Abraham Quintanilla Jr, father and manager of Selena Quintanilla, dead at 86

Posted On December 14, 2025December 14, 2025

Abraham Quintanilla Jr, an American singer, songwriter, and record producer widely known as the father and manager of Tejano pop icon Selena, has died aged 86.

His death was announced on Instagram by his son Abraham ‘A.B.’ Quintanilla III, who wrote: “It’s with a heavy heart to let you guys know that my Dad passed away today…”.

Currently, the cause of death is unclear. However, TMZ reported there is no suspicion of trauma or foul play and that the body has been released to a funeral home.

Quintanilla Jr was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1939 to a Mexican-American family.

His music career began at the age of 14 when he formed his first singing group, the Gumdrops. He later co-founded the Dinos in 1956, who are known for their most popular song It’s So Hard to Tell. Quintanilla Jr left the group in the late 60s and turned his focus on raising his family, paving the way for his children’s careers in music and, subsequently, Selena’s rise to stardom.

Quintanilla Jr started Selena y Los Dinos in 1981, which comprised of Selena and her two older siblings, A.B Quintanilla and Suzette. The band had great success, which peaked in 1994 when they won ‘Best Mexican-American Album’ at the Grammys. However, shortly after, the group broke up after the devastating murder of Selena, aged 23, when she was fatally shot by the president of her fan club.

In the aftermath of Selena’s death, Quintanilla Jr continued to produce his daughter’s music. The family released ‘Dreaming of You’, a song that had been recorded just weeks before Selena’s death. The album of the same title gained huge success and was hailed as the first predominantly Spanish-language album to top the Billboard 200.

Most recently, Quintanilla Jr appeared in the Netflix documentary Selena Y Los Dinos: A Family Legacy, which is described as “interviews and never-before-seen footage celebrate the life and legacy of singer Selena Quintanilla”.

In another Instagram post, Abraham ‘A.B.’ Quintanilla III thanked everyone who reached out to him, writing: “I love y’all!!! Let’s never forget “SELENA” or my Dad who made us as kids believe the impossible is possible… #love #live #music”

Abraham was married to Marcella Quintanilla, and is also survived by their daughter, Suzette Quintanilla and son Abraham ‘A.B.’ Quintanilla III.

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