Thank you Perez Hilton for reminding me that 14 years ago today, the world lost one of the most talented female artists to ever cross over between Tejano music and English pop music, Selena Quintanilla-Pérez. Although I cannot say that I was a big Selena fan growing up, I gained a newfound respect for her through the 1997 film “Selena,” in which the relatively new actress, Jennifer Lopez, portrayed the star. Last year, I wrote about the effect “Selena” had on me in the Idol Chatter post. “Top 10 Movies to Put Your Faith in Love (and Cry in the Process)”:

When Mexican-American singer Selena, “Queen of Tejano Music” burst onto the music scene in the early 90s, I was too busy banging my head to Nirvana and Pearl Jam to notice. But when she was murdered in 1995 by her fan club manager, I was awakened to the shock, anger, and heartbreak among her many fans. In the heavily Hispanic areas of my hometown, Brooklyn, N.Y., I noticed memorial T-shirts worn by many. In “Selena,” Jennifer Lopez wonderfully portrays the music star (in a performance she hasn’t matched to date) as a carefree, caring, amazingly talented young woman, whose life and career was cut way too short. Watching her fans and family grieve her loss was absolutely heartbreaking. I’ve seen more than one boyfriend cry during scenes from this movie.

If you haven’t already seen the film, check it out. In the meantime, watch this beautiful Selena tribute: