Early Life and Background
Selena
Quintanilla was born on April 16, 1971Selena was born in Lake Jackson, Texas,[ as the
youngest of three children born to a Mexican American father,
Abraham Quintanilla Jr.and a half-Cherokee
Native American mother,Marcella Ofelia (née Samora). She was
raised as a Jehovah's Witness. Selena began singing at
age three. When she was nine years old, her father launched a vocal group
consisting of several of his children, Selena y Los Dinos. They
performed at a restaurant the family operated, but went bankrupt soon
thereafter. They moved to Corpus Christi, Texas, where they
performed wherever they could - street corners, weddings, quinceañeras, and fairs. As Selena
grew more popular, the demands of her performance and travel schedule began to
interfere with her education. Her father took her out of school when she was in
the eighth grade. At seventeen, she earned a high school diploma by the American
School Program.