{"id":87395,"date":"2025-12-14T05:37:07","date_gmt":"2025-12-14T05:37:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/87395\/"},"modified":"2025-12-14T05:37:07","modified_gmt":"2025-12-14T05:37:07","slug":"abraham-quintanilla-jr-father-of-queen-of-tejano-selena-passes-away-at-86","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/87395\/","title":{"rendered":"Abraham Quintanilla Jr., Father of Queen of Tejano Selena, Passes Away at 86"},"content":{"rendered":"

Abraham Quintanilla Jr., the father of the late singer Selena Quintanilla Perez<\/a>, has died at 86.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s with a heavy heart to let you guys know that my dad passed away today,\u201d his son, Abraham \u201cA.B.\u201d Quintanilla III, announced Saturday on Instagram<\/a>. \u201cToday I feel my heart is shattered in a million pieces.\u201d<\/p>\n

The cause of death has not been released.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was a tough cookie, but in this business, you have to be,\u201d A.B. said. \u201cHe taught Selena.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a separate post<\/a>, A.B. shared the personal challenge of delivering the news on his birthday.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday is my BDay, and now for the rest of my life will mark something tragic that happened today … losing my father,\u201d he said. \u201cThank you to all that have sent your condolences.\u201d<\/p>\n

Quintanilla was a music producer who played a crucial role in Selena\u2019s global success. Before Selena\u2019s murder in 1995, he helped bring Tejano<\/a>, or Tex-Mex, music to the mainstream. After her death, he dedicated himself to preserving and protecting his daughter\u2019s legacy.<\/p>\n

\u201cLosing Selena 30 years ago is still a daily struggle for me,\u201d A.B. said. \u201cBut losing my dad hits differently. Today I feel my heart is shattered in a million pieces. I feel so sorry for my mom who has to live with the pain of losing her baby and her husband. Life is so unfair.\u201d<\/p>\n

Born in 1939 in Corpus Christi, Texas, Quintanilla was a second-generation Mexican American. He dropped out of high school to join a band called Los Dinos, which means \u201cthe guys,\u201d and later served in the Army. In 1963, he married Marcella Samora.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy dad truly was a genius and I will miss him tremendously,\u201d A.B. said.<\/p>\n

Quintanilla served as an executive producer on the 1997 film \u201cSelena,\u201d in which he was portrayed by Edward James Olmos. In 2020, he was portrayed by Ricardo Chavira in the Netflix series \u201cSelena: The Series.\u201d<\/p>\n

In his later years, Quintanilla remained active in running Q-Productions, a Latin music company, and overseeing the Selena Foundation, which helps underprivileged children.<\/p>\n

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