CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — Abraham Quintanilla, the devoted father and longtime manager of Tejano music legend Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, died Saturday. He was 86 years old.
His son, A.B. Quintanilla III, announced the news on Instagram Saturday morning, writing "It's with a heavy heart to let you guys know that my Dad passed away today." The cause of death was not immediately disclosed.
Born February 22, 1939, in Corpus Christi, Quintanilla began his music career in the 1950s as a member of the singing group Los Dinos. After leaving the group in the late 1960s, he worked for Dow Chemical to support his growing family.
When he discovered his youngest daughter Selena's extraordinary singing talent, Quintanilla formed the band Selena y Los Dinos in the late 1970s, featuring Selena and her siblings A.B. and Suzette. Under his dedicated management, the family band performed at street corners, weddings, and parties throughout South Texas, gradually building Selena's career into international stardom.
His guidance helped Selena become one of the most celebrated Latin music artists of all time before her tragic murder on March 31, 1995.
Following Selena's death, Quintanilla devoted himself to preserving her legacy. He served as executive producer of the 1997 biographical film "Selena," in which Edward James Olmos portrayed him, and the 2020 Netflix series "Selena: The Series." He established The Selena Foundation to help children in crisis and continued producing music through his company, Q-Productions.
Quintanilla is survived by his wife Marcella, whom he married in 1963, son A.B. Quintanilla III, daughter Suzette Quintanilla, and numerous grandchildren.
