Before her untimely death in 1995, Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, the queen of Tejano music, gave three stand-out performances at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in the 1990s. Only a month before the talented singer was tragically shot and killed she had her last major performance at the rodeo in February 1995. Her iconic outfits and unforgettable songs continue to live on for many Houstonians. Here’s more on her significant rodeo moments.
Selena’s First Rodeo
Selena was born in Lake Jackson, Texas only an hour outside of Houston. Her father opened a Tex-Mex restaurant, but only a year later, the restaurant closed abruptly because of a recession caused by the Texas oil bust. The family moved to Corpus Christi, Texas. After their restaurant closed, the family band, Selena y Los Dinos, which included Selena and her siblings, Abraham III and Suzette, began touring all over South Texas. As the years progressed, the group became more popular, eventually landing them a spot at the Houston Rodeo on Feb 28, 1993. At the concert, it was the first time 22-year-old Selena performed “Como La Flor” to a record-breaking crowd of 66,994 people. Since then, the song has been streamed more than 20 billion times.
Her Last Performance
Selena’s last rodeo performance on Feb. 26, 1995, will stay etched in fans' hearts forever. The singer, who was wearing her iconic purple glitter bodysuit, crooned to a sold-out crowd at the Astrodome. A music critic who reviewed her last rodeo show crowned the singer as “Tejano’s answer to Madonna, Janet Jackson, and Gloria Estefan.” Sadly, only a month later, on March 31, Selena was shot and killed by the former president of her fan club, Yolanda Saldívar. About 50,000 mourners from all over the world came to pay their final respects to the singer at Bayfront Plaza Convention Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. Selena’s memory continues to live on in her music. I still love listening to “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” and “I Could Fall In Love” 🎶
Did you happen to be at one of Selena’s iconic rodeo performances? Share your memories with me for Houston Chatter.
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