A book about Selena Quintanilla-Perez, the Queen of Tejano Music, is out now
Written by the “Bidi bidi bom bom” star’s former husband, Chris Perez, “To Selena, With Love” talks about falling in love with Selena, their uphill battle to receive her father’s approval, and their life together both off and on stage.
In an interview days before his presentation and book signing at the LeáLA book festival taking place at the Los Angeles Convention Center this weekend, Perez talks to Quinceanera.com about how he came to the decision to write the book and about coping with life after Selena.
What drove you to writing a book about your life with Selena?
The book gave me the opportunity to show a side of Selena that no one but I knew. I had this different perspective about the person that I thought she was and she deserved to be seen in that light as well. She was a great person.
Why did you wait this long to write it?
The thought had occurred to me in the past two or three years, but it wasn’t until last fall that I sat down to do it. For me, it was more about waiting for the right time for me to be ready to dig into all those memories again.
Was that one of the most difficult things to do when writing this book?
Definitely. It’s not like what’s in the book is invented. All of it is based on real memories and experiences that I shared with her. So in a sense, drawing from the experiences wasn’t difficult but having to relive the painful part was.
Was her family in approval of you writing a book about Selena’s personal life?
At the beginning I think they may have been scared that I was writing a kiss and tell book. But I assured them that I wasn’t and that all I wanted to do was share a different side of her life. Selena’s family, including Abraham, A.B., and Suzette, gave me their full support. I tried to handle the book with the respect and dignity that it deserves and they were happy with it.
Why do you think that so many teenagers admire Selena, even though they were not alive during her golden years?
For one, her message of staying in school and not doing drugs is something kids of today can admire. Selena stood for many positive things that, really, anyone can relate to. She proved that persistence and hard work do pay off and that you can be ambitious in a positive way as well.
I think the younger generation sees her old interviews and performances, and can tell that she was an amazing entertainer and a great person, and those are things you can’t fake.
The “To Selena With Love” by Chris Pérez presentation and book signing will take place at 6:00p.m. on Saturday, May 12 at the South Hall Meeting Room 303B at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
Following the event, Perez will give a private concert at 11:00 p.m. at the GRAMMY® MUSEUM -L.A. Live.
