Chris Pérez’s love story with Selena Quintanilla stays one of the cherished romances in music historical past. The 2 met whereas performing collectively in Selena y Los Dinos, forming a bond that shortly grew right into a deep, plain connection. Regardless of early pushback from Selena’s household, their relationship endured, and so they married in 1992 — a love tragically reduce brief when Selena was killed in 1995.
Practically three a long time later, Chris continues to honor Selena’s legacy each publicly and privately. He just lately participated within the upcoming Netflix documentary Selena y Los Dinos, which options uncommon, never-before-seen footage and affords a extra intimate take a look at Selena’s life, artistry, and early years with the band. In March 2025, he additionally joined the Quintanilla household in responding to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles’ resolution to disclaim Yolanda Saldívar’s request for launch, sharing a collective assertion that learn, “Whereas nothing can carry Selena again, this resolution reaffirms that justice continues to face for the attractive life that was taken from us and from thousands and thousands of followers around the globe far too quickly.”
From his marriage to Selena to his life after Selena’s dying, nationaloriginalliance has 5 key issues it’s best to find out about Chris.
Chris was married to Selena
Chris and Selena’s relationship started in secret. They initially determined to maintain their romance from her father, Abraham, and the remainder of the household. Finally, their relationship was made public, and Abraham fired him. That didn’t hold Chris and Selena aside. They married in 1992. After that, he was accepted by her household. Nevertheless, their marriage wasn’t at all times excellent. “We have been married and collectively 24 hours a day, seven days every week. We needed to discover ways to deal with that and that was each of us,” Chris informed CNN in 2012. “It’s not like she introduced up the thought and I used to be combating it as a result of actually I used to be proper there together with her.”
He was a member of Selena’s band
Chris and Selena first met in 1989 when he joined the band Selena y Los Dinos as their lead guitarist. He was with the band initially till 1991 when Abraham came upon about their relationship. He rejoined the band after marrying Selena in 1992. He was with the band till Selena’s dying in 1995. Forward of the primary season’s launch, Chris mirrored on his love for Selena and her band.
“I liked her music even earlier than I joined the band,” Chris wrote on Instagram. “I used to be intrigued by the truth that her brother had his title on every part as producer. Keyboard participant Ricky Vela was my hero so far as musicianship goes. Her dad ran some superb sound after I went to see them at an occasion in San Antonio. I realized a lot by taking over their guitar participant Roger Garcia’s elements and doing my greatest to stretch it even additional. They’d a woman drummer that laid it DOWN (Suzette actually is a badass). Joe and Pete introduced the ‘additional’ and added a complete different dimension PLUS Pete wrote superb lyrics….and so they sounded HEAVY. I’ll eternally respect the band and the individuals concerned in it.”
Chris felt guilt over Selena’s dying
Selena was tragically shot and killed by Yolanda Saldívar at a motel on March 31, 1995, on the age of 23. In his guide, To Selena, With Love, Chris revealed that Yolanda had tried to lure Selena to the motel the day earlier than she was murdered. After her dying, Chris felt responsible that he was unable to guard Selena. “There was lots of that. A whole lot of (guilt) going by means of my thoughts,” he informed the Houston Chronicle in 2012. “However when one thing occurs like that so shortly, and the way in which it occurred, I believe it’s solely pure for most individuals to really feel the identical approach. The rationale one thing like that occurs is as a result of no person anticipated it to occur. We didn’t suppose this particular person was able to doing what she did.”
Chris has remained shut with Selena’s household within the wake of her dying. He was there when Selena was honored with a star on the Hollywood Stroll of Fame in 2017.
Chris remarried
Chris married Venessa Villanueva in 2001. They started relationship in 1998. They’ve two kids collectively. The couple divorced in 2008.
He has continued his music profession
He fashioned the Chris Pérez Band in 1998. The band’s debut studio album, Resurrection, was launched in 1999 and received the Grammy for Greatest Latin Rock, City or Different Album. The band’s closing album, Una Noche Más, was launched in 2000. After that, the band broke up. Chris would be a part of Selena’s brother’s band, Kumbia All-Starz in 2005. He went on to type his personal band as soon as once more, the Chris Pérez Mission.
