Selena

She broke down barriers within the music business in her roles as a performer, singer and designer. She was both traditional and modern a Mexican-American performer who merged both worlds in a singular way--and provided incredible Tejano music to a mainstream audience. In the same way that there are many who mourn a superstar who died from their prime, the death of her was premature and destroyed a growing career. Through the years, her people were encouraged to push themselves harder in order to ensure that her achievements would not be forgotten. The tragic death of Selena by a shooter triggered an outpouring of emotion in Latino communities similar with the reaction to the death of Elvis Presley and John Lennon's. Selena was an extremely well-known Latino performer across North America. Her music transcended the boundaries of culture and brought joy to youngsters as well as older adults. Selena has been called by many as the Latina Madonna, however she's still an excellent example to follow. Selena's family values off stage and involvement with AIDS awareness programs are exemplary.