Abraham Quintanilla Jr., father of late Tejano music legend Selena Quintanilla, has died. He was 86.
Quintanilla’s death was announced Saturday by his son, Abraham “A.B.” Quintanilla III., via Instagram.
“It’s with a heavy heart to let you guys know that my Dad passed away today,” the post read.
A cause of death has yet to be reported.
Quintanilla Jr. gained fame as a music producer, backing his daughter Selena’s career which popularized Tejano (Tex-Mex) music before her murder in 1995.
The late superstar’s father, born in Corpus Christi, Texas, was a second generation Mexican American.
Quintanilla Jr. married Marcella Samora in 1963 and the couple had three children: Abraham (b. 1963), Suzette (b. 1967) and Selena (b. 1971).
The father taught his children how to play music from a young age so that they could perform together. He spent countless hours teaching Selena, the group’s vocalist, how to sing in Spanish.
The group, Selena y Los DinoS, began performing together in the early ‘80s and rose to fame later in that decade. Selena’s 1994 album, “Amor Prohibido,” went multiplatinum just a year before she was murdered by a former president of her fan club in Corpus Christi.
Quintanilla Jr. vowed to carry on Selena’s legacy following her death. He executive produced the 1997 film “Selena,” where Edward James Olmos portrays him. He was also featured in the Netflix documentary “Selena y Los Dinos; A Family’s Legacy,” which released in October.
He is survived by his wife, Marcella, children Abraham III and Suzette, as well as his grandchildren
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