Jennifer Lopez has revealed how the murder of famed Latino singer Selena twenty years ago inspired her to launch her own music career . In an interview with Billboard magazine , she said that finding out about the 23-year-old star 's death encouraged her to leave the chorus behind and try out as a solo pop artist in New York . Touching on her career choice , the 45-year-old continued : 'It made me realize ... Life is short , and you do n't know what 's going to happen . Go for your dreams and do n't let anyone hold you back . ' Selena - nicknamed the 'Mexican Madonna ' for her provocative dress sense - was shot and killed by Yolanda Saldívar , the president of her fan club on March 31 , 1995 in Corpus Christi , Texas . Scroll down for video . Source of inspiration : Jennifer Lopez ( right ) has revealed how the murder of famed Latino singer Selena ( left ) twenty years ago inspired her to launch her own music career . Tomorrow marks the 20th anniversary of her death , for which Saldívar is serving life for . Lopez , who actually went on to play Selena in a 1997 biopic , added that the young artist was 'special ' and 'moved the world in a different way . ' She continued : 'That 's why we 're still talking about her 20 years later ... . People like that do n't come along every day . 'There is never going to be another Selena . ' Just two years after playing Selena , Lopez successfully managed to convert herself from a film star to a pop star . Flashback : Selena photographed performing for the crowd during a dance following the Feria de las Flores queen 's contest at Memorial Coliseum August 12 , 1989 , in Corpus Christi , Texas . Making an impression : Lopez , who actually went on to play Selena in a 1997 biopic ( seen above ) , added that the young artist was 'special ' and 'moved the world in a different way ' Selena began performing as a child , singing in Los Dinos , a band formed by her father that featured her brother A.B . on bass and sister Suzette on drums . She went on to win a Best Mexican-American Album Grammy for Live , had several hits in the U.S. and was about to cross over to the English-language pop market when she was murdered weeks before her 24th birthday . Her posthumous album , Dreaming of You , which was mostly recorded in English , topped the Billboard 200 chart and stayed atop the Latin charts for nine months . In recognition of Selena 's passing two decades ago , the Latin world will remember her with concerts , lookalike contests , dances and a massive festival . Mourning her loss : The parents of deceased Tejano singer Selena , Marcella and Abraham Quintanilla Jr. ( R ) , seen at a press conference in Beverly Hills to mark the announcement of her biopic . Behind bars : Yolanda Saldívar ( right ) is serving a life sentence for the 1995 murder of Selena ( left ) On April 17 and 18 , two days after her birthday , Selena 's family are set to throw the inaugural Fiesta de la Flor in her hometown , to celebrate her legacy . The festival will feature performances from Los Lobos and other Tejano stars as well as a screening of Selena , starring Jennifer Lopez in her breakout role . The two main Spanish-language TV networks in the U.S. will also air special Selena programming over the weekend . The late singer 's father , A.B . Quintanilla , insists Selena 's music has not dated , citing the hit 'Tecnocumbia . ' 'If you play a Selena cumbia and compare it with any other record from today , it sounds as if it had been recorded yesterday , ' he said . 'We remember our daughter every single day . '
Lopez said finding out about the 23-year-old star 's death in twenty years ago encouraged her to leave the chorus behind and try out as a solo pop artist . 'It made me realize ... Life is short , and you do n't know what 's going to happen . Go for your dreams and do n't let anyone hold you back '