Who was Selena's father Abraham Quintanilla Jr.? Tejano music icon's family patriarch dies at 86
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AUSTIN, TEXAS - MARCH 12: Ricky Vela, Chris Pérez, Abraham Quintanilla Jr., Marcella Quintanilla, Isabel Castro, Suzette Quintanilla, Pete Astudillo at "Selena y Los Dinos" Premiere during the SXSW Conference & Festivals at Paramount Theatre on March 12, 2025 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images)Abraham Quintanilla Jr. has died aged 86. He was the father of legendary Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla. Quintanilla Jnr was best known for founding and managing the family band Selena y Los Dinos and managing Selena’s career.
After Selena was tragically shot and killed in 1995, Abraham Quintanilla Jr, devoted himself to preserving her legacy and guarding her image. He had script/ casting approval for the 1997 biopic Selena and served as co-producer.
He published a memoir and fought to control his late daughter’s life narrative through legal battles.
The news of Quintanilla Jnr’s death was announced by his son Abraham “A.B” Quintanilla on Instagram on December 13, 2025.
The music producer posted a picture of the late patriarch with Pedro Infante’s classic Cien Años as background music. He wrote:
"It's with a heavy heart that I let you guys know that my Dad passed away today."
The family hasn't released more details about his death.
“It was hard times, I’m not gonna deny that. I couldn’t find a job,” Abraham Quintanilla Jnr revealed the family’s financial state before fame in a new Netflix documentary
The Netflix documentary Selena y Los Dinos dropped on November 17, 2025, and details Selena’s rise to stardom and her family’s life before fame.
Marcella Quintanilla revealed in the documentary that the family’s restaurant struggled during an economic downturn in his locality. It eventually closed, and they lost their family home as well.
“We hung on, trying not to lose our restaurant. And we had to close it down. Of course, that also affected our home. We were losing our home, also. We finally had to move out.”
The patriarch Quintanilla Jnr, revealed that the family had to resort to food stamps, and it was a difficult time for them. Music became their last resort:
“It was hard times, I’m not gonna deny that. I couldn’t find a job here. So I told my wife, Marcella, ‘Look, the only other thing I know is music. So I’m gonna start booking it,”
The family began creating Tejano music with Selena as the face of the group. They were renowned for their talent and creativity. They recorded singles and made TV appearances as they gained traction.
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