Abraham Quintanilla Jr., the father of the late singer Selena Quintanilla Perez, has died at 86.
“It’s with a heavy heart to let you guys know that my dad passed away today,” his son, Abraham “A.B.” Quintanilla III, announced Saturday on Instagram. “Today I feel my heart is shattered in a million pieces.”
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The cause of death has not been released.
“He was a tough cookie, but in this business, you have to be,” A.B. said. “He taught Selena.”
In a separate post, A.B. shared the personal challenge of delivering the news on his birthday.
“Today is my BDay, and now for the rest of my life will mark something tragic that happened today ... losing my father,” he said. “Thank you to all that have sent your condolences.”
Quintanilla was a music producer who played a crucial role in Selena’s global success. Before Selena’s murder in 1995, he helped bring Tejano, or Tex-Mex, music to the mainstream. After her death, he dedicated himself to preserving and protecting his daughter’s legacy.
“Losing Selena 30 years ago is still a daily struggle for me,” A.B. said. “But 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.”
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 “the guys,” and later served in the Army. In 1963, he married Marcella Samora.
“My dad truly was a genius and I will miss him tremendously,” A.B. said.
Quintanilla served as an executive producer on the 1997 film “Selena,” in which he was portrayed by Edward James Olmos. In 2020, he was portrayed by Ricardo Chavira in the Netflix series “Selena: The Series.”
In his later years, Quintanilla remained active in running Q-Productions, a Latin music company, and overseeing the Selena Foundation, which helps underprivileged children.