Selena

She was a designer, singer and performer and broke down barriers in the industry of music. She was both contemporary and traditional a Mexican-American singer who brought together the two worlds in a singular way--and brought excellent Tejano music to a mainstream audience. Her untimely death splintered her growing popularity and, it is what happens often when a bright deeply genial singer dies too young, it caused many to grieve every potential that was not fully realized. Her fans have been working harder to not forget what she's accomplished. Her tragic murder by a gunman caused the outpouring of emotions within Latino communities, similar to those who reacted to the deaths of Elvis Presley as well as John Lennon's. A hugely popular Latino musician in North America, Selena's music has influenced many people across cultures. Selena might have been described by certain people as an Latina Madonna, however she's still a fantastic role model. Selena's family values off stage and her participation in AIDS awareness efforts make her a good example.