Selena's Sister On Carrying the Singer's Legacy: ‘I Want to Make Sure Nobody Forgets’

Thirty years after Selena Quintanilla-Pérez's death, her older sibling Suzette has made it her life mission to preserve her sister’s legacy.

Suzette recently appeared on Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men’s podcast, On That Note, to share heartfelt memories and behind-the-scenes stories of the 23-year-old Tejano star who is beloved in Corpus Christi and around the world. In an over-hour-long conversation, Suzette spoke about her family upbringing, what Selena’s musical inspirations were, forming Selena y Los Dinos with her brother Abraham Quintanilla III (also known as A.B.), why Selena was never a diva on tour and protecting Selena so she’s remembered in a positive light.

From Suzette's perspective, it’s a window into her life as the middle child and member of their family band.

“I was forced into it,” she says of playing drums. “My dad loved music. Before he became a father, got married to my mom, his love of music was always there. He started teaching my brother the bass. Around that time, he overheard Selena singing in the back. And he knew automatically. He called her over and he was like, ‘Hey, sing this.’ And she started singing and she was on point on it. He was just like, ‘Whoa.’ He felt like, ‘Oh my God, I could start a band with my family. My greatest love is music.’ He felt like it was perfect.”

Suzette spoke about Selena’s musical inspirations and idols at the time. “Paula Abdul, Janet Jackson, Madonna," she explained. "Those were the female artists back then, like really doing their thing. How could you not gravitate toward that music?”

Selena’s 1995 concert at the Astrodome is the stuff of legend. Suzette confirmed details that Selena was all about DIY, putting on the beads herself on her iconic Astrodome outfit before the show began.
“Yes, during the day after soundcheck, she was in her dressing room and she was sewing on her beads onto her own bra,” Suzette says. “And the boots she was wearing, they were white, and she added all the beads hanging down on them. They were together on a strip; she actually hot-glued them all on there. Those boots are at the museum.”

This was one year before Selena made her debut on the Main Stage at the State Fair of Texas in October 1994. While this was her only performance at the State Fair, it holds significance because it was shortly after she won her first Grammy for Best Mexican American Album.

Suzette shares a few key album anniversaries for Selena y Los Dinos and Selena herself, one of which is the 30th anniversary of Dreaming of You in July. “When she died, I went through this whole thing, right? At one point, maybe 10 years in, you know what? Before I leave this Earth, nobody forgets my sister,” she says. “I want to make sure that nobody forgets who we were and what we represented as a whole, to who we are as Mexican Americans.”

Netflix just announced a definitive doc chronicling Selena’s life and her family band called Selena y Los Dinos. It features previously unseen footage from her family’s personal archive and premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. It is set to hit the streamer soon.

In the last part of Suzette’s interview, she was asked about Selena’s 1997 biopic, whether anything was left out of it, and if there was something she wished was in there. “You’re trying to cram 23 years of her life into a movie. Do you know the reason that movie was made? We were forced to make the movie,” she says. “Back then, literally months after she died, our lawyers got word that Hollywood was already going to start making a movie. If you don’t have control over your own [story], then it is going to be whatever they want to put it in. That’s the only reason why my father had to make that decision to move forward and say, ‘We’re doing this movie.’ We ended up finding Gregory Nava to direct and write the script. It wasn’t something that was on our radar at all.”

You can watch the entire interview below. Selena was shot and killed by Yolanda Saldívar, who was the founder of Selena’s fan club, on March 31, 1995, in Corpus Christi. The murder happened after a confrontation with Saldívar at a motel after she was accused of embezzling from Selena’s fan club and fashion boutiques.

Earlier this year, Saldívar was denied parole 30 years after the murder, and she won’t be eligible again until March 2030. Selena’s family wrote in a statement that they were “grateful.”

“While nothing can bring Selena back, this decision reaffirms that justice continues to stand for the beautiful life that was taken from us and from millions of fans around the world far too soon,” they wrote on Instagram. “Selena’s legacy is one of love, music and inspiration. She lived with joy, gave selflessly and continues to uplift generations with her voice and her spirit.”