Abraham Quintanilla Jr., Architect of Selena’s Career and Tejano Pioneer, Dies at 86

Abraham Isaac Quintanilla Jr., father and longtime manager of the late Tejano music icon Selena Quintanilla, has died at the age of 86, his family confirmed on Saturday, December 13, 2025. The announcement was made by his son, music producer and former Kumbia Kings member Abraham “A.B.” Quintanilla III, via an Instagram post in which he shared a photo of his father accompanied by the classic song Cien Años.

Quintanilla Jr. was born in 1939 in Corpus Christi, Texas, and first made his mark in music as a member of the vocal group Los Dinos in the 1950s. Though his own performing career took a backseat once he married Marcella Samora in 1963, his passion for music soon shaped the destiny of his children. Recognizing the extraordinary talent of his youngest daughter, he formed the family band Selena y Los Dinos, with A.B. Quintanilla on bass and sister Suzette on drums, launching both a regional and eventually international presence for Selena in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

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Under his guidance, Selena became a transcendent figure in Latin music, crossing over into the mainstream while maintaining her roots in Tejano traditions. Her 1994 Grammy win and hits such as Como la Flor and Amor Prohibido solidified her as one of the most influential artists of her generation.

After Selena’s tragic murder in 1995 at the age of 23, Quintanilla Jr. devoted much of his life to preserving her legacy. He served as executive producer on the 1997 biographical film Selena, contributed to the narrative in later documentaries and television portrayals, and managed her estate’s interests for decades.

Family reactions in the wake of his death underscore the complexity of his role as both a father and a figure in music history: a mentor whose influence shaped careers, a patriarch whose decisions were at times controversial, and a guardian of one of music’s most enduring legacies.

Quintanilla Jr. is survived by his wife Marcella, his sons A.B. and daughter Suzette. The family has asked for privacy as they mourn.