Twenty-two years after her murder, singer Selena Quintanilla has finally received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The ceremony, held on Friday in Hollywood, was attended by hundreds of the late singer’s fans who lined the famed Hollywood Boulevard for hours waiting for the star to be unveiled, reports people.com.
Stars like Eva Longoria and Edward James Olmos (who played Selena’s father, Abraham, in the 1997 film about her life) attended, along with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.
Her family, including her father, sister Suzette, brother A.B., and her widower Chris Perez, were also there.
“Selena was an angel,” Garcetti said.
“While she was taken from us way too early, we now have something permanent that generation after generation after generation can see in the most famous neighbourhood anywhere in the world.”
Longoria also spoke about the fellow Texan saying: “It’s beyond humbling to stand here on behalf of a person that I myself owe so much to.”
Tearing up, the actress said: “I promised myself I wasn’t going to cry. Because as Eric said, this star isn’t only for Selena. It’s for every Latina who’s out there, who has ever had a dream.”
“Growing up there was no reflection of me anywhere, not on TV, not in movies, not in music, and it was as if someone like me didn’t exist in American mainstream.”
“That all changed when a bright, young singer named Selena came and changed the landscape of music entertainment,” Longoria said.
Suzette helped in the preparation of her sister’s star, and spoke as she accepted the award in honour of her sister and family, reports people.com.
“I feel like we’ve crossed different generations. We’re now in a whole new generation of millennials and I’m very grateful on behalf of my family and myself for them embracing her and finding her,” Suzette said.
Perez laid white roses over her star. On Thursday night, he stopped by the concealed star on Hollywood Boulevard, captioning a photo on Instagram with, “Had to stop by, give a kiss, and say, ‘I’ll see you tomorrow’.”
Selena was murdered in a motel in her hometown of Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1995 by Yolanda Saldivar, who worked as a manger of the singer’s clothing boutiques.
