Chris Perez

Background

Chris Perez was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. His parents, Gilbert Pérez, a computer programmer, and Carmen Medina divorced in 1974 when he was four years old, and his mother remarried in 1978. He is of Mexican-American roots. Perez taught himself guitar in his younger years, and his musical inspirations range from Mötley Crüe, Kiss, Ozzy Osbourne, and Iron Maiden, to name a few. In 1986, Perez reluctantly joined Shelly Lares’ band, as he didn’t like Tejano music — which is described as “a mixture of traditional Mexican folk music, polkas and country music sung in Spanish or English.”

In 1989, Perez joined the band Selena y Los Dinos, and although this, too, was Tejano music, he liked the band as it was more “hip and sophisticated.” In 1992, after a rocky start to their relationship, Perez and Selena eloped in Nueces County, Texas, however, the relationship didn’t last long as Selena was killed in 1995 by one of her employees. By 2001, Perez had remarried a woman named Venessa Villanueva, and they have two children together — a boy named Noah and a girl named Cassie. They divorced in 2008.

By 2010, Perez had started a new group, called the Chris Perez Project with Puerto Rican singer Angel Ferrer, releasing the album “Todo es Diferente.” In March 2012, Perez published “To Selena, With Love,” which depicted their affinity and battles. Fast forward to 2021, and Perez’s new music label, Blue Mariachi Productions, signed its first entertainment act, ZEUS. El Mero Necio. The successful guitarist continues to work in the music industry, and he has no sign of slowing down.