On March 31, 1995, Selena Quintanilla Pérez left her home at 9am with plans to go to the recording studio to lay down vocals for a demo. By 1pm, she was dead, shot in the back by the former president of her fan club, weeks shy of her 24th birthday.

“This amazing, beautiful spirit, full of joy and music and so much feeling, just was cut off in the middle of being,” says Jennifer Lopez, who famously played the role of Selena in the 1997 biopic of the same name, which was released on March 21, 1997.

For more on Selena’s life and Jennifer Lopez’ role in her biopic, click here.

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