Abraham Quintanilla, father of music icon Selena, dead at 86

Abraham Quintanilla, father of music icon Selena, who passed away in 1995, has died at the age of 86, his family has announced.

The family announced the death of Quintanilla, a singer, songwriter, and manager, to his daughter, Selena, on Saturday, December 13. On Instagram, his son, music producer Abraham “A.B Quintanilla III, shared the news, honoring his father’s life. The cause of death has not been revealed.

“It’s with a heavy heart to let you guys know that my Dad passed away today,” A.B. wrote, alongside a photo of his father. The post also included the song Cien Años by Pedro Infante.

In a longer Instagram post, “A.B” wrote about his father’s successful career. Born on February 20, 1939, in Corpus Cristi, Texas, he first gained recognition in the 1950s with his band The Dinos.

Later, he would become instrumental in his daughter, Selena’s, success. They founded Selena y Los Dinos together. Selena found humongous success, but was fatally shot in Corpus Cristi in 1995.

Abraham Quintanilla, father of music icon Selena, dead at 86

She became a defining voice in Tejano and Latin pop music. Abraham Quintanilla managed his daughter’s early performances and helped build the family band into international fame.

After his daughter’s death, he continued to look after her music legacy. He was recently featured in the Netflix documentary, Selena Y Los Dinos: A Family Legacy.

“Losing ‘SELENA’ 30 yrs. ago is still a daily struggle for me…But losing my Dad hits differently,” A.B wrote on Instagram. “I felt safe knowing his love and guidance was always available when I needed it most and now I won’t be able to have that anymore.”

The son continued, “He was a tough cookie but in this business you have to be. He taught ‘SELENA’ and I that from the get go…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…Today is my BDay and and now for the rest of my life will mark something tragic that happened today…Losing my father…Thank you to all that have sent your condolences.”

Rest in peace, Abraham Quintanilla.