Selena Gomez

Selena Marie Gomez (born July 22, 1992) to Ricardo Gomez and Mandy Teefy (née Cornett), a former stage actress who was 16 when she gave birth to Gomez. Gomez is an only child. Gomez was named after Tejano singer Selena. Her father is Mexican and her mother is of half Italian descent. Gomez has stated that when she was a child, she developed an interest in acting from watching her mother perform in theater productions. "My mom Mandy did a lot of theater, and I would watch her rehearse. When she got ready for the show and put on her makeup, I would sit behind her and color. She said, 'You have my lines memorized better than I do!' ... One day I said her, "I want to be like you!.". In October, 2009, it was confirmed that Gomez was to attached star as the lead in What Boys Want. In March, 2009, Variety reported that Gomez was set to star as one of the three lead roles in Monte Carlo. Gomez later confirmed this on her facebook acount.

Music career

In 2008, Gomez recorded a cover of "Cruella de Vil" -which included a music video for - for the compilation album DisneyMania 6. Gomez recorded three songs for the Another Cinderella Story soundtrack, which Gomez appears in. Gomez also recorded "Fly to Your Heart" for the 2008 animated film Tinker Bell. In July 2008 - before Gomez' sixteenth birthday, she signed a recording deal with Hollywood Records, a music label owned by Disney. In 2008, Gomez appeared in the Jonas Brothers music video for "Burnin' Up". In 2009, Gomez recorded "One and the Same" for Princess Protection Program as a duet with Lovato - they both appear in the film. Gomez recorded four songs, one of which was a cover, for the Wizards of Waverly Place soundtrack, only one single (Magic) from the album was released. In May, of the same year, Gomez was featured - with Forever the Sickest Kids, on a duet version of the non-album song "Whoa Oh!".

Selena Gomez & the Scene

Selena Gomez & the Scene is an American Pop rock band that formed in 2008. The band consists of Gomez on vocals, Ethan Robert on guitar, Joey Clement on bass, Greg Garman on drums, and Dane Forrest on Keyboards.
During an interview with Jocelyn Vena, of MTV in August 2008, she said of her future music career that: "I'm going to be in a band — no Selena Gomez stuff. I'm not going to be a solo artist. I think that I don't want my name attached to it. I will be singing, and I'm learning drums and playing electric guitar. Gomez along with her band, Selena Gomez & The Scene released their debut studio album, Kiss & Tell on September 29, 2009. The album debuted at number nine on the Billboard 200 The album's first single, "Falling Down" was released on August 21, 2009, and the song's music video was premiered after the world premiere of Gomez' TV-movie Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie on August 28, 2009. She and her band performed the song on Dancing with the Stars season nine. Gomez stated, via her Twitter that the band was currently preparing to release their second single, "Naturally". The music video was shot on November 14, 2009 and premiered on Disney Channel following the premiere of Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation on December 11, 2009, and the single was officially released the same day. They are currently on their House of Blues 2010 Tour. The band performed their second single, "Naturally" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and at Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest. The band is currently working on their second album which will contain a more dance and reggae sound.

Philanthropy

Gomez was involved in the UR Votes Count campaign which helped encourage teenagers learn more about their 2008 Presidential candidates (Barack Obama and John McCain). In October 2008, Gomez was named a spokesperson for UNICEF's 2008 Trick-or-Treat campaign, which encouraged children to raise money on Halloween to help children around the world. In October 2008, Gomez participated in St. Jude's Children's Hospital "Runway For Life" benefit. Gomez is a spokesperson for Borden Milk; she is featured in the campaign's print and television ads. She got involved while filming Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie in Puerto Rico. Gomez is a spokesperson for State Farm Insurance, and is featured in their TV commercials; which air on the Disney Channel, to raise awareness of being a safe driver. Gomez is also involved with the charity RAISE Hope For Congo, the charity helps raise awareness about the violence against Congolese women, in the Congo..

In August, 2009, Gomez was named and currently, at the age of 17, is the youngest UNICEF ambassador. In her first official field mission, Gomez traveled to Ghana on September 4, 2009 for a week to witness first-hand the stark conditions of vulnerable children that lack vital necessities including clean water, nourishment, education and healthcare. Gomez said during a interview with Associated Press that she wanted to use her star power to bring awareness to Ghana: “That’s why I feel very honored to have a voice that kids listen to and take into consideration ... I had people on my tour asking me where IS Ghana, and they Googled it … and because I went there, they now know where Ghana is. So it’s pretty incredible.” Gomez, Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus, and the Jonas Brothers recorded "Send It On", a charity single which serves as the theme song for Disney's Friends for Change. The song debuted on the Hot 100 at number twenty. Disney's Friends For Change will direct all of its proceeds from "Send it On" to environmental charities to the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund. On October 6, 2009, Gomez made a surprise visit to a Los Angeles elementary school as part of the "A Day Made Better" program that was sponsored by OfficeMax. During her visit, Gomez gave the school an award, and gave them $1,000 worth of school supplies. Gomez spent the day with the students and talked about the importance of giving back to the community. Also, as part of the deal, "XYZ Films will allow Gomez to star in and produce at least two films. and described the clothing as being "pretty, feminine, and bohemian," and: "With my line, I really want to give the customer options on how they can put their own looks together ... I want the pieces that can be easy to dress up or down, and the fabrics being eco-friendly and organic is super important ... Also, the tags will all have some of my inspirational quotes on them. I'm just looking to send a good message." Gomez, who has no background in fashion, teamed up with designers Tony Melillo and Sandra Campos, both who have worked with big-name fashion houses. Gomez said of the partnering: "When I met Tony and Sandra, I was instantly comfortable with them and now they are just like family to me ... They are so creative and I love how I can just call them up whenever and talk to them about everything, even if it's just about changing a button ... They've been so cool about everything." The brand will be manufactured by, Melillo and Campos teamed with New York-based Adjmi Apparel and formed by Adjmi CH Brands LLC; which is the holding company for the brand.

Personal life

Gomez began wearing a purity ring on her right hand when she was 12 years old. Gomez is best friends with Demi Lovato - her co-star in Princess Protection Program and Barney and Friends, whom she has been friends with since the two met at a Barney and Friends audition. After the two posted a video blog on YouTube in March 2008, Miley Cyrus and her friend Mandy Jiroux uploaded a parody of that video, which caught the interest of entertainment media. Reports included the theory that Gomez and Cyrus were arguing over Nick Jonas, On replacing Cyrus, Gomez clarified: "I'm not interested in being anybody but myself, and I'm not here to replace anyone. I think that she's a wonderful performer, and of course it's a compliment. But I would like to take a different route."