Record producer Abraham Quintanilla, father of Tejano icon Selena, dies at 84
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Kerry Breen
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Kerry Breen is a news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University's Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News' TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use.
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December 13, 2025 / 1:09 PM EST / CBS News
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Abraham Quintanilla Jr., the father of the late Tejano music star Selena Quintanilla, has died at 84 years old, his family said on Instagram.
'It's with a heavy heart to let you guys know that my Dad passed away today…' Quintanilla's son, Abraham Quintanilla III, wrote in the post alongside a photo of his father.
A cause of death was not shared.
Quintanilla is survived by his son, his daughter Suzette, and his wife Marcella, whom he wed in 1963.
The patriarch of the Quintanilla family was a singer, songwriter and record producer who created the band Selena y Los Dinos and managed Selena's career before she was shot and killed by Yolanda Saldívar in 1995. Saldívar remains in prison on a life sentence and was recently denied parole (https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/selena-quintanillas-killer-yolanda-saldivar-denied-parole-next-eligibility-2030/).
'While nothing can bring Selena back, this decision reaffirms that justice continues to stand for the beautiful life that was taken from us and from millions of fans around the world far too soon,' the Quintanilla family and Selena's husband Chris Perez said in a statement posted shortly after Saldívar was denied parole.
After Selena's death, Quintanilla remained very involved in projects that mentioned his youngest daughter. That included posthumous releases and a 1997 biopic starring Jennifer Lopez, which Quintanilla co-produced. In the biopic, Quintanilla was played by Edward James Olmos.
The Quintanilla family also created a charitable organization called The Selena Foundation to make use of donations they received after Selena's death.
The family recently opened up about Selena's legacy in a new Netflix documentary, 'Selena Y Los Dinos: A Family's Legacy.' The film was executive-produced by the surviving Quintanilla siblings. It featured never-before-seen footage from Selena's career and an interview with Marcella, marking the first time she gave an interview about her daughter's death, according to the Associated Press.
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