checks out—both of them can rock a structured bustier like no other.
▲Katy Perry
Perry once said that Selena was "all she remembered" about watching the Grammys as a young girl. She added: "I remember the whole movie about her...and I wanted to be in that world."
▲Wyclef Jean
As a founding member of hip-hop group the Fugees, Grammy-winning rapper Wyclef Jean has become an icon in his own right. In 2007, during his equally fruitful solo career, he gave a nod to Selena with a track named after her that samples "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom."
▲Fergie
Especially in their early days, the Black Eyed Peas snuck Latin influences into their hip-hop. But the group's singer Fergie takes inspiration from Selena beyond music: "One of my beauty idols was Selena, who had the most beautiful lips," she toldGlamour in 2015. "I overline my lips a bit—I completely admit it. I really like the look!"
▲Kylie Jenner
Though the entire Kardashian-Jenner clan have become commanders of beauty trends in the 2010s and 2020s, Kylie's collarbone-length haircut and matte lips are in-line with the look Selena popularized in the '90s. In 2015, the makeup mogul posed in a white bustier for Remix Magazine, another style choice that feels particularly Quintanillian.
▲Cardi B
Selena performed her last televised concert at the Houston Rodeo in February 1995. Over two decades later, Cardi B took the same stage. A few months before, she replicated one of the singer's iconic looks for her "Please Me" music video with Bruno Mars.
"I was so nervous to perform in front of 70,000, 75,000-plus people," Cardi said in an Instagram video backstage at the rodeo. "But when I saw this picture, out of all the outfits that she wore—this was the inspiration for 'Please Me'—I knew I was going to be alright." Then, she began hyping herself up by singing "Como La Flor," because what else would you do before playing the Houston Rodeo?
▲Big Sean
Besides rapping, hip-hop hitmaker Big Sean also loves collecting vintage t-shirts. He flaunted his collection in a 2015 video interview for Billboard, wearing one dedicated to the Queen of Tejano. Sean likened her esteem to that of rap's most famous names. "Selena's a legend. She did it big; she was the first," he said. "I'm going to rock her on the tee, just like I rock Tupac, just like I rock Biggie."
▲HAIM
Despite taking off as a solo act, Selena's career was largely a family business: Her father assembled her band, Selena y Los Dinos, which also included Selena's brother and sister. The Quintanillas have influenced another family band: indie sister trio HAIM. "Selena is our collective favorite movie!" they said in 2012.
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