by Chris Perez
I wondered if Selena was watching us right now. I hoped that she was. I knew this would make her so proud to see both her brother and me in these seats. She’d be laughing that laugh of hers, too, if she saw how nervous I was.
“You see how it feels?” I could imagine her saying. “At least you don’t have to worry about tripping on your dress!”
My category came up first. When the MCs started listing the nominees for Best Latin Rock Alternative Performance for 1999, of course I knew that my band wasn’t going to win. These other musicians were so great, so artistic, and I owned CDs by every one of them because I loved their music so much. It was a pretty safe bet that they couldn’t say the same thing about my CD. They probably didn’t even know who I was.
Then they opened the envelope, and said, “The winner is…”
In my head, I heard Cafe Tacuba’s Reves Yo Soy. I loved that album and knew they deserved the award.
I was getting ready to stand up and clap for that cool badass band, Cafe Tacuba, when, in my peripheral vision, I saw John jump up. I looked over and saw the other guys in my band standing up as well. I was still sitting down. Then they all started clapping and gesturing for me to go on up to the stage.
“We won, man, we won!” John said.
I stood up and took my walk to the podium, knowing that, if she could see me now, Selena would be smiling.
In the end, all I did was make the best record I could with friends and musicians I admired. I never thought we’d win a Grammy, but as Selena always told the children she spoke to around the country, “Nothing is impossible if you work hard.”
That includes picking up the pieces of your life.
Selena has continued to have a profound impact on the world. Dreaming of You was listed as one of the bestselling records of 1995 by Billboard magazine. That jump into the top slot made Selena one of the bestselling women musical artists in history; only Janet Jackson had done better at that point in time. After the album’s release, the songs “I Could Fall in Love” and “Dreaming of You” topped the charts worldwide as well.
In her honor, Selena’s family established the Selena Foundation, a charitable organization with the mission of helping children in crisis, the poor, and the elderly. The foundation raises money through donations and the sale of Selena albums and items from Q Productions, which also operates the Selena Museum in Corpus Christi. Thousands of people still travel to Corpus Christi from all over the U.S. and Latin America each year to visit the museum, Selena’s grave, and our old home.
On March 27, 1997, the movie Selena was released. Directed by Gregory Nava and starring Jennifer Lopez as Selena and Jon Seda in my role, the movie introduced a new generation of fans to Selena’s life and music. Six years later, we held a tribute concert in Houston’s Reliant Stadium called Selena Vive, asking stars like Gloria Estefan, Thalia, Soraya, and other Latin performers to play Selena’s music as a tribute to her and to the more than sixty-five thousand people who attended. The show was recorded for television and became one of the most-viewed Spanish-language TV shows in the U.S. And, on March 16, 2011, the United States Post Office released a “Latin Legends” stamp in memory of Selena and other Latin music greats, like Tito Puente and Celia Cruz.
My life has gone on. More than anything, I am grateful to Selena for teaching me the meaning of love. I was fortunate enough to be able to marry again and have children. I wish that I could have had a family with Selena, as we had always planned; still, I know that Selena was the one who made this possible for me. She showed me how to drop my guard and embrace life.
I used to talk on the phone with my family frequently, but it wasn’t until I married Selena that I truly opened my heart. Today I say “I love you” to my friends and family every chance I get, because I know that there might not be another tomorrow with these people who are so dear to me. I know that, if Selena were here, she’d tell me that she loved me and not to worry, because I’ll see her again one day.
Selena inspired me and she inspired the world. She provided her fans with everything they needed, from dance tunes to soulful ballads. Through her own life and through her music, Selena showed those who were struggling—migrant workers, schoolchildren, housewives with domineering husbands, teens rebelling against their conservative parents—that persistence and hard work pay off, and that you can be ambitious without leaving your family or cherished values behind. This message especially resonated with Hispanic-Americans, many of whom, like Abraham, had experienced racism during their lives simply for speaking Spanish—or just looking like they could.
Selena’s fans felt like they knew her because she opened her heart to the world and let herself be known. She was one of us, one of ours, and we felt like Selena was always going to be here. We watched her grow up and saw her star rise. Selena represented the idea that it is possible to go places that most of us only dream about.
Selena, I’m still dreaming of you.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Jeff Silberman—for answering all my questions about how to go about writing a book and helping me see this project through from the beginning to the end.
Holly Robinson—for taking the time to listen to my stories and helping to put them down on paper.
Pete Salgado—for believing in me, my music, and this book. I could not have finished this without your help.
Peter Paterno—for all the years of believing in me and all your hard work. Thank you.
Thanks to my loving and supportive family:
Mom, Dad, Pop, Chuck and Pati, Melissa, Moses (Uncle Nuni) and the Vara Family, Uncle Lee and Mary Ann (Memen) Johnson, Rosemary Vara, Tia Toni Perez Mencey, cousins Kenney and Janie Mencey, Phillip “Chacho” Mishoe, Michael Perez, Bill Mishoe, Shane and Monica Pulver, Stephanie Sanchez.
Thanks to my friends (my other family):
Jesse J. Oliva (Rest in Peace, bro. We miss you.), Rudy Martinez, Carlos Miranda Jr., la familia Espinosa-Carrillo. Horacio, Maria, and Amanda Jiménez. Robert “Bobbo” Gomez and the entire Gomez Clan, John Z. Garza, John J. Silva, Victor Flores, Gilbert Vela, Jon Seda, Robert Treviño (Gibson Guitars LN), Angel Ferrer.
Special thanks to:
The Quintanilla family—Abraham, Marcella, A.B., Suzette Quintanilla Arriaga, Billy Arriaga, Jovan Arriaga, Martika and S’vani Quintanilla.
Los Dinos—Ricky Vela, Joe Ojeda, Pete Astudillo. Thank you, guys.
Carlos Valdez, Mark Skurka and the prosecution’s entire legal team—Thank you all so much for your hard work and dedication in making sure that justice for Selena was served.
Finally, I would like to save my biggest thanks for Cassie and Noah Perez. You two kids are the brightest lights in my life. Daddy loves you more than anything.
