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Chris Pérez

Christopher Gilbert Pérez (born August 14, 1969) is an American guitarist, best known as lead guitarist for the Tejano band Selena y Los Dinos. He married the frontwoman of the group, Selena, on April 2, 1992. Pérez grew up in San Antonio, Texas as one of two children of Gilbert Pérez and Carmen Medina. In 1986, he began his tenure by joining Shelly Lares' band. By the late 1980s, Pérez was respected among Tejano musicians for his guitar skills. This caught A.B. Quintanilla's attention; at the time, A.B. was seeking another guitarist for the band he produced, Selena y Los Dinos. Between one and two years after Pérez joined the band, he and Selena began a personal relationship.

Chris Pérez
Pérez performing in 2012
Born
Christopher Gilbert Pérez

(1969-08-14) August 14, 1969 (age 54)
EducationThomas Jefferson High School
OccupationMusician
Spouses
  • (m. 1992; died 1995)
  • Venessa Villanueva
    (m. 2001; div. 2008)
Children2
Family
Musical career
Genres
Instrument(s)Guitar
Years active1986–present
Labels

Selena's father, Abraham Quintanilla, forced them to end their relationship because he felt Pérez's image might damage Selena's career. They ignored his threats that he would disband the group, and continued their relationship. Abraham fired Pérez from the band, forbidding Selena to go with him. Pérez wed Selena in 1992. On March 31, 1995, Selena was shot and killed by her former friend and former manager of her boutiques, Yolanda Saldívar. Selena's murder greatly devastated Pérez, who began abusing drugs and alcohol.

Pérez formed the Chris Pérez Band and began writing songs for their debut album. They signed with Hollywood Records and released their first album, Resurrection, which won a Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album. The band disbanded after their second album, Una Noche Mas (2002), was released. Pérez continued in the music business and often played with A.B.'s groups, the Kumbia Kings and the Kumbia All Starz. He left both groups and formed another band (the Chris Pérez Project, which included American singer Angel Ferrer) in 2010. In 2012, Pérez wrote a book about his relationship with Selena, entitled To Selena, with Love.

Early life edit

Christopher Pérez was born on August 14, 1969, in San Antonio, Texas to Gilbert Pérez, a computer programmer,[2] and Carmen Medina. He is of Mexican-American ancestry. Perez's parents divorced in 1974, when he was four years old. His mother remarried in 1978.[3]

Pérez learned to play the French horn in middle school and joined his school's concert band with his mother's support. He decided to teach himself to play electric guitar despite his mother's disapproval due to the negative stereotypes associated with the rock-and-roll world.[4] Pérez's favorite musicians were Van Halen, Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard,[5] Kiss,[6] the Scorpions,[7] Ozzy Osbourne and Iron Maiden.[2] He also grew to admire Ricky Martin during the 1990s.[8] Many of his guitar solos are inspired by Carlos Santana.[9]

Pérez wanted to run away to Los Angeles, California to start a rock band when he was seventeen. At the time, he shared an apartment with his father and worked at a library.[5][10] Pérez was asked by Tony Lares to join his cousin Shelly Lares' band in 1986.[11] Lares told Pérez that Shelly performed Tejano music—a mixture of traditional Mexican folk music, polkas and country music sung in Spanish or English. Pérez disliked Tejano music and wrote in To Selena, With Love that he joined Shelly's band with "foot-dragging resistance" because this job paid more than working at the library.[12] He became Shelly's musical director after Tony left the group, [13] and co-wrote three songs for Shelly's debut album in 1989.[14] His guitar playing received a positive reception from the band and its fans.[15] Around this time, he also formed a rock band with two friends and planned to leave Shelly's band.[16]

Career edit

1989–1995: Selena y Los Dinos edit

Roger Garcia, lead guitarist for Selena y Los Dinos, married and left the music business in 1989.[15] The group's bassist, A.B. Quintanilla III, had heard good things about Pérez from other Tejano groups. He and other band members went to watch Pérez rehearse with Shelly.[15][11] Quintanilla invited Chris to one of Selena's performances, and asked if he was interested in playing with Selena y Los Dinos. Pérez accepted, basing his decision on Los Dinos's sound, which was more "hip and sophisticated" than other Tejano bands, and he hoped to learn more about musical arrangement from A.B., whose work he admired.[16]

Pérez auditioned for the group's manager, A.B.'s father Abraham Quintanilla, Jr. Abraham initially disliked Pérez's rocker image and insisted that he change his appearance for the band. The elder Quintanilla feared that allowing Pérez in the group might affect his daughter Selena's "perfect image" and ruin her career. A.B. convinced his father to accept Pérez,[17][11] and encouraged Pérez to explore different musical genres and mold their sounds to his own tastes.[18] He and A.B became close friends occasionally collaborated on writing songs for Selena's next recording.[19] Pérez, like Selena, knew little Spanish, and lead keyboardist Ricky Vela tutored him.[20]

Relationship with Selena edit

In 1989 Pérez and A.B. wrote Selena's Coca-Cola commercial jingle. After the company accepted the lyrics and Selena filmed the commercial, A.B. treated the band to a vacation in Acapulco, Mexico.[17] During the trip Pérez realized he was attracted to Selena although he had a girlfriend in San Antonio.[10] Pérez thought it best for both of them if he tried to distance himself from her, but found it difficult and decided to try building a relationship with her.[21] They expressed their feelings for each other at a Pizza Hut restaurant, and shortly afterwards became a couple.[22][23] They hid their relationship from her father out of fear that Abraham would try to break them up.[24][25] This stressed Selena, who did not want to hide her feelings.[26]

Suzette ended up reporting the relationship to Abraham, who took Pérez off the bus and informed him that it was over.[27] The couple continued their relationship secretly despite Abraham's disapproval.[28][29] Selena took hope from the fact that her mother Marcella approved of their courtship, until[30] one day when Abraham stopped the tour bus and went to the back where Pérez and Selena were sitting. He shouted that their relationship was over and Selena screamed back at him. Pérez tried to calm them both down, but joined in the argument after Abraham insulted him by calling him a "cancer in my family."[31] Finally Abraham threatened to disband the group if they did not break up. Intimidated, Selena and Pérez backed off. Abraham fired him from the band and prevented Selena from running off with him, leaving Selena both extremely devastated and heartbroken.[32]

After Pérez was fired from the band,[33] he moved back in with his father and began playing music wherever he could. He wrote that "free of that nerve-racking situation with her father and the other members of Los Dinos, I started enjoying my life again." Selena, however, suffered from their separation and the two tried to keep in touch while she was touring.[34] On the morning of April 2, 1992, Selena pounded on his hotel-room door. She forced her way in and began to cry, saying she could not go on without him. Selena wanted to get married that day, but Pérez argued it was not the right thing to do at the moment. Selena insisted her father would never accept their relationship, and would not attend any wedding they planned.[35] Pérez agreed and they eloped in Nueces County, Texas.[36][31]

Selena was sure her father would leave them alone if they were married, and they could be together openly.[37] They planned to keep the elopement a secret until she found the right moment to reveal her marriage, but the media announced their elopement over the radio within hours of the marriage ceremony.[38] Selena's family tried to track her down. Abraham did not take the news well, and alienated himself for a time.[38] Selena and Pérez moved into an apartment in Corpus Christi[39] until Abraham approached them, apologized, accepted the marriage and Pérez back into the band.[40]

Pérez became a fully accepted member of the Quintanilla family after the marriage, and Abraham asked Pérez to write songs for a rock band he was managing after he opened a recording studio, Q-Productions, in late 1993.[41] That collaboration resulted in a posthumous recording for Selena when the lead vocalist for that rock group, Nando "Guerro" Dominguez, went to Selena's house to begin a recording. Pérez was ending the recording session several hours later when Selena asked to record Dominguez's demo.[42] Her version of the song was unreleased until 2004, when it was added to her posthumous compilation album Momentos Intimos as "Puede Ser". A.B. wrote "Ya No", the last recording for Selena's studio album Amor Prohibido (1994). He wanted to turn it into a rock song and asked for Pérez's assistance.[43]

1995–1998: After Selena, remarriage and fatherhood edit

In spring 1995, Abraham found out that Yolanda Saldívar, who managed Selena's boutiques and fan club, was embezzling money. They held a meeting in early March, with Saldívar denying she had anything to do with fiscal discrepancies in checks that were found written in her name. Selena tried to repair her friendship with Saldívar despite her father's warnings.[44] On March 30, 1995, Selena and Pérez met with Saldívar at a motel to recover missing financial papers for tax purposes.[45] When Selena and Pérez arrived home she found that Saldivar did not give her the correct documents. She phoned Saldívar, who tried to convince Selena to return to her motel room alone. Pérez insisted that it was too late, and he did not want Selena driving alone at night. Selena then agreed to meet with Saldivar the next morning.

On March 31, Selena woke up early to meet Saldívar at the motel where she was staying. She met with Saldívar, who delayed the transfer of papers with a story about having been raped in Mexico.[46] Selena took Saldívar to a local hospital, where doctors found no evidence of rape. When they returned to the motel room, Selena ended their four-year working relationship. As Selena turned to leave, Saldívar reached into her purse, pulled out a Taurus Model 85 .38 caliber revolver, pointed it at Selena and pulled the trigger.[47] The bullet entered Selena's right shoulder blade from the back, piercing a major artery running from her heart and exiting from just below her right collarbone. She ran to the motel lobby and collapsed to the floor. As the motel employees gathered round, she named Saldívar as her assailant.[48] Selena was transferred to a nearby hospital, where doctors found the damage irreparable. She was pronounced dead within the hour.[49]

Pérez could not eat for two days after his wife's murder.[50] In his book he says that when he could not sleep he began abusing alcohol and other drugs,[51] and went into seclusion. Family members noticed he was rapidly losing weight.[52] Chris felt guilty for not protecting Selena from Saldívar.[53]

In 1996, he moved out of his Corpus Christi house and back in with his father in San Antonio. John Garza introduced him to Venessa Villanueva, and after getting to know each other they became a couple in 1998.[2][54] In 2001, Pérez married Villanueva and they had two children, a boy Noah and a girl Cassie.[29][55]

Although it was rumored that Villanueva did not want to divorce, and wanted to try and work things out in their relationship,[56] the couple finally decided their relationship was irreconcilable. They filed for divorce in 2008.[57][58] Despite getting married again and having 2 children, Pérez has since remained in touch with the Quintanillas following Selena's death.

1999–2010: Chris Pérez Band, Kumbia Kings and Kumbia All Starz edit

Pérez's friend, John Garza moved in with him six months after Selena's death. They began writing music, which Pérez found healing.[63] In 1998 he formed a rock band with Garza, Rudy Martinez (former member of La Mafia) on bass, former Selena y Los Dinos keyboardist Joe Ojeda and Jesse Esquivel on drums. The band's name (the Chris Pérez Band) was chosen by Garza, Martinez, Ojeda and Esquivel.[64] Chris preferred the name Cinco Souls, but the other band members wanted to utilize his "reluctant celebrity."[2] The band was signed to Hollywood Records, and went to A&M Studios (now Henson Studios) in Los Angeles to begin recording their debut album. Pérez wrote the song "Best I Can" to explore his feelings about losing Selena and his struggle to continue without her.[65][60] The song was not planned for the album, for fear that listeners would think he included the track for commercial reasons, but Hollywood Records and the band convinced him to include it on the album after hearing the demo.[66]

"Another Day" (about devotion to Selena) was included on the album.[66] Ojeda wrote "Solo Tu", a romantic ballad which Pérez changed into a rock song.[64] Resurrection was released on May 18, 1999, and won the 2000 Grammy Award for Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album.[29] The record company released two promotional singles (one English and one Spanish: the title track and the ballad "Por Que Tu Fuiste") to radio stations with intent to appeal to both audiences.[67] The Los Angeles Times wrote that the album was "upbeat and danceable, the lyrics speak almost uniformly of loss, anger, violence and abandonment".[2] The Chris Pérez Band was the opening act for Mexican band Mana. In March 2000, Pérez began preparing for his second studio album;[68] On April 16, the band released its second and final album, Una Noche Más, before breaking up.[69] Pérez joined his brother-in-law A.B.'s band, the Kumbia All Starz, in 2006 and left it in 2010 to form his own band.[69][70] On April 7, 2005, Los Dinos reunited at the Selena ¡VIVE! tribute concert.[71]

2010–present: The Chris Pérez Project, To Selena, With Love, Blue Mariachi Productions edit

In 2010, Pérez formed a new group (the Chris Pérez Project) with Puerto Rican singer Angel Ferrer, releasing "Todo es Diferente".[72]

In March 2012 Pérez published To Selena, With Love, which described their relationship and struggles.[73] He had been reluctant to write the book, saying that fans asked him to write it.[58][74] He did not seek the approval of the Quintanilla family to write To Selena, With Love and did not disclose the project in fear of their reaction.[29] He approached Abraham after the book was finished. Abraham approved of it.[29] In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Pérez said writing To Selena, With Love helped him "move forward".[29] The book was praised by critics and fans.[53][57][75] To Selena, With Love dispelled the rumor that Selena was pregnant when she died (which had appeared in media reports after her death).[76]

In November 2016, Pérez announced that a made-for-television miniseries would be made from his book. This prompted Abraham to file a lawsuit against him since it violated an estate properties agreement originally signed between him and the family two months after Selena's death in 1995. The lawsuit also sparked a bitter dispute between the family and Pérez, who in September 2020, went on Instagram and publicly accused the Quintanilla family of erasing his legacy with Selena. Suzette posted a rebuttal shortly thereafter and Perez later apologized. The case was settled in September 2021.

In August 2021 Pérez's label Blue Mariachi Productions signed its first act, ZEUS. El Mero Necio alias Carlton Zeus.[77]

In December 2021, the 1997 biopic Selena was inducted into the National Film Registry on the film's 25th anniversary. Pérez recognized the occasion by posting a statement and photo of a white rose.[78]

Personality and musical influences edit

According to The Dallas Morning News,[61] Hollywood.com,[79] Justice for Selena,[80] They Died Too Young[25] and Selena: Como La Flor,[81] Pérez is a shy person. He was the antithesis of Abraham Quintanilla's "clean-cut, nice kids" in his early career as a guitarist for Selena y Los Dinos,[82] a rebellious rocker and a "long-haired tough guy".[79] In an interview with the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, he admitted discomfort at being an entertainer.[74] Until the release of his book, he had kept quiet about his personal life and shied away from media attention.[31][83][84] Carlos Valdez, the District Attorney who prosecuted Yolanda Saldívar, described Pérez as "shy and uncomfortable when in the spotlight", and this was echoed by the Corpus Christi Caller-Times.[74] His inability to talk about himself when interviewed was also discussed in Valdez' book. Valdez said the music business was not work for Pérez, who enjoyed being a guitarist and called it his "reason for [his] existence". Valdez considers him "honest, sincere, and someone who could be trusted and believed [in]."[80]

Leila Cobo of Billboard magazine believed his musical styles included contemporary cumbia music, reminiscent of music produced by A.B., R&B, rap and funk music.[85] Chuck Taylor, a Billboard editor, called The Chris Pérez Project debut album a "lot of classic rock elements".[86] David Cazares of the Sun Sentinel called Pérez' debut album "average rock" music.[87] The San Antonio Express-News said that Resurrection was a fusion of "pop rock grooves and Tejano soul".[88] Pérez is known for tapping into Latin genres, such as cumbia and Latin rock.[86][89]

In the 1997 biopic-film, Selena, Pérez was portrayed by Jon Seda while actor Jesse Posey portrayed him in Selena: The Series.

Discography edit

Published works edit

References edit

  1. ^ Jones 2000, p. 22.
  2. ^ a b c d e Valdes-Rodriguez, Alisa (May 9, 1999). "He's Fine. Trust Us". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 3, 2013.
  3. ^ Pérez 2012, p. 32.
  4. ^ Pérez 2012, p. 33.
  5. ^ a b Pérez 2012, p. 15.
  6. ^ Pérez 2012, p. 133.
  7. ^ Pérez 2012, p. 229.
  8. ^ Pérez 2012, p. 116.
  9. ^ Harris, Beth (February 24, 2000). "Santana Gets Six Pre-show Grammys". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
  10. ^ a b Pérez 2012, p. 12.
  11. ^ a b c Novas & Silva 1995, p. 46.
  12. ^ Ruiz & Sánchez Korrol 2006, p. 372.
  13. ^ Pérez 2012, p. 17.
  14. ^ Pérez 2012, p. 21.
  15. ^ a b c Pérez 2012, p. 23.
  16. ^ a b Pérez 2012, p. 24.
  17. ^ a b Pérez 2012, p. 9.
  18. ^ Pérez 2012, p. 60.
  19. ^ Pérez 2012, p. 61.
  20. ^ Pérez 2012, p. 121.
  21. ^ Pérez 2012, p. 28.
  22. ^ Novas & Silva 1995, p. 50.
  23. ^ Pérez 2012, p. 49.
  24. ^ Pérez 2012, p. 52.
  25. ^ a b Jones 2000, p. 23.
  26. ^ Pérez 2012, p. 58.
  27. ^ Pérez 2012, p. 73.
  28. ^ Pérez 2012, p. 75.
  29. ^ a b c d e f Aguila, Justino (March 22, 2012). "Selena's Widower Shows a Different Side of Singer in New Book (Q&A)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
  30. ^ Novas & Silva 1995, p. 53.
  31. ^ a b c Gostin, Nicki (March 30, 2012). "Chris Perez on his book 'To Selena, With Love'". CNN. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
  32. ^ Pérez 2012, p. 79.
  33. ^ "The New York Times Film Reviews 1997–1998". The New York Times. January 2, 2001. ISBN 978-0-8153-3340-1. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
  34. ^ Pérez 2012, p. 81.
  35. ^ Pérez 2012, p. 91.
  36. ^ Pérez 2012, p. 93.
  37. ^ Pérez 2012, p. 92.
  38. ^ a b Pérez 2012, p. 99.
  39. ^ Jones 2000, p. 26.
  40. ^ Pérez 2012, p. 105.
  41. ^ Pérez 2012, p. 216.
  42. ^ Pérez 2012, p. 217.
  43. ^ Pérez 2012, p. 232.
  44. ^ Patoski 1997, p. 183.
  45. ^ . Houston Chronicle, October 13, 1995. Retrieved February 1, 2008.
  46. ^ . Houston Chronicle, October 12, 1995. Retrieved May 21, 2008.
  47. ^ "Selena". Famous Crime Scene. Season 1. Episode 105. March 12, 2010. 30 minutes in. VH1.
  48. ^ . Houston Chronicle, October 13, 1995. Retrieved February 1, 2008.
  49. ^ Sam Howe Verhovek (April 1, 1995). "Grammy Winning Singer Selena Killed in Shooting at Texas Motel". The New York Times. p. 1. Retrieved October 24, 2011.
  50. ^ Pérez 2012, p. 277.
  51. ^ Pérez 2012, p. 278.
  52. ^ Pérez 2012, p. 279.
  53. ^ a b Saldaña, Hector (March 30, 2012). "Chris Perez talks about life with Tejano music icon Selena". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved May 3, 2013.
  54. ^ "The Chris Perez". Miami Herald. August 8, 1999. Retrieved June 9, 2013. (subscription required)
  55. ^ Valdes-Rodriguez, Alisa (May 19, 1999). "Too happy to be too sad Chris Perez, Selena's widower, has his life and music back on track". Kansas City Star. Retrieved June 9, 2013.(subscription required)
  56. ^ "Vanessa Villanueva Untold Truth Behind How She Met Chris Perez (Latest)". Vizaca. September 8, 2021. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  57. ^ a b Tamara, E.J. (March 8, 2012). "Chris Perez: Widower Of Selena Quintanilla Shares Memories Of Life Together In New Book, 'To Selena, With Love'". The Huffington Post. Retrieved May 3, 2013.
  58. ^ a b Castillo, Amaris (March 7, 2012). "Bookmarked: 'To Selena, With Love' by Chris Perez". Univision. Archived from the original on June 26, 2013. Retrieved May 3, 2013.
  59. ^ "music: Chris Perez (Photo Only)". San Antonio Express-News. April 28, 2000. Retrieved June 11, 2013. (subscription required)
  60. ^ a b Chang, Daniel (May 29, 1999). "Chris Perez Seeks To Regain". The Vindicator. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
  61. ^ a b Tarradell, Mario (May 16, 1999). "Chris Perez moves out of Selena's shadow". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved June 11, 2013. (subscription required)
  62. ^ Torres, Richard (May 2, 1999). "The Best of Selena Lives On". Newsday. Retrieved June 11, 2013. (subscription required)
  63. ^ Pérez 2012, p. 280.
  64. ^ a b Pérez 2012, p. 282.
  65. ^ Pérez 2012, p. 283.
  66. ^ a b Pérez 2012, p. 284.
  67. ^ Pérez 2012, p. 285.
  68. ^ Ross, Paige (March 2000). "Chris Perez now". Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Archived from the original on June 28, 2013. Retrieved May 3, 2013.
  69. ^ a b "Hace 10 años fue asesinada 'la reina del tex mex'". El Universal. March 31, 2005. Retrieved May 3, 2013.
  70. ^ . Terra. November 21, 2009. Archived from the original on April 18, 2015. Retrieved May 3, 2013.
  71. ^ Clark, Michael D. (April 8, 2005). "Modern, traditional mix in vibrant Selena tribute". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  72. ^ Saldaña, Hector (November 3, 2011). "Hector Saldaña: Chris Perez: Todo es diferente". San Antonio-Express News. Retrieved May 3, 2013.
  73. ^ "To Selena, With Love Review". Goodreads.com. Goodreads Inc. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
  74. ^ a b c "Chris Perez, Selena's husband, authors book about their lives together due out Tuesday". Corpus Christi Caller Times. March 3, 2012. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
  75. ^ Martinez, Brenda (April 18, 2012). . Prensa Libre (in Spanish). Archived from the original on June 21, 2012. Retrieved May 3, 2013.
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  77. ^ Mendoza, By Madalyn (August 10, 2021). "Tejano hip-hop star with 'outlandish' dreams signs onto Chris Perez's new record label". Mysa.
  78. ^ Mendoza, Madalyn (March 31, 2022). "Chris Perez remembers Selena on the anniversary of her death". Mysa. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  79. ^ a b Deming, Mark. "Selena (1997) Review". Hollywood.com. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
  80. ^ a b Valdez 2005, p. 127.
  81. ^ Patoski 1997, p. 113.
  82. ^ Patoski 1997, p. 120.
  83. ^ Puga, Kristina (March 6, 2012). . NBC Latino. Archived from the original on May 16, 2013. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
  84. ^ Aquino, Lydia (May 9, 2012). "Chris Perez: All About Selena". Entertainment Affair.com. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
  85. ^ Cobo, Leila (November 27, 2004). "Kumbia Kings Continue Their Reign". Billboard. Vol. 116, no. 48. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
  86. ^ a b Taylor, Chuck (May 29, 1999). "Singles Review". Billboard. Vol. 11, no. 22. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
  87. ^ Cazares, David (March 31, 2000). "Latin Rock Grammy Winner Not Very Latin". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved June 10, 2013. (subscription required)
  88. ^ "Music: Chris Perez". San Antonio Express-News. April 28, 2000. Retrieved June 10, 2013. (subscription required)
  89. ^ Burr, Ramiro (April 19, 2003). "Winners Unveiled At Tejano Awards". Billboard. Vol. 115, no. 16. Retrieved June 9, 2013.

Bibliography edit

External links edit

chris, pérez, other, people, named, disambiguation, christopher, gilbert, pérez, born, august, 1969, american, guitarist, best, known, lead, guitarist, tejano, band, selena, dinos, married, frontwoman, group, selena, april, 1992, pérez, grew, antonio, texas, c. For other people named Chris Perez see Chris Perez disambiguation Christopher Gilbert Perez born August 14 1969 is an American guitarist best known as lead guitarist for the Tejano band Selena y Los Dinos He married the frontwoman of the group Selena on April 2 1992 Perez grew up in San Antonio Texas as one of two children of Gilbert Perez and Carmen Medina In 1986 he began his tenure by joining Shelly Lares band By the late 1980s Perez was respected among Tejano musicians for his guitar skills This caught A B Quintanilla s attention at the time A B was seeking another guitarist for the band he produced Selena y Los Dinos Between one and two years after Perez joined the band he and Selena began a personal relationship Chris PerezPerez performing in 2012BornChristopher Gilbert Perez 1969 08 14 August 14 1969 age 54 San Antonio Texas U S EducationThomas Jefferson High SchoolOccupationMusicianSpousesSelena Quintanilla m 1992 died 1995 wbr Venessa Villanueva m 2001 div 2008 wbr Children2FamilySuzette Quintanilla sister in law A B Quintanilla brother in law Abraham Quintanilla father in law Musical careerGenresRock latin rock cumbia Tejano heavy metal 1 Instrument s GuitarYears active1986 presentLabelsEMI Latin Hollywood Records Q Productions Selena s father Abraham Quintanilla forced them to end their relationship because he felt Perez s image might damage Selena s career They ignored his threats that he would disband the group and continued their relationship Abraham fired Perez from the band forbidding Selena to go with him Perez wed Selena in 1992 On March 31 1995 Selena was shot and killed by her former friend and former manager of her boutiques Yolanda Saldivar Selena s murder greatly devastated Perez who began abusing drugs and alcohol Perez formed the Chris Perez Band and began writing songs for their debut album They signed with Hollywood Records and released their first album Resurrection which won a Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album The band disbanded after their second album Una Noche Mas 2002 was released Perez continued in the music business and often played with A B s groups the Kumbia Kings and the Kumbia All Starz He left both groups and formed another band the Chris Perez Project which included American singer Angel Ferrer in 2010 In 2012 Perez wrote a book about his relationship with Selena entitled To Selena with Love Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 2 1 1989 1995 Selena y Los Dinos 2 1 1 Relationship with Selena 2 2 1995 1998 After Selena remarriage and fatherhood 2 3 1999 2010 Chris Perez Band Kumbia Kings and Kumbia All Starz 2 4 2010 present The Chris Perez Project To Selena With Love Blue Mariachi Productions 3 Personality and musical influences 4 Discography 5 Published works 6 References 7 Bibliography 8 External linksEarly life editChristopher Perez was born on August 14 1969 in San Antonio Texas to Gilbert Perez a computer programmer 2 and Carmen Medina He is of Mexican American ancestry Perez s parents divorced in 1974 when he was four years old His mother remarried in 1978 3 Perez learned to play the French horn in middle school and joined his school s concert band with his mother s support He decided to teach himself to play electric guitar despite his mother s disapproval due to the negative stereotypes associated with the rock and roll world 4 Perez s favorite musicians were Van Halen Motley Crue Def Leppard 5 Kiss 6 the Scorpions 7 Ozzy Osbourne and Iron Maiden 2 He also grew to admire Ricky Martin during the 1990s 8 Many of his guitar solos are inspired by Carlos Santana 9 Perez wanted to run away to Los Angeles California to start a rock band when he was seventeen At the time he shared an apartment with his father and worked at a library 5 10 Perez was asked by Tony Lares to join his cousin Shelly Lares band in 1986 11 Lares told Perez that Shelly performed Tejano music a mixture of traditional Mexican folk music polkas and country music sung in Spanish or English Perez disliked Tejano music and wrote in To Selena With Love that he joined Shelly s band with foot dragging resistance because this job paid more than working at the library 12 He became Shelly s musical director after Tony left the group 13 and co wrote three songs for Shelly s debut album in 1989 14 His guitar playing received a positive reception from the band and its fans 15 Around this time he also formed a rock band with two friends and planned to leave Shelly s band 16 Career edit1989 1995 Selena y Los Dinos edit Roger Garcia lead guitarist for Selena y Los Dinos married and left the music business in 1989 15 The group s bassist A B Quintanilla III had heard good things about Perez from other Tejano groups He and other band members went to watch Perez rehearse with Shelly 15 11 Quintanilla invited Chris to one of Selena s performances and asked if he was interested in playing with Selena y Los Dinos Perez accepted basing his decision on Los Dinos s sound which was more hip and sophisticated than other Tejano bands and he hoped to learn more about musical arrangement from A B whose work he admired 16 Perez auditioned for the group s manager A B s father Abraham Quintanilla Jr Abraham initially disliked Perez s rocker image and insisted that he change his appearance for the band The elder Quintanilla feared that allowing Perez in the group might affect his daughter Selena s perfect image and ruin her career A B convinced his father to accept Perez 17 11 and encouraged Perez to explore different musical genres and mold their sounds to his own tastes 18 He and A B became close friends occasionally collaborated on writing songs for Selena s next recording 19 Perez like Selena knew little Spanish and lead keyboardist Ricky Vela tutored him 20 Relationship with Selena edit In 1989 Perez and A B wrote Selena s Coca Cola commercial jingle After the company accepted the lyrics and Selena filmed the commercial A B treated the band to a vacation in Acapulco Mexico 17 During the trip Perez realized he was attracted to Selena although he had a girlfriend in San Antonio 10 Perez thought it best for both of them if he tried to distance himself from her but found it difficult and decided to try building a relationship with her 21 They expressed their feelings for each other at a Pizza Hut restaurant and shortly afterwards became a couple 22 23 They hid their relationship from her father out of fear that Abraham would try to break them up 24 25 This stressed Selena who did not want to hide her feelings 26 Suzette ended up reporting the relationship to Abraham who took Perez off the bus and informed him that it was over 27 The couple continued their relationship secretly despite Abraham s disapproval 28 29 Selena took hope from the fact that her mother Marcella approved of their courtship until 30 one day when Abraham stopped the tour bus and went to the back where Perez and Selena were sitting He shouted that their relationship was over and Selena screamed back at him Perez tried to calm them both down but joined in the argument after Abraham insulted him by calling him a cancer in my family 31 Finally Abraham threatened to disband the group if they did not break up Intimidated Selena and Perez backed off Abraham fired him from the band and prevented Selena from running off with him leaving Selena both extremely devastated and heartbroken 32 After Perez was fired from the band 33 he moved back in with his father and began playing music wherever he could He wrote that free of that nerve racking situation with her father and the other members of Los Dinos I started enjoying my life again Selena however suffered from their separation and the two tried to keep in touch while she was touring 34 On the morning of April 2 1992 Selena pounded on his hotel room door She forced her way in and began to cry saying she could not go on without him Selena wanted to get married that day but Perez argued it was not the right thing to do at the moment Selena insisted her father would never accept their relationship and would not attend any wedding they planned 35 Perez agreed and they eloped in Nueces County Texas 36 31 Selena was sure her father would leave them alone if they were married and they could be together openly 37 They planned to keep the elopement a secret until she found the right moment to reveal her marriage but the media announced their elopement over the radio within hours of the marriage ceremony 38 Selena s family tried to track her down Abraham did not take the news well and alienated himself for a time 38 Selena and Perez moved into an apartment in Corpus Christi 39 until Abraham approached them apologized accepted the marriage and Perez back into the band 40 Perez became a fully accepted member of the Quintanilla family after the marriage and Abraham asked Perez to write songs for a rock band he was managing after he opened a recording studio Q Productions in late 1993 41 That collaboration resulted in a posthumous recording for Selena when the lead vocalist for that rock group Nando Guerro Dominguez went to Selena s house to begin a recording Perez was ending the recording session several hours later when Selena asked to record Dominguez s demo 42 Her version of the song was unreleased until 2004 when it was added to her posthumous compilation album Momentos Intimos as Puede Ser A B wrote Ya No the last recording for Selena s studio album Amor Prohibido 1994 He wanted to turn it into a rock song and asked for Perez s assistance 43 1995 1998 After Selena remarriage and fatherhood edit Main article Murder of Selena In spring 1995 Abraham found out that Yolanda Saldivar who managed Selena s boutiques and fan club was embezzling money They held a meeting in early March with Saldivar denying she had anything to do with fiscal discrepancies in checks that were found written in her name Selena tried to repair her friendship with Saldivar despite her father s warnings 44 On March 30 1995 Selena and Perez met with Saldivar at a motel to recover missing financial papers for tax purposes 45 When Selena and Perez arrived home she found that Saldivar did not give her the correct documents She phoned Saldivar who tried to convince Selena to return to her motel room alone Perez insisted that it was too late and he did not want Selena driving alone at night Selena then agreed to meet with Saldivar the next morning On March 31 Selena woke up early to meet Saldivar at the motel where she was staying She met with Saldivar who delayed the transfer of papers with a story about having been raped in Mexico 46 Selena took Saldivar to a local hospital where doctors found no evidence of rape When they returned to the motel room Selena ended their four year working relationship As Selena turned to leave Saldivar reached into her purse pulled out a Taurus Model 85 38 caliber revolver pointed it at Selena and pulled the trigger 47 The bullet entered Selena s right shoulder blade from the back piercing a major artery running from her heart and exiting from just below her right collarbone She ran to the motel lobby and collapsed to the floor As the motel employees gathered round she named Saldivar as her assailant 48 Selena was transferred to a nearby hospital where doctors found the damage irreparable She was pronounced dead within the hour 49 Perez could not eat for two days after his wife s murder 50 In his book he says that when he could not sleep he began abusing alcohol and other drugs 51 and went into seclusion Family members noticed he was rapidly losing weight 52 Chris felt guilty for not protecting Selena from Saldivar 53 In 1996 he moved out of his Corpus Christi house and back in with his father in San Antonio John Garza introduced him to Venessa Villanueva and after getting to know each other they became a couple in 1998 2 54 In 2001 Perez married Villanueva and they had two children a boy Noah and a girl Cassie 29 55 Although it was rumored that Villanueva did not want to divorce and wanted to try and work things out in their relationship 56 the couple finally decided their relationship was irreconcilable They filed for divorce in 2008 57 58 Despite getting married again and having 2 children Perez has since remained in touch with the Quintanillas following Selena s death 1999 2010 Chris Perez Band Kumbia Kings and Kumbia All Starz edit nbsp Best I Can source source The rock ballad 59 Best I Can which centers around the difficulty of Perez life without Selena was received favorably by critics 60 61 Vocals by John Garza with lyrics by Perez 62 Problems playing this file See media help Perez s friend John Garza moved in with him six months after Selena s death They began writing music which Perez found healing 63 In 1998 he formed a rock band with Garza Rudy Martinez former member of La Mafia on bass former Selena y Los Dinos keyboardist Joe Ojeda and Jesse Esquivel on drums The band s name the Chris Perez Band was chosen by Garza Martinez Ojeda and Esquivel 64 Chris preferred the name Cinco Souls but the other band members wanted to utilize his reluctant celebrity 2 The band was signed to Hollywood Records and went to A amp M Studios now Henson Studios in Los Angeles to begin recording their debut album Perez wrote the song Best I Can to explore his feelings about losing Selena and his struggle to continue without her 65 60 The song was not planned for the album for fear that listeners would think he included the track for commercial reasons but Hollywood Records and the band convinced him to include it on the album after hearing the demo 66 Another Day about devotion to Selena was included on the album 66 Ojeda wrote Solo Tu a romantic ballad which Perez changed into a rock song 64 Resurrection was released on May 18 1999 and won the 2000 Grammy Award for Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock Urban or Alternative Album 29 The record company released two promotional singles one English and one Spanish the title track and the ballad Por Que Tu Fuiste to radio stations with intent to appeal to both audiences 67 The Los Angeles Times wrote that the album was upbeat and danceable the lyrics speak almost uniformly of loss anger violence and abandonment 2 The Chris Perez Band was the opening act for Mexican band Mana In March 2000 Perez began preparing for his second studio album 68 On April 16 the band released its second and final album Una Noche Mas before breaking up 69 Perez joined his brother in law A B s band the Kumbia All Starz in 2006 and left it in 2010 to form his own band 69 70 On April 7 2005 Los Dinos reunited at the Selena VIVE tribute concert 71 2010 present The Chris Perez Project To Selena With Love Blue Mariachi Productions edit In 2010 Perez formed a new group the Chris Perez Project with Puerto Rican singer Angel Ferrer releasing Todo es Diferente 72 In March 2012 Perez published To Selena With Love which described their relationship and struggles 73 He had been reluctant to write the book saying that fans asked him to write it 58 74 He did not seek the approval of the Quintanilla family to write To Selena With Love and did not disclose the project in fear of their reaction 29 He approached Abraham after the book was finished Abraham approved of it 29 In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter Perez said writing To Selena With Love helped him move forward 29 The book was praised by critics and fans 53 57 75 To Selena With Love dispelled the rumor that Selena was pregnant when she died which had appeared in media reports after her death 76 In November 2016 Perez announced that a made for television miniseries would be made from his book This prompted Abraham to file a lawsuit against him since it violated an estate properties agreement originally signed between him and the family two months after Selena s death in 1995 The lawsuit also sparked a bitter dispute between the family and Perez who in September 2020 went on Instagram and publicly accused the Quintanilla family of erasing his legacy with Selena Suzette posted a rebuttal shortly thereafter and Perez later apologized The case was settled in September 2021 In August 2021 Perez s label Blue Mariachi Productions signed its first act ZEUS El Mero Necio alias Carlton Zeus 77 In December 2021 the 1997 biopic Selena was inducted into the National Film Registry on the film s 25th anniversary Perez recognized the occasion by posting a statement and photo of a white rose 78 Personality and musical influences editAccording to The Dallas Morning News 61 Hollywood com 79 Justice for Selena 80 They Died Too Young 25 and Selena Como La Flor 81 Perez is a shy person He was the antithesis of Abraham Quintanilla s clean cut nice kids in his early career as a guitarist for Selena y Los Dinos 82 a rebellious rocker and a long haired tough guy 79 In an interview with the Corpus Christi Caller Times he admitted discomfort at being an entertainer 74 Until the release of his book he had kept quiet about his personal life and shied away from media attention 31 83 84 Carlos Valdez the District Attorney who prosecuted Yolanda Saldivar described Perez as shy and uncomfortable when in the spotlight and this was echoed by the Corpus Christi Caller Times 74 His inability to talk about himself when interviewed was also discussed in Valdez book Valdez said the music business was not work for Perez who enjoyed being a guitarist and called it his reason for his existence Valdez considers him honest sincere and someone who could be trusted and believed in 80 Leila Cobo of Billboard magazine believed his musical styles included contemporary cumbia music reminiscent of music produced by A B R amp B rap and funk music 85 Chuck Taylor a Billboard editor called The Chris Perez Project debut album a lot of classic rock elements 86 David Cazares of the Sun Sentinel called Perez debut album average rock music 87 The San Antonio Express News said that Resurrection was a fusion of pop rock grooves and Tejano soul 88 Perez is known for tapping into Latin genres such as cumbia and Latin rock 86 89 In the 1997 biopic film Selena Perez was portrayed by Jon Seda while actor Jesse Posey portrayed him in Selena The Series Discography editSelena y Los Dinos Ven Conmigo 1990 Entre a Mi Mundo 1992 Selena Live 1993 Amor Prohibido 1994 Dreaming of You 1995 Chris Perez Band Resurrection 1999 Una Noche Mas 2002 Kumbia Kings Amor Familia y Respeto 1999 Shhh 2001 All Mixed Up Los Remixes 2002 4 2003 Los Remixes 2 0 2004 Fuego 2004 Kumbia Kings Live 2006 Kumbia All Starz Ayer Fue Kumbia Kings Hoy Es Kumbia All Starz 2006 Planeta Kumbia 2008 La Vida de un Genio 2010 Published works editTo Selena With Love 2012 References edit Jones 2000 p 22 a b c d e Valdes Rodriguez Alisa May 9 1999 He s Fine Trust Us Los Angeles Times Retrieved May 3 2013 Perez 2012 p 32 Perez 2012 p 33 a b Perez 2012 p 15 Perez 2012 p 133 Perez 2012 p 229 Perez 2012 p 116 Harris Beth February 24 2000 Santana Gets Six Pre show Grammys Bangor Daily News Retrieved June 9 2013 a b Perez 2012 p 12 a b c Novas amp Silva 1995 p 46 Ruiz amp Sanchez Korrol 2006 p 372 Perez 2012 p 17 Perez 2012 p 21 a b c Perez 2012 p 23 a b Perez 2012 p 24 a b Perez 2012 p 9 Perez 2012 p 60 Perez 2012 p 61 Perez 2012 p 121 Perez 2012 p 28 Novas amp Silva 1995 p 50 Perez 2012 p 49 Perez 2012 p 52 a b Jones 2000 p 23 Perez 2012 p 58 Perez 2012 p 73 Perez 2012 p 75 a b c d e f Aguila Justino March 22 2012 Selena s Widower Shows a Different Side of Singer in New Book Q amp A The Hollywood Reporter Retrieved June 9 2013 Novas amp Silva 1995 p 53 a b c Gostin Nicki March 30 2012 Chris Perez on his book To Selena With Love CNN Retrieved June 9 2013 Perez 2012 p 79 The New York Times Film Reviews 1997 1998 The New York Times January 2 2001 ISBN 978 0 8153 3340 1 Retrieved June 9 2013 Perez 2012 p 81 Perez 2012 p 91 Perez 2012 p 93 Perez 2012 p 92 a b Perez 2012 p 99 Jones 2000 p 26 Perez 2012 p 105 Perez 2012 p 216 Perez 2012 p 217 Perez 2012 p 232 Patoski 1997 p 183 Testimony of Richard Fredrickson Houston Chronicle October 13 1995 Retrieved February 1 2008 12 October 1995 testimony of Carla Anthony Houston Chronicle October 12 1995 Retrieved May 21 2008 Selena Famous Crime Scene Season 1 Episode 105 March 12 2010 30 minutes in VH1 Friday 13 October the testimony of Shawna Vela Houston Chronicle October 13 1995 Retrieved February 1 2008 Sam Howe Verhovek April 1 1995 Grammy Winning Singer Selena Killed in Shooting at Texas Motel The New York Times p 1 Retrieved October 24 2011 Perez 2012 p 277 Perez 2012 p 278 Perez 2012 p 279 a b Saldana Hector March 30 2012 Chris Perez talks about life with Tejano music icon Selena Houston Chronicle Retrieved May 3 2013 The Chris Perez Miami Herald August 8 1999 Retrieved June 9 2013 subscription required Valdes Rodriguez Alisa May 19 1999 Too happy to be too sad Chris Perez Selena s widower has his life and music back on track Kansas City Star Retrieved June 9 2013 subscription required Vanessa Villanueva Untold Truth Behind How She Met Chris Perez Latest Vizaca September 8 2021 Retrieved October 20 2021 a b Tamara E J March 8 2012 Chris Perez Widower Of Selena Quintanilla Shares Memories Of Life Together In New Book To Selena With Love The Huffington Post Retrieved May 3 2013 a b Castillo Amaris March 7 2012 Bookmarked To Selena With Love by Chris Perez Univision Archived from the original on June 26 2013 Retrieved May 3 2013 music Chris Perez Photo Only San Antonio Express News April 28 2000 Retrieved June 11 2013 subscription required a b Chang Daniel May 29 1999 Chris Perez Seeks To Regain The Vindicator Retrieved June 11 2013 a b Tarradell Mario May 16 1999 Chris Perez moves out of Selena s shadow The Dallas Morning News Retrieved June 11 2013 subscription required Torres Richard May 2 1999 The Best of Selena Lives On Newsday Retrieved June 11 2013 subscription required Perez 2012 p 280 a b Perez 2012 p 282 Perez 2012 p 283 a b Perez 2012 p 284 Perez 2012 p 285 Ross Paige March 2000 Chris Perez now Corpus Christi Caller Times Archived from the original on June 28 2013 Retrieved May 3 2013 a b Hace 10 anos fue asesinada la reina del tex mex El Universal March 31 2005 Retrieved May 3 2013 Kumbia All Starz pondran a bailar todo Terra November 21 2009 Archived from the original on April 18 2015 Retrieved May 3 2013 Clark Michael D April 8 2005 Modern traditional mix in vibrant Selena tribute Houston Chronicle Retrieved November 18 2012 Saldana Hector November 3 2011 Hector Saldana Chris Perez Todo es diferente San Antonio Express News Retrieved May 3 2013 To Selena With Love Review Goodreads com Goodreads Inc Retrieved June 9 2013 a b c Chris Perez Selena s husband authors book about their lives together due out Tuesday Corpus Christi Caller Times March 3 2012 Retrieved June 9 2013 Martinez Brenda April 18 2012 Selena la flor perenne Prensa Libre in Spanish Archived from the original on June 21 2012 Retrieved May 3 2013 Selena una flor que nunca se marchitara Univision in Spanish Univision Communications Retrieved July 8 2013 Mendoza By Madalyn August 10 2021 Tejano hip hop star with outlandish dreams signs onto Chris Perez s new record label Mysa Mendoza Madalyn March 31 2022 Chris Perez remembers Selena on the anniversary of her death Mysa Retrieved March 31 2022 a b Deming Mark Selena 1997 Review Hollywood com Retrieved June 9 2013 a b Valdez 2005 p 127 Patoski 1997 p 113 Patoski 1997 p 120 Puga Kristina March 6 2012 Selena s husband opens up in new book To Selena With Love NBC Latino Archived from the original on May 16 2013 Retrieved June 9 2013 Aquino Lydia May 9 2012 Chris Perez All About Selena Entertainment Affair com Retrieved June 9 2013 Cobo Leila November 27 2004 Kumbia Kings Continue Their Reign Billboard Vol 116 no 48 Retrieved June 9 2013 a b Taylor Chuck May 29 1999 Singles Review Billboard Vol 11 no 22 Retrieved June 9 2013 Cazares David March 31 2000 Latin Rock Grammy Winner Not Very Latin Sun Sentinel Retrieved June 10 2013 subscription required Music Chris Perez San Antonio Express News April 28 2000 Retrieved June 10 2013 subscription required Burr Ramiro April 19 2003 Winners Unveiled At Tejano Awards Billboard Vol 115 no 16 Retrieved June 9 2013 Bibliography editPatoski Joe 1997 Selena Como La Flor Little Brown and Company p 356 ISBN 978 0 316 69378 3 Perez Chris 2012 To Selena With Love Celebra Books p 294 ISBN 978 0 451 41404 5 Ruiz Vickie Sanchez Korrol Virginia 2006 Latinas in the United States set A Historical Encyclopedia Indiana University Press p 944 ISBN 0 253 11169 2 Valdez Carlos 2005 Justice for Selena The State Versus Yolanda Saldivar Trafford Publishing p 428 ISBN 1 4120 6525 9 Novas Himilce Silva Rosemary 1995 Remembering Selena A Tribute In Pictures amp Words Recordando Selena Un Tributo en Palabras y Fotos St Martin s Press p 128 ISBN 978 0 312 14160 8 Jones Veda 2000 They Died Too Young Chelsea House Publications p 48 ISBN 0 7910 5230 3External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chris Gilbert Perez Chris Perez on Facebook Chris Perez s channel on YouTube Chris Perez at IMDb Chris Perez on Grammy Awards Chris Perez at AllMusic Chris Perez Archived June 29 2011 at the Wayback Machine at VH1 com Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Chris Perez amp oldid 1217495990, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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