Grammy Museum displays very personal items from Tejano Music Queen Selena
The Grammy Museum is paying tribute to late Tejano superstar Selena Quintanilla-Pérez with an exhibition made up of very personal items that have never been seen outside of Texas until now.
“Even 30 years after her passing Selena is still inspiring so many people. She’s passed down from generation to generation. I think her music is timeless,” said Kelsey Goelz, curator for the museum which opens the exhibition “Selena: From Texas to the World,” on Jan. 15.
Made up of about 20 items from the singer’s life, the exhibition runs through March 16 and marks the first official display of Selena’s personal items outside of the Selena Museum in her hometown of Corpus Christi, Texas.
“We’re really exited and proud to be the first host of these artifacts in Los Angeles,” Goelz said.
The singer, who was known as the “Queen of Tejano Music” was one of the most celebrated Mexican-American artists of her time as well as a fashion icon known for her flashy stage outfits and style. She was shot and killed in 1995 at the age of 23 by her employee Yolanda Saldívar.
The Grammy museum exhibition includes the outfit Selena wore on the cover of her hit album “Amor Prohibido,” the white beaded Lillie Rubin gown she wore to the 1994 Grammy Awards as well as her Grammy Award and Lifetime Achievement Award.
Also on display are instruments played by Selena’s siblings in her band like her sister Suzette Quintanilla’s drums and her brother A.B. Quintanilla’s bass plus guitars played by her husband Chris Pérez.
Other personal items include hand-drawn fashion designs from her teenage years, her personal cell phone and the microphone she used in her last performance in Houston.
The microphone is particularly significant since it’s still marked with her red lipstick.
“It feels real personal, real intimate to see that. I heard from her sister that between performances Selena would clean the microphone but this time she didn’t and we’re able to see that last mark of her red lipstick,” Goelz said.
Selena: From Texas to the World
When: Jan. 15-March 16
Where: Grammy Museum, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles
Tickets: $22.50
Information: grammymuseum.org