Abraham Isaac Quintanilla Jr., the esteemed father and dedicated manager of the late Tejano music icon Selena, has passed away at the age of 86. The news of his demise was shared by his son, Abraham “A.B.” Quintanilla III, through a heartfelt social media post on Saturday, December 13. A.B., who also served as Selena’s brother and producer, expressed his grief on Instagram, stating, “It’s with a heavy heart to let you guys know that my Dad passed away today…” The post was accompanied by a photograph of Quintanilla, set to the melancholic tune of Pedro Infante’s “Cien Años.” As of the time of reporting, the cause of his death has not been publicly disclosed.

Born in 1939 in Corpus Christi, Texas, Abraham Isaac Quintanilla Jr. embarked on his musical journey during his teenage years. In 1956, he became a member of the vocal group known as the Dinos. However, by the late 1960s, Quintanilla made the decision to step away from the band to dedicate his full attention to raising his family. He was married to Marcella Quintanilla, and together they had three children: Abraham “A.B.” Quintanilla III, Suzette, and their beloved daughter Selena, whose life was tragically cut short at the age of 23 in March 1995, when she was fatally shot by Yolanda Saldívar, her former fan club president.

Quintanilla Jr.'s profound impact on Latin music is largely attributed to his pivotal role in nurturing Selena's extraordinary talent. Recognizing her innate abilities from a very young age, he took on the crucial responsibilities of managing her career and helping to develop her into one of Latin music's most celebrated artists. He meticulously oversaw Selena y Los Dinos, the family band that featured A.B. on bass, Suzette on drums, and Selena’s husband, Chris Pérez, on guitar. Recalling his daughter's early days, Quintanilla shared with Billboard in August 2022, "I found out she had the talent to sing when she was six-and-a-half years old. As she grew older, I would sit down with her and teach her how to sing in Spanish. I would teach her how to pronounce the word and what the word meant so she can put some emotion into it. She learned it very well. She was a good student in learning music.”

Under his guidance, Selena's brief yet historic career flourished, earning her the revered title of the "Queen of Tejano." Throughout the 1990s, she revolutionized the Tejano genre, breaking significant barriers in a field predominantly dominated by male artists. Her incredible success was powered by iconic hits such as “Como La Flor,” “Dreaming of You,” “Amor Prohibido,” and “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom.” Selena’s enduring legacy is also reflected in her impressive Billboard chart performance, where she achieved 24 entries on the Top Latin Albums chart, including 16 top 10s and a remarkable seven No. 1 titles. Among these were "Amor Prohibido," which commanded the No. 1 spot for 20 weeks in 1994, and the posthumously released "Dreaming of You," which reigned for an astounding 40 weeks in 1995. Additionally, she secured seven No. 1 albums on the Regional Mexican Albums chart and six on the Latin Pop Albums chart, cementing her status as a true legend in the music industry.