death, the popularity of Tejano music waned. During Saldívar's trial for the murder—called the "trial of the century" and the most important trial for the Latino population—Saldívar said she accidentally shot Selena while attempting suicide. Saldívar was found guilty of murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment. Jennifer Lopez was cast as Selena in a 1997 biopic film about her life and achieved fame after the film's release. Background The Selena fan club Selena was born on April 16, 1971, in Lake Jackson, Texas, to Abraham Quintanilla, Jr., a former musician, and Marcella Ofelia Quintanilla (née Samora). Selena was introduced to the music industry by her father, who saw "a way back into the music business" after discovering Selena's "perfect timing and pitch". He quickly organized his children into a band called Selena y Los Dinos, which included A.B. Quintanilla III on bass, Suzette Quintanilla on drums, and Selena as the lead singer. The band became the family's main source of income after they were evicted from their home during the Texas oil bust of 1982. They filed for bankruptcy after Quintanilla, Jr.'s Mexican restaurant suffered as a result of the oil bust. The family moved to Corpus Christi, Texas, and Selena y Los Dinos began recording music professionally. In 1984, the band released its first LP record, Selena y Los Dinos, with a small, independent record company. Quintanilla, Jr. wanted his children to record Tejano music—a male-dominated music genre popularized by Mexican-Americans in the United States. Selena's popularity as a singer grew after she won the Tejano Music Award for Female Vocalist of the Year in 1987. She landed her first major record deal with Capitol EMI Latin in 1989. Yolanda Saldívar became a fan of Tejano music in the mid-1980s. She had originally disliked Selena because Selena had won awards for which Saldívar's favorite Tejano musicians were nominated. In mid-1991, Saldívar attended one of Selena's concerts in San Antonio, Texas, with her niece. She became an ardent Selena fan; she particularly enjoyed the singer's stage presence and especially liked the song "Baila Esta Cumbia". The day after the concert, Saldívar unsuccessfully searched news stands for a souvenir of the event. She got the idea of starting a Selena fan club in the San Antonio area to promote the singer. According to Quintanilla, Jr., Saldívar tried contacting him and left him fifteen messages; she said she left only three.