Introduction

Selena Gomez is an American singer, actor, and business woman. A small role in a television series Barney and Friends was her introduction to acting. However, it was through her role of Alex Russo in Wizards of Waverly Place that she became a known face. Another Cinderella Story by Disney established her as a young talent to watch out for. Though she began with acting, Selena’s real success came with her music releases. She delivered back to back hit songs and chartbusting records that paved her path to success. Along with her successful albums, she also formed her own production company called “July Moon Productions” and established a clothing line named “Dream Out Loud By Selena Gomez”. Selena’s celebrity status has not deterred her from working for charitable causes like UNICEF. Selena Gomez has found phenomenal success at a very young age and created an exclusive space for herself in the show business. Her fans refer to themselves as ‘Selenators’.

EARLY LIFE

Selena Gomez was born on July 22nd, 1992, in Grand Prairie, Texas,to Ricardo Joel Gomez and Amanda Dawn "Mandy" Cornett. She was christened after the American singer-songwriter Selena. Her father is of Mexican origin and her mother is believed to have some Italian ancestry. Her parentsdivorcedin 1997.Her mother moved on and re-married Brian Teefy and gave birth to Gracie Elliot Teefey. Her father got married to Sara on June 24, 2014. They also have one daughter, Victoria Gomez.

Selena’s mother was only 16 when she was pregnant.The financial condition of her parents was difficult to say the least. They had to struggle to make ends meet which eventually led to their separationin 1997. Barely five years old, Selena continued staying with her mother, who would pick up odd jobs to make it through the tough times. Selena recalls thatit was a sore sight to watch her mother working three jobs simultaneously just to put food on the table. Selena spent a lot of her young life with her grandparents who took care of her while her parents were finishing school. Selena was fond of her grandparents but she truly admired her mother who sacrificed much of her own life and happiness to provide Selena with a better life.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Selena realized that her true calling was in the entertainment business at a very young age. She used to observe her mother at stage productions and be fascinated. Her first stint with the small screen was Barney and Friends as ‘Gianna’. She continued with the series for two years (2002 to 2004). In 2003, she did a cameo appearance for Spy Kids, and in 2005 she appeared in Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire. In 2006, she starred as ‘Emily Grace Garcia’in Brain Zapped in which she gave her voice too. She also appeared in two famous sitcoms The Suite Life of Zack and Cody as ‘Gwen’ and Hannah Montana as ‘Mikayla’ in 2005 and 2006 respectively. It was only after her solo performance as ‘Alex’ in Wizards of Waverly Place that Selena attained fame. In 2008, Selena went a step ahead with her first animated movie, Horton hears a Who! In the same yearAnother Cinderella Story was released with her in the lead opposite Drew Seeley. Selena proved her singing and dancing prowess with this release and was recognized as a youth icon.

Selena’s personal life has always been in the news. Her fall out with Miley Cyrus has been well publicized. What initially seemed like a congenial friendship between the two teenage stars, turned sour after Selena’s alleged romance with the Miley’s ex-boyfriend Nick Jonas came to light. Selena’s subsequent tumultuous relationships with Taylor Lautner of Twilight fame and Justin Bieber were perhaps more talked about than her professional achievements.

Selena’s singing career took off when she formed a pop-rock band called “Selena Gomez & the Scene”. Their debut albumKiss & Tell (2009) was a commercial success. It was later awarded a Gold certification from RIAA. Soon after,Selena had her hands full with music assignments and concerts. She signed up for a solo studio album Come and Get It that became a huge hit in the US. On July 23, 2013, she released her solo debut albumStars Dance that went on to becomevery popular.

Selena forayed in to the world of designing in 2010 by launching a fashion line of clothes made with recycled materials. She named it “Dream Out Loud”. Her other business venture includes her own production label called “July Moon Productions”, launched in 2008

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

MuchMusic Video Awards

Favorite International Artist in 2014

Kids' Choice Awards (USA)

Favorite Female Singer in2011, 2012 & 2014

Fan Army for “The Selenators” in 2014

Favorite TV Actress for Wizards of Waverly Place(2010 to 2014)

Radio Disney Music Awards

Best Song To Dance To for “Birthday” in 2014

Radio Disney's Most Talked About Artist in 2014

Song of the Year for “Come & Get It” in 2014

Best Female Artist in 2013

Teen Choice Awards

Choice Female Hottie (2012 to 2014)

Ultimate Choice Award in 2014

Summer Music Star (Female) in 2013

Choice Break-Up Song for “Come & Get It” in 2013

Young Hollywood Awards

Fan Favorite – Album for Stars Dance in 2013

Most Anticipated Tour - Stars Dance Tour in 2013

Imagen Foundation Awards

Best Young Actress – Television for Wizards of Waverly Place in 2013

MTV Video Music Awards

Best Pop Video for “Come & Get It” in 2013

NewNowNext Awards

Triple Play in 2013

Kids Choice Awards - Blimp Award

Favorite TV Actress for Wizards of Waverly Place in 2009 & 2013

Teen Choice Awards

Choice Summer TV Star (Female) for Princess Protection Programin 2009

Young Artist Awards

Best Performance in a TV Movie, Miniseries or Special - Leading Young Actress for Another Cinderella Story in 2009

ALMA Awards

Actress in Television - Comedy for Wizards of Waverly Place in 2009