51 Selena Quintanilla Quotes That Celebrate the "Queen of Tejano Music's" Short Life

Selena Quintanilla, or as some called her, the "Mexican Madonna," managed to make a massive impact on the music industry in her short life. Read 51 of her quotes below to find out more about her thoughts on motivation, her roots, and more.

The "Queen of Tejano Music," as she affectionately came to be known, was born in Jackon, Texas, in April 1971. Selena Quintanilla's experience with music began at a young age when from around 10 years old, she became the main vocalist in her family's small-time club and wedding band.

This band played Tejano music which is a mixture of Mexican and American styles of music. When the singer finally shot to fame, she began to dip her feet into different genres to appeal to a wider audience, and in 1994, she won a Grammy Award. This win was sadly not long before her tragic passing at only 23 years old.

Find out what words of wisdom this musical royalty had to say before she passed away by reading the following 51 quotes.

Selena Quintanilla's quote: "When you get hard work, you get success." | Image: AmoDays

Motivational Selena Quintanilla Quotes

"Always believe that the impossible is always possible." — Selena Quintanilla

"The reason I'm really appreciative of everything that's going on around me is because of the fact that I never expected it." — Selena Quintanilla

If you're gonna be somebody, you need to be a leader, not a follower...be strong-minded; the impossible is always possible." — Selena Quintanilla

"Anybody can be a role model." — Selena Quintanilla

"When you get hard work, you get success." — Selena Quintanilla

Selena Quintanilla's quote: "Always believe that the impossible is always possible." | Image: AmoDays

"If you have a dream, don't let anybody take it away." — Selena Quintanilla

"All I need to do is try and do the best that I can do." — Selena Quintanilla

"With a positive attitude, you can be anything you want to be." — Selena Quintanilla

Selena Quintanilla Quotes on Her Music, Career, and Fame

"I'm a workaholic. I have three different businesses in the States." — Selena Quintanilla

"You have to take what you can get when you're getting started." — Selena Quintanilla

Selena Quintanilla's quote: "All this is a dream to me." | Image: AmoDays

"I get excited when I see other artists." — Selena Quintanilla

"Everything, the applause, the fans asking for autographs, the trips, all that is a dream." — Selena Quintanilla

"The life of an artist is not all glamorous. It's a lot of work. A lot of people think that it's very easy. They think you always stay in good hotels, you buy good things, but it is not like that. You have to work very hard like everybody." — Selena Quintanilla

"The kind of music like Salsa & Merengue. It has a lot of rhythm to it." — Selena Quintanilla

"When you're young, and you have the timing, and you can memorize a melody, then you know there's a little bit of talent." — Selena Quintanilla

Selena Quintanilla's quote: "I'm always planning for my future. The public can support an artist or let them fall." | Image: AmoDays

"When they first told us that we were nominated [for a Grammy], we all freaked out." — Selena Quintanilla

"Music is not a very stable business. You know it comes, and it goes, and so does money. But your education stays with you for the rest of your life." — Selena Quintanilla

"All this is a dream to me." — Selena Quintanilla

"The most important is that the people accept me for my music, not for physical appearances." — Selena Quintanilla

"I'm spoiled in the sense that now I get what I want, but it's because I work for it." — Selena Quintanilla

Selena Quintanilla's quote: "When they first told us that we were nominated [for a Grammy], we all freaked out." | Image: AmoDays

"Aside from music, I love designing. I have to put money in something I like. That is why I have been thinking of the boutiques." — Selena Quintanilla

"I'm always planning for my future. The public can support an artist or let them fall." — Selena Quintanilla

"Since I was small, when I was in school, I was a business girl. I would buy things to sell, gums for three cents, things like that." — Selena Quintanilla

"Never thought we'd get this far, but we are here, so..." — Selena Quintanilla

"I didn't have the opportunity to learn Spanish when I was a girl." — Selena Quintanilla

Selena Quintanilla's quote: "I'm a workaholic. I have three different businesses in the States." | Image: AmoDays

Selena Quintanilla Quotes on Her Roots and Family

"… it's never too late to get in touch with your roots." — Selena Quintanilla

"Ever since I was little, we played English music and country music aside from Tejano. It was something very natural for us." — Selena Quintanilla

"Tejano music was hard for us because I was a girl. My dad had a lot of problems while trying to set up shows for us or presentations because there are a lot of men who don't think that women can get the attention of the public." — Selena Quintanilla

"We went through a hard time, and we had to turn to music as a means to putting food on the table." — Selena Quintanilla

"We got laughed at. My father was told that we would never make it. It's gradual, a growing process. It's not like it came overnight." — Selena Quintanilla

Selena Quintanilla's quote: "… it's never too late to get in touch with your roots." | Image: AmoDays

"It was kind of hard at first because of the fact that they knew that it was a means of putting food on the table for the whole family." — Selena Quintanilla

"What's cool about our family is that we don't hold grudges, and I think that's sort of been the key to the success. We have our disagreements, but whether we're right or wrong, we'll just go and apologize. That's just the way we are." — Selena Quintanilla

"I feel very proud to be Mexican." — Selena Quintanilla

"The family that plays together stays together." — Selena Quintanilla

Selena Quintanilla Quotes on Who She Is and Who She Wants to Be

"I treat my friends the way I want to be treated." — Selena Quintanilla

Selena Quintanilla's quote: "I don't feel pressure because I'm not trying to portray something that I'm not." | Image: AmoDays

"I can't dwell on the negatives. I think positively." — Selena Quintanilla

"I'm very real, very sincere, and honest, and that's how I'll always be." — Selena Quintanilla

"I don't feel pressure because I'm not trying to portray something that I'm not." — Selena Quintanilla

"I'm very honest. I'm always going to tell the truth. I won't lie." — Selena Quintanilla

"It's really cool to kind of have people come to me and get excited, you know, I don't see myself that way." — Selena Quintanilla

Selena Quintanilla's quote: "I'm very real, very sincere, and honest, and that's how I'll always be.” | Image: AmoDays

"I may not be street-wise and all that, but at least I'm not that dumb!" — Selena Quintanilla

"I tried to be the best role model that I possibly could." — Selena Quintanilla

"I want to be remembered not only as an entertainer but as a person who cared a lot, and I gave the best that I could." — Selena Quintanilla

Quotes from the "Queen of Tejano Music's" Neverending Chorus

"One thing is, that if I ever have children later on, for sure, I want my children to know Spanish. It only makes you a better person or even a smarter person to know two languages. If that barrier is not there, you can cross both lines, talk to English [speaking] and Spanish [speaking] people, and it gets you a lot farther in business and personal communication." — Selena Quintanilla

Selena Quintanilla's quote: "If you are being hit, scared, or abused, you're not alone." | Image: AmoDays

"You shouldn't care for somebody just because of the materialistic things that they have, and I'm a firm believer in that." — Selena Quintanilla

"I don't like it when a person assumes to be better." — Selena Quintanilla

"Life is full of surprises. That's all I will say." — Selena Quintanilla

Selena Quintanilla's quote: "I eat anything, and I'm not preoccupied with my figure." | Image: AmoDays

"If you are being hit, scared, or abused, you're not alone." — Selena Quintanilla

"I lost a lot out of my teenage hood, but I gained a lot too. I can't really say that I lost because I got ahead of everyone as far as career and being more mature about business, even though I didn't know what the heck was going on." — Selena Quintanilla

"I eat anything, and I'm not preoccupied with my figure." — Selena Quintanilla

Selena Quintanilla's quote: "All I need to do is try and do the best that I can do." | Image: AmoDays

Quintanilla's album "Dreaming of You" came out only around four weeks after her passing and quickly became number one on August 5, 1995, on the US Billboard 200 chart. Sadly, this talent and fame may have been what led to her death.

The singer was killed in 1995 by an individual who insisted she was Quintanilla's number one fan, namely Yolanda Saldivar, who was also the head of her fan club. She was ultimately sentenced to murder in the first degree.

Learn more about another beloved music artist that is no longer with us by reading these Billie Holiday quotes.