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Chris Pérez (born August 14, 1969) is a Grammy-winning guitarist and the widower of "The Queen of Tejano music" Selena. He is currently a guitarist for A.B. Quintanilla III y Los Kumbia All Starz since he joined in 2006. Prior to that, Pérez was the lead guitarist for his wife Selena's band Selena y Los Dinos and A.B. Quintanilla III y Los Kumbia Kings.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early years

Pérez met Selena in 1988. Two years later, the Quintanilla family hired him to play in Selena's band and the pair fell in love. At first, Abraham Quintanilla Jr., his manager and Selena's father, Abraham Quintanilla, Sr., did not approve of their relationship. Eventually, Selena's father fired Pérez from the band. He rejoined Selena y Los Dinos after he and Selena were married on April 2, 1992 in Texas.

In 1995, Selena was murdered by Yolanda Saldivar, leaving Chris as a widower.

[edit] Later years

At the 2000 Grammy Awards his eponymously titled group, Chris Pérez Band, won a Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album for their album Resurrection. In this album Pérez dedicated the song, "Best I Can," to his late first wife, Selena. In 2001, Chris Pérez Band made their final album called Una Noche Más.

[edit] Recent

After the Chris Pérez Band disbanded, Pérez joined his A.B. Quintanilla's music group, The Kumbia Kings, in 2003. In 2006, however, Quintanilla, Jr. had conflicts with fellow band members, Cruz Martínez and Irvin "Pee Wee" Salinas, and left the Kumbia Kings. Pérez soon followed. In the summer of 2006, A.B. Quintanilla started a new band called Kumbia All Starz, with Pérez as their lead guitarist. In early 2009, Chris Pérez announced he would be forming his own band along with Angel Ferrer. Their debut album is expected to be released sometime in 2009. Pérez conitnues to perform with Kumbia All Starz.

Los Dinos performed together at the Selena ¡VIVE! tribute concert on April 7, 2005.

[edit] Divorce

In April 2008, Vanessa Villanueva filed for divorce from Chris Pérez. They have two children, Cassie & Noah.

[edit] External links

• Chris Pérez New Project MySpace
• Chris Pérez at the Internet Movie Database
• http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/perez_chris/artist.jhtml
• http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=15852090
• http://www.ondanet.com/latinos/Chris.Perez.Band/