LOUIS 3 WHO HQ TITLES: ARMSTRONG WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART SELENA
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MUSICIANS CHAPTER SAMPLERS FOR 3 WHO HQ® TITLES: LOUIS ARMSTRONG WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART SELENA
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she worked as a maid. Sometimes, she went away
for days at a time. Louis and his little sister Beatrice
Chapter 1 were often left with their grandmother. Her name
A Rough and Tumble Start was Josephine, and she had been a slave. Now, she
made a living washing and ironing clothes for
Louis Armstrong was born in 1901 in a poor, white people. She gave Louis a nickel to pick up
black section of New Orleans called Storyville. It and deliver her wash loads. It made him
was so dangerous that its nickname was the feel rich.
Battlefield. Many people carried guns or knives Josephine was very strict. She made Louis go to
wherever they went. There was lots of crime. school, to church, and to Sunday school. When he
Louis’s mother, Mayann Armstrong, had to was bad, she swatted his behind with a branch.
support her two children all by herself. Sometimes, But later, Louis was grateful for her concern. She
JIM CROW LAWS
wanted to keep him out of trouble because she cared
about what happened to him. Slavery ended in 1865. All African Americans
became free men and women. But in the 1880s and
It was not easy to be a young African-American 1890s, new laws were passed in the south that
boy in the early 1900s. Though slavery had ended restricted the rights of people of color. They
had to sit in separate railroad cars, attend
in 1865, many white people thought blacks were separate schools, use separate public
restrooms and water fountains. People of color
not as good as white people. They were often treated
couldn’t eat in certain restaurants, stay in
unfairly. certain hotels, or live in certain neighborhoods.
They were treated as second-class citizens.
The laws were known as Jim Crow Laws. The
name came from a character in minstrel shows,
usually played by a white man made up to appear
black. These terrible laws remained until the
1950s and 1960s.
Once, Louis got on a streetcar with his
little sister Beatrice and a family friend who was
babysitting them. There were lots of empty seats
up front, so Louis sat down.
The babysitter told him to come back and sit
with her and Beatrice. But Louis didn’t want to. It
was more fun to sit in front. He could see where
the streetcar was headed. When he didn’t move,
she got up and dragged him to the back and forced
him to sit with her. If she hadn’t, all three of them “We were scared stiff,” Louis later recalled.
could have been thrown off the bus or beaten up. Luckily, the white man didn’t shoot. He put down
Even arrested. Seats in the front were for white the gun and laughed. He thought it was a big joke
people only. to scare the boys.
Another time, Louis and his friends were The neighborhood where Louis lived was poor
swimming in a local pond. One of the boys lost his and tough. He liked to play with older boys. They
bathing suit and the others were trying to help taught him to throw dice for money and to play
him find it. All of a sudden, a white man whose cards. When he won, he ran home and gave the
house was by the pond took his shotgun from its money to his mother. He didn’t live with her all the
rack on the porch. He aimed it right at time, but he always adored her. She had lots of
the boys. different boyfriends. He called each one his
stepfather. If anyone said anything bad about her, to drink straight from the dipper. He he wouldn’t listen. Later, he said, “She could drink a whole mouthful in one big held her head up at all times . . . . What gulp. So kids called him Dipper. They she didn’t have, she did without.” also called him Gatemouth, or Gate. Louis always had a lot of nicknames. They even called him Satchelmouth Back then, drinking water was kept in a because his wide, full mouth looked like an open bucket. A long-handled ladle, called a suitcase, or satchel, as it used to be called. dipper, was used to pour the water from When Louis was about seven, he got a job the bucket into a cup. Louis, like most kids, liked selling newspapers on street corners. Then he went
to work for the Karnofskys. They were a Jewish
family that had come from Russia. They had a
wagon, which they drove around the city, buying
and selling rags, bottles, paper, and anything else
people had to sell. The driver of the junk wagon
blew on a long, tin horn to let people know the
wagon was on their street. Sometimes, he let Louis
blow the horn, too. Later, Louis said, “The
kids . . . loved the sound of my tin horn.”
Even then, Louis was
interested in music. There was
plenty of it, especially jazz, to
hear in New Orleans. The
bars and the dance halls all
had live music. Even though
he was too young to go into
places like that, the music
would drift out into the street,
where Louis could stand and
listen. Sometimes, a band
JAZZ: AMERICAN MUSIC
Jazz is a kind of music that grew up in and • Improvisation: Jazz was not played just
around New Orleans, Louisiana. Later, it thrived in from written notes. Many jazz musicians
Chicago and New York City. Jazz is a mixture of could not even read music. Instead, much
different styles of music and traditions. When of the music was improvised, or made up,
Africans were forced to come to this country as as the musicians went along.
slaves, they brought with them their own ways • Musical notes that are “bent” or “slurred”
of making music. They also heard other kinds of are common in jazz. These notes are called
music: brass bands, gospel music sung in “blue notes” and can sound sad or happy
churches, Spanish music. All these different kinds or angry.
of music were blended together. The result was
• In jazz, the rhythm or beat comes from
jazz.
different instruments in the band, not
Jazz was a new and original sound. It was
just the drum. The other instruments in a
created by black musicians and first played in the
jazz band are the cornet, trumpet, violin,
late 1890s. Originally called “jass,” the name was
alto saxophone, slide trombone, double
later changed to jazz.
bass, grand piano, clarinet, guitar, or
banjo.
Here are some important things to know about
jazz music: • Syncopation: Rhythms shift or change in an
unexpected way, from the strong beat to
the weak beat, so jazz music sounds
surprising.
• Jazz is not commonly sung, but played on
instruments.beat-up. But Louis loved it. He taught himself the
basic notes and practiced all the time.
When he was about ten, Louis and three other
boys formed a street singers group. Walking
through Storyville, they sang all different kinds of
songs. If someone asked for a song, the boys would
sing it for them. When they were done, they
would play on the street for a little while as a way
of getting more customers to come inside. Louis
had his favorite musicians. Joe Oliver was one. He
played the cornet.
Louis wondered what it would be like to play a
real horn. A used cornet, an instrument similar to
a trumpet, was in a pawnshop window. It cost five
dollars. That was so much money. Much more
than he made at his job with the Karnofskys. But
the Karnofskys were kind. They loaned him
money. It took Louis weeks to pay them back but
it was worth it. The cornet was dirty and a littlecollected money in a hat. place. One of the boys shot off a cap gun. But
Sometimes, they danced, Louis shot off his real gun. He didn’t want to hurt
too, using the kind of anyone, but it was a very dangerous thing to do.
steps and movements A policeman on duty that night heard the
now called break noise. He grabbed Louis from behind. Louis’s
dancing. friends all ran away. Louis cried and begged the
One New Year’s policeman to let him go. But he wouldn’t; the
Eve, when he was policeman was as strict as Grandma Josephine.
about twelve, Louis Louis was taken to Juvenile Court and charged
and his friends were out singing. Louis brought with firing a gun in a public place. The judge was
along a pistol someone had left at his mother’s strict, too. He sent Louis to live at the Colored
Waifs’ Home for Boys.scrub the floors, make his bed, and cook a meal.
He also learned to play sports. Best of all, he
Chapter 2 learned music, although not right away.
A Home Away from Home At first, Louis was homesick. The Home didn’t
serve the red beans and rice he liked, only white
The Colored Waifs’ Home for Boys was only beans, without rice. For three days he didn’t eat.
about five miles from Louis’s home. It was not far But finally, Louis was too hungry. He ate three
from New Orleans. But to Louis, it must have bowls of white beans and never missed a meal
seemed like being in the country. The grounds again.
were filled with honeysuckle vines, and in the All the boys and
summer, the air was sweet with the the men who
perfume of the honeysuckle flowers. watched over them
For the rest of his life, Louis were African
loved the smell of honeysuckle, American. Professor
and said it was his favorite Peter Davis taught
flower. music. He didn’t like
The boys in the home Louis at first. He
worked hard to make it a clean, thought Louis was a
tidy place to live. Louis learned bad boy from a bad
how to wash and iron clothes, neighborhood. Theband was led by Professor
Davis. And joining it was a
reward for good behavior.
So for six months, Louis
followed all the rules of
the Home. Finally,
Professor Davis invited Finally, he gave the boy a cornet. Louis was so
him to join the happy. He could remember musical phrases, and
band. he was quick at picking up a tune. Now, he would
Professor Davis first learn to play like a pro. Professor Davis showed
gave Louis a tambourine. Louis how to place his mouth on the instrument.
Louis was so good with it He showed his eager pupil how to blow a clear,
that, soon, he was firm note. Louis learned to play music written by
promoted to the drums. famous European composers from long ago—
Then Professor Davis gave Franz Liszt, Johann Sebastian Bach, and Gustav
him an alto horn and a Mahler. Soon, Louis was so good that Professor
bugle. Louis learned to Davis made him leader of the band.
play them both. Professor Although the boys in the Home were not
Davis was impressed. He saw Louis’s talent and allowed to leave, the band could march and play in
wanted to encourage it. city parades. In a uniform and cream-colored cap,Louis marched through his old neighborhood. He I was arrested . . . Because then I had to quit was so proud to be the bandleader. His mother running around and began to learn something. and his old friends lined the streets to see the band Most of all, I began to learn music.” pass by. They were proud too. Usually, the boys The judge did not say how long Louis had to were given peppermint candy and gingerbread stay at the Home for Boys. What Louis needed cakes as rewards for playing. But this time, the was an important white person to speak up for crowd took up a collection, filling several hats with him. To say he had changed. money. The money paid for new uniforms and Louis rarely saw his father. But by the time new instruments. Later, Louis wrote of these years: Louis was fourteen, his father had become a “My whole [musical] success goes back to the time supervisor in a turpentine plant. This was a
high-ranking job for an African American at the time. Willie Armstrong asked his boss to appeal for Louis’s release. The boss did. And the judge finally agreed to place Louis in his father’s care. On June 16, 1914, Louis left the Home for Boys for good.
Chapter 2
Seeing the World
In 1763, when Wolfie was seven years old, the
Mozart family left Salzburg.
Setting out on a big sailboat, they glided down
the Danube River. They went to the German cities
of Stuttgart, Mannheim, Mainz, and Frankfurt.
They also traveled by coach and visited other
European cities like Brussels and Paris. A long trip
like this was highly unusual, especially withladies patted their arms and kissed them like
puppy dogs.
On tour, Wolfie was often sick. Most days, he
gave concerts in the early afternoon and evening.
Sometimes he might give three concerts in a single
day. He composed music in the morning and at
night. Sometimes he stayed up all night and didn’t
go to sleep until dawn.
His parents saw that he was working too hard,
and they hoped that rest was the cure. Wolfie did
indeed overwork himself. But he may have also
children. Roads were bad, so getting anywhere
took a long time. Traveling was also dangerous.
Many times, thieves were on the roads, looking for
people to ambush and rob.
Still, the Mozart family braved the dangers. In
all the places they visited, Wolfie and Nannerl
played for counts and countesses, dukes and
duchesses, princes and princesses. Everyone
wanted to hear them perform. Grownups were
dazzled by the tiny children who played so well.
Nannerl remarked in a letter on how the lords andsuffered from a kidney disease. The disease might
have been what kept him from growing. He was
always small for his age, and he remained short all
of his life.
Because of the tour, the Mozart children grew
more and more famous. Wolfie loved the
compliments and the attention. He loved to be
told how talented he was. He loved being hugged
and kissed, even by strangers.
When the family arrived in a new city, Wolfie
and Nannerl would play for the most important
people in the local court. Then other rich people
would hire them to play at parties. Payment was
(1685-1750) sometimes in money, other times in gifts. But
sometimes the rich noblemen paid only a small
BORN IN GERMANY, JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH WAS A
GREAT MUSICIAN AND COMPOSER. HIS MUSIC INFLU- amount of money. It was as if, Leopold complained,
ENCED SO MANY OTHER MUSICIANS THAT HE IS CALLED they thought their company was payment enough.
“THE MASTER OF MASTERS.” HE WAS THE FATHER OF
An artist named Lorenzoni was chosen to paint
ELEVEN SONS–ALL OF THEM WERE ACCOMPLISHED
MUSICIANS. ALTHOUGH HE DID NOT LIVE TO MEET
the children’s portraits in 1763. Wolfie and Nannerl
MOZART, ONE OF HIS SONS DID AND BECAME FRIENDS wore the beautiful clothing that the empress had
WITH WOLFIE. given them. Because they had to stand still for so
many hours, they became bored and restless. SoWhile he was on tour, Wolfie did more than
perform and compose. He also had a chance to
Lorenzoni hired a trio of musicians to entertain meet famous musicians and composers of his day.
them. That made the time pass more quickly. Today, In London, he met Johann Christian Bach, son of
the portraits are in the Mozart Museum in Salzburg. Johann Sebastian Bach. He loved discussing music
The Mozart family kept moving on. Their next with these people. When he talked about music,
stop was England. To reach London, they had to he didn’t sound like a child, but like a mature man.
cross the English Channel. Unlike the calm Danube While the family was in London, Papa Leopold
River, the Channel was dark, choppy, and wild. fell sick. He needed rest and quiet to get better, so
Wolfie and Nannerl were seasick from the motion they left London and went to Chelsea, a village
of the boat going up and down over the waves. near the Thames River. For seven weeks, Wolfie
They were happy when they reached England. and Nannerl could not practice their music becauseORCHESTRAS ALWAYS HAVE AT LEAST EIGHT INSTRU-
MENTS, ONE OF WHICH MUST BE A VIOLIN. MUSICAL
INSTRUMENTS ARE DIVIDED INTO FOUR TYPES.
THE INSTRUMENTS THAT MAKE UP AN ORCHESTRA
HAVE CHANGED SINCE MOZART’S TIME. THE WAY THAT
THEY ARE GROUPED TOGETHER HAS CHANGED, TOO.
BY THE END OF THE 18TH CENTURY, THE HARPSI-
PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS ARE INSTRUMENTS THAT
CHORD WAS NO LONGER USED. IT WAS REPLACED BY
ARE STRUCK, SUCH AS THE PIANO, THE HARPSICHORD,
THE FORTEPIANO WHICH COULD BE PLAYED WITH MUCH
THE CLAVIER, DRUMS, CYMBALS, AND XYLOPHONE.
MORE DEPTH AND RICHNESS. THE ORGAN WAS NOT
GENERALLY USED IN ORCHESTRAS AFTER THIS PERIOD,
EXCEPT FOR CHURCH MUSIC.
STRING INSTRUMENTS ARE PLAYED BY VIBRATING
STRINGS. THE VIOLIN, VIOLA, VIOLONCELLO, AND BASS
VIOL ARE ALL STRING INSTRUMENTS.
WOODWINDS ARE PLAYED BY BLOWING ON A REED
OR ACROSS AN OPENING. THE FLUTE, CLARINET, OBOE,
ENGLISH HORN, SAXOPHONE, AND BASSOON ARE WOOD-
WINDS.
BRASS INSTRUMENTS SUCH AS THE CORONET,
TRUMPET, FRENCH HORN, TROMBONE, AND TUBA ARE
PLAYED BY BLOWING INTO A CIRCULAR MOUTHPIECE.the noise might disturb Papa. Nine-year-old Wolfie sections. Some of the movements are slow and
needed something to do, so he composed a some are fast. Usually, the symphony begins with
symphony—his first. It is called the Symphony in a fast movement, followed by a slow one. Then
E-flat and is still performed today. Later Nannerl comes another lighter and faster one. If there is a
wrote, “I had to copy it out as I sat at his side. fourth movement, it is even faster. Although the
Whilst he composed and I copied, he said to me: different movements are not alike, they are related
‘Remind me to give the horn something worthwhile to one another. Together they form a pleasing
to do!’” whole.
It is quite remarkable to think of a child writing
a symphony. A
symphony is a piece
of classical music
written for an
orchestra, which, at
that time, was made
up of at least eight
different instruments.
A symphony lasts
about thirty minutes
and has three or four
movements orPapa Leopold recovered from his illness, but on
the way back to Salzburg, Wolfie caught smallpox.
Soon, Nannerl came down with it, too. Smallpox Chapter 3
was a highly contagious disease, something like The Wonder Boy Grows Up
chicken pox, only much more
serious. Many people died from it. Wolfie and his Nine months after the Mozart family returned
sister lay in a darkened room, while their parents to Salzburg, Leopold and Wolfie were off again,
looked on anxiously. The doctor came and went. back to Vienna. Wolfie was growing up. His father
The days were long and filled with worry. Would saw that he and Nannerl could no longer make a
the children get better? living as child geniuses. Nannerl was a good
Fortunately, both brother and sister did get musician, but she would never be a great one. And
well. The miracle boy was able to return home in while Wolfie was
1766. amazing for a
Although he was only ten years old, young young boy, when
Mozart was now an experienced, professional he became a man,
musician. He had met royalty and won their hearts his music might
with his playing and his own beautiful music. not seem so
What would come next? amazing. Then
what would
happen?Papa decided Nannerl would no longer go on concert trips. Instead, she would look for a husband to support her. (Eventually, Nannerl got married and had three children. Although she no longer performed, for the rest of her long life she continued to teach music.) As for Wolfie, he needed to find a job as a concertmaster in the court of a king or prince. During Wolfie’s time, the only way to hear music was to hear it performed live. There were no CDs, tapes, or records. Kings and princes would hire musicians like Mozart to write and play music especially for them. In that way, they would always have beautiful music around them. And the musician, in turn, made a living by writing music it, too. Operas were very popular before there were and performing it. movies or television, because they told exciting, Leopold also thought that it was time for dramatic stories through music and dance. Many Wolfie to make his debut as an opera composer. performers were involved: singers to sing the songs An opera is a story told entirely in songs and and act out the stories; musicians to play the performed on a stage. Often an opera has ballet in music, dancers to perform the ballet. The
performers wore gorgeous costumes, and the stage too. The opera was canceled before it was ever
sets were beautifully painted and very elaborate. performed. Wolfie did not receive the fee that had
Operas were performed in specially built opera been promised to him.
houses in big cities like Milan, Paris, or Vienna.
The opera houses themselves were grand places,
with velvet-covered seats and fancy chandeliers.
Altogether, an opera was a lavish spectacle enjoyed
by the very rich who could afford the expensive
tickets. An opera might take more than two hours
to be sung; it usually had several acts, and there
were intermissions between them.
Wolfie wrote his first opera before his
thirteenth birthday. Although he
composed several great operas later
in life, his first attempt wasn’t a
success. The singers
were angry at taking
orders from a boy.
They complained bitterly
about the music and about Wolfie,Leopold was furious and thought that jealous composers were to blame. He wrote: “I can but tell you briefly that the whole hell of music is in revolt to prevent the world from witnessing a child’s cleverness. It is impossible for me to press for the performance of the opera, knowing that there is a conspiracy to spoil it . . . .” But Leopold was not going to let this defeat his plans for Wolfie. From 1769 to 1773, Wolfie and his father made three trips to Italy, leaving his mother and Nannerl behind. Wolfie loved Italy, with its warm climate and golden light. He especially loved Venice, where people traveled in graceful boats, called gondolas, through water-
filled streets called canals. These trips were an Much as he loved his new surroundings, important part of Wolfie’s musical education. In Wolfie missed Mama and Nannerl. Letters Italy, Wolfie was able to hear a different kind of filled in the gaps. “I kiss your hand a music. It was lighter and less serious than the thousand times” and “I embrace my dearest music he was used to hearing and sister with all my heart” he wrote home to playing. This thrilled him. He them. loved learning about new kinds Wolfie and Papa went to Rome during of music. He kept on composing, Holy Week, the seven days before Easter. too, at a very rapid pace. Wolfie knew that a very famous piece of
music called Miserere down. He had never heard anything like it. Even
was going to be sung by when the service was over, he remained kneeling,
the Pope’s choir at St. as if in a trance. When Papa finally got him to
Peter’s Cathedral. That leave, he kept humming the music. He wanted to
was the largest and most remember it always.
important Catholic That night, Wolfie couldn’t sleep. He kept
church. The Miserere, hearing the music in his head. He got up and
written by the composer Allegri, was very special quietly searched for a pen and music paper. Then
and holy music. The music had never been printed. he sat down and began to write the notes he had
No one outside the Pope’s choir had ever seen it. heard. It all came back to him. Note for note, the
No other choir was allowed to sing it. great Miserere was down on paper. It was the first
The service began. When Wolfie heard the time this had ever been done outside the Pope’s
glorious music filling the huge cathedral, he knelt choir room. All his life, people would be astonishedby Wolfie’s ability to hear music and
Beautiful handwriting was very important in
memorize it instantly.
the 18th century. People took pride in the look
From 1766, when he returned from his first of letters and invitations. Pens were made from
the tip, or quill, of the feather from a swan or
grand tour, to 1773, Wolfie wrote more than turkey. Good writing paper was made from
twenty symphonies, several string quartets, and sheepskin. Letters were sealed by dripping hot
wax on the paper, which was then stamped with
three short operas, as well as concert songs and a seal. The design of the seal could be a
church music. He was only seventeen years old. person’s initials or coat of arms.
Penmanship was taught in
Most musicians are just getting started at this age. school. The slope of the
letters was supposed to be at
But not Wolfgang. Although hardly more than a
a 54-degree angle. There were
boy, he had written enough music for a lifetime. lots of other rules for writing
properly, and it took many
Although music was his greatest “joy and hours of practice to write in a
passion,” Wolfie found time to do other things. He graceful style, or “hand.”
enjoyed playing cards and billiards and writing to
his family. He especially liked writing funny and
silly letters to entertain and amuse his reader. They
were filled with puns, jokes, and coded messages.
To a cousin, he wrote, “Now, however, I do myself
the honor of inquiring how you are and how you
do. Have you good digestion? Have, you, perhaps,
congestion? Can you tolerate me, do you think?
Do you write with pencil or with ink?” Clearly, hewas having fun by trying to make the words in his Germany. Aloysia was the daughter of a musician
letter rhyme. He called Nannerl “horse face” in as well as a musician herself. Wolfie wanted to
letters to her. He was playful and even silly, full of marry her, but his father said no. Papa Leopold
good spirits and affection for his family and told Wolfie to go to Paris, to “become famous and
friends. make money.” Leopold’s concerns about money
When he was twenty-one, Wolfie fell in love and his family’s future had only gotten stronger
with Aloysia Weber. She lived in Mannheim, with the years. He insisted that Wolfgang help
support the family.
At one point, Papa learned that Wolfie had
stopped teaching some paying students because
they hadn’t shown up for a lesson. Instead,
Wolfgang chose to teach others for free. That did
not go over well with Leopold. Not at all. He
scolded his son in an angry letter, saying, “ . . . and
you would rather, I suppose, leave your poor old
father in need! The effort is too great for you, a
young man, however good the pay, and it is more
seemly, no doubt, that your fifty-eight-year-old
father should run hither and thither for a wretched
fee so that he may win the needful subsistence for
himself and his daughter in the sweat of his brow. . . so that you, in the meantime, can amuse He would write his beautiful music for her, and in yourself giving a girl lessons for nothing!” return, she would provide him with a steady living. Bowing to his father’s demands, Wolfie left But when he arrived at the mansion, the duchess Mannheim and Aloysia and went to Paris with his rudely kept him waiting in an unheated, freezing mother, although he continued writing letters to outer room. At last, she asked him to join her Aloysia. But his time in Paris was very disappointing. Wolfie was supposed to meet the Duchess of guests, who were busy drawing. No one had the Chabot. He hoped she would become his patroness. manners to stop drawing while he played on a
clavier, so that Wolfie wrote how he made music
for “. . . the sofas, the table and walls.”
Also, Paris was so expensive. To make money,
Wolfie began giving clavier lessons. But he didn’t
like the work. It meant less time to write his own
music. And creating music was something he had The night before the premiere, he had
to do. It was as necessary as eating or breathing. heard the musicians rehearsing. How
While in Paris, he did manage to compose a awful they sounded. They
symphony. The symphony filled him with pleasure. needed another rehearsal. But
there was no time. He was so
worried that the audience
wouldn’t like the symphony
that he planned to skip
the concert. He
went to bed “in
a discontented
and angry
frame of
mind.”
The next
day, however,
Wo l f g a n gchanged his mind and went.
To his surprise, the
audience loved
what they heard.
They clapped and
cheered. The
Paris Symphony
turned out to be a success after all.
Yet trouble soon followed. His mother was not
well. She suffered from earaches and sore throats. The
chilly climate in Paris made her worse. In her letters
to Leopold, she complained of being cold all the more! . . . Let me now beg you to do me one
time, even when there was a fire going in the room. friendly service, to prepare my poor father very
In July of 1778, Anna Maria Mozart died. gently for this sad news!”
Wolfgang was grief-stricken and stunned. His When Leopold learned of his wife’s death in a
beloved mother was dead. How could he tell his far-off country, he did indeed blame his son. He
father? Surely Leopold would somehow blame said that Wolfie had not only forced his mother to
him. He wrote to a priest in Salzburg who was a accompany him to Paris but also neglected her
family friend: “Mourn with me my friend!—This while they were there.
has been the saddest day of my life . . . I have to The way for Wolfgang to ease his sadness was
tell you that my mother, my dear mother is no to write music—often at a furious pace. It washow he dealt with his grief over his mother. In 1779, Wolfgang’s father ordered him to come home. In Salzburg, Leopold had finally found a job for Wolfgang. Wolfgang was happy to leave Paris and its sad memories behind. Slowly and alone, Wolfie made his way back home.
Chapter 7
Grammy Style
The Quintanilla family had sacrificed
everything to succeed in the music industry.
Now their dreams were coming true. For
Abe, Selena’s success proved that he had been
right all along about her talent. For Marcella,
it confirmed that raising her family on the
road had been the right decision. Selena, A.B.,
Suzette, and Chris learned that all their hard
work had been worth it. Their hit albums had
reached the top of the Billboard music charts
and sold millions of copies across the United
States and Latin America.
Selena was proud of herself and her family.
But now she wanted to do something for herself.
She wanted to take her fashion ideas to the nextShe had a small
work space in her
house, but there was no
way she could make
enough clothes by
herself to create an
entire fashion line. A
Texas designer named MARTIN GOMEZ
Martin Gomez stepped in to help her. Martin
used his degree in fashion design to turn Selena’s
sketches into real clothes.
level by starting her own clothing line. Since her On January 27, 1994, Selena Etc. opened in
early days drawing pictures on the bus, designing Corpus Christi. The shop featured all of Selena’s
clothes had always been her secret dream. original clothing and accessories, plus a hair
Selena had been making her own clothes and
accessories for years. Sometimes she would buy
a belt or jacket, cover it with rhinestones, and
show off her sparkly creation onstage. Other
times she would alter an entire outfit. Her style
was becoming famous. Girls all over Latin
America wanted to dress like Selena.and nail salon. Selena would often visit the store, Chris, her family,
sometimes stopping by while wearing jeans and a and Los Dinos. They
T-shirt. Without her flashy stage outfits, no one all held each other
recognized her. She loved watching customers try while waiting for the
on her designs and leave Selena Etc. happy with results.
their purchases. “The Grammy
Yolanda Saldivar became the manager of Selena goes to . . . ,” the
Etc., in addition to running the fan club. And announcer said, “.
Martin Gomez stayed on to help with the fashions. . . Live! Selena.”
Now that two people she trusted were looking after Selena and
her store, Selena could go back to her music. her family jumped
On March 1, 1994, Selena traveled with her for joy. Selena
family to New York City to attend the thirty-sixth walked quickly
annual Grammy Awards. Selena Live! had been down to the
nominated for Best Mexican-American Album. This stage, repeating one
was the first time Selena was nominated for a major thought: Don’t fall!
international award. Everyone was very nervous. She was worried
Selena wore a white crystal beaded gown for she would trip
the event at Radio City Music Hall in New York over the hem of her
City. She sat near the back of the auditorium with dress!Selena stepped onto the stage. She received her released her next album—Amor Prohibido
award and thanked Los Dinos, her family, and (say: ah-MOR pro-ee-BEE-doh), which means
everyone at her record company. “forbidden love.”
One of the songs on the
new album was called
“Bidi Bidi Bom Bom.”
It was written almost by
accident during rehearsal
when Suzette, A.B., and
Selena were goofing off.
A.B. started playing guitar, and Selena made up
nonsense words on the spot. They all liked the
sound of it, so they wrote real lyrics to complete
the song.
Amor Prohibido become one of Selena’s
“I love you,” she said before she walked biggest albums. “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” was
offstage. a smash hit. The album went quadruple
A couple of weeks later, Selena won Female platinum—it sold more than four million copies!
Vocalist of the Year, Female Entertainer of the Amor Prohibido even knocked one of Selena’s
Year, and Album of the Year at the Tejano Music idols, Gloria Estefan, off the top of the Billboard
Awards in San Antonio. That same month, she Latin Tracks (Spanish-language) chart.GLORIA HAS WON FOUR LATIN GRAMMY
GLORIA ESTEFAN (1957–) AWARDS, THREE GRAMMY AWARDS, AN AMERICAN
MUSIC AWARD OF MERIT, AND A PRESIDENTIAL
MEDAL OF FREEDOM. HER POWERFUL VOICE CAN
BE HEARD ON SONGS LIKE “RHYTHM IS GONNA
GET YOU,” “GET ON YOUR FEET,” AND “OYE.” GLO-
RIA ESTEFAN IS OFTEN CREDITED WITH MAKING
CONTEMPORARY CUBAN MUSIC A PART OF AMERI-
CAN POP CULTURE.
IN 2015, THE BROADWAY MUSICAL ON YOUR
FEET! OPENED IN NEW YORK. IT IS BASED ON
GLORIA ESTEFAN WAS BORN GLORIA MARÍA THE LIFE AND MUSIC OF GLORIA AND EMILIO
MILAGROSA FAJARDO GARCÍA IN HAVANA, CUBA, ESTEFAN.
DURING THE CUBAN REVOLUTION. SHORT-
LY AFTER HER BIRTH, HER FAMILY MOVED TO
MIAMI, FLORIDA. AS A YOUNG WOMAN, GLORIA
BECAME THE LEAD SINGER OF A CUBAN-INSPIRED
BAND CALLED MIAMI SOUND MACHINE. SHE MAR-
RIED THE BAND’S LEADER, EMILIO ESTEFAN, IN
1978. IN 1985, MIAMI SOUND MACHINE’S SONG
“CONGA” BECAME AN INTERNATIONAL HIT, AND
INTRODUCED THE WORLD TO THE MODERN LATIN
MUSIC THAT WAS BEING MADE IN MIAMI CALLED
THE “MIAMI SOUND.”In September of 1994, a second Selena Etc. The whole family moved their recording studio,
store opened in San Antonio, Texas. It seemed as clothing workroom, and offices into the new work
if everyone wanted to dress like Selena. She still space. Leopard Street was now the new home
represented Coca-Cola in advertisements. But of Selena’s Design House, Q Studios, and Q
other companies now wanted Selena to sell their Productions.
products, too. As her popularity grew, so did new
business opportunities.
At Selena and Chris’s house, there wasn’t
enough room to run a fashion line, practice music,
have an office space, and live their lives. The
Quintanilla family bought and remodeled an old
building at 5410 Leopard Street in Corpus Christi.Chapter 8
Dreaming of You
In late 1994, Selena prepared for a performance
that made her more nervous than even her first
shows at Papagayos had. She was going to San
Antonio for her very own fashion show. Selena’s
clothes would be seen on the runway for both fans
and fashion critics. This was the first time that
Selena would be in the spotlight without her family,
and for something other than her music.
Selena wore an ivory gown she’d made herself.
She excitedly told reporters that if she hadn’t gone
into entertainment, she would have been a full-time
fashion designer.
The fashion world loved her designs. Just like her
music, she had something for everyone—glamorous
pieces as well as modern, practical outfits.Selena was eager to add other new businesses
alongside her clothing line. She teamed up with
Leonard Wong, who ran a cosmetics business, to
create her own perfume. She
told Leonard that she wanted
to create something that was
like her—strong, yet delicate.
Forever Selena perfume was a
mix of flowery, citrusy, and
spicy scents.
Throughout all of this,
Yolanda had been managing Selena’s boutiques.
But Martin Gomez was becoming concerned Abe tried to talk to Selena. She didn’t believe
about Yolanda. He suspected that she had been him. He had been wrong about Chris before they
stealing money and other items from the stores. He were married. Maybe he was wrong about Yolanda,
also didn’t like how Yolanda seemed to control too. She couldn’t imagine that her friend would
Selena. Some people couldn’t even talk to Selena take money from the businesses.
without getting Yolanda’s permission first! In Selena focused on the path ahead. She won
December of 1994, Martin told Abe about his Female Entertainer of the Year at the Tejano Music
concerns. Awards once again. She also won Song of the Yearfor “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom.” She was only twenty-
three years old.
Selena’s dreams of having a hit song in English
became even more real in March of 1995. The
family piled into Q Productions to listen to the
first version of Selena’s single: “Dreaming of You.”
The song—sung in English—was inspired by her
love for Chris. You could hear the passion andfeeling in her voice. This was the song that could money out of Selena’s bank accounts. Selena called
change everything for her. Yolanda and demanded that she return the perfume
The Quintanillas knew it wouldn’t be long samples and give her the bank records.
before Selena became an international superstar.
On March 11, 1995, she sang at a concert in
Chicago. The family was thrilled to see such a
diverse crowd—it was no longer just Tejano fans
coming to hear Selena sing. All types of people,
speaking both English and Spanish, were now
Selena fans. The family’s hard work was about to
pay off. But there was one problem that needed to
be taken care of.
More reports had come in about Yolanda’s
dishonesty. Selena could no longer ignore the issue.
She, Abe, and Suzette confronted Yolanda. Suzette
called Yolanda a liar and a thief. Selena and Abe
told Yolanda she could not return to work. On March 31, 1995, Selena went to meet
Later, Selena realized that samples of her new Yolanda in Corpus Christi. She wanted to get the
perfume were missing. She wondered if Yolanda information she needed, and then they would all
had taken them. And then Selena found out about be able to put the whole mess behind them. But
something even worse: Yolanda had tried to take Selena was very wrong about that.When she arrived at the hotel where Yolanda was staying, Yolanda did not want to admit the truth. She thought she could make her problems go away by frightening Selena. But Yolanda did more than scare the young superstar. She shot Selena. Although she was rushed to the hospital, it was too late. At only twenty-three years old, the Queen of Tejano was gone.
Television and radio stations broke the terrible
news to listeners that very same day. Chris and the
Quintanillas found out just as the rest of the world
YEAR 2!
did. All of the music industry mourned, along
with the fans and family she loved so much.
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