Who was Abraham Quintanilla Jr? Selena's dad dies at 86

Selena Quintanilla's dad, Abraham Isaac Quintanilla Jr., has died aged 86.

Latin music icon Selena Quintanilla's father, Abraham Isaac Quintanilla Jr., has died at 86. His son confirmed the news of his death in an emotional Instagram post on Saturday. More details surrounding his passing, including the cause of death, have yet to be revealed.

Selena Quintanilla's dad, Abraham Isaac Quintanilla Jr., has died aged 86. (Instagram)

Selena's dad Abraham Quintanilla dies at 86

“It’s with a heavy heart to let you guys know that my Dad passed away today…” Abraham “A.B.” Isaac Quintanilla III captioned his post, which featured a photo of his father set to the tune of Pedro Infante's Cien Años. Abraham is survived by his wife, Marcella Quintanilla, his daughter, Suzette Quintanilla, and his only son.

Abraham and Marcella were parents to the late singer Selena, who was tragically killed by her former fan club president, Yolanda Saldívar, in March 1995. The Bidi Bidi Bom Bom hitmaker was just 23 years old at the time. She and her band, Selena y Los Dinos, were managed by her father.

Selena's brother, A.B., played the bass, while her sister, Suzette, performed the drums. Her husband, Chris Pérez, with whom she tied the knot in 1992, was the lead guitarist. Before becoming the manager of the famed Tejano band, Abraham sang in his own band, Los Dinos, People reported.

A.B. previously told the outlet that Abraham’s early experiences in the music industry enabled him to recognise Selena’s talent. “There are a lot of families who think, 'My kids are talented, they sing, they're awesome,' but my dad, as a musician, saw something that we didn't,” he said in March 2020.

Selena's parents spoke about her in the Netflix documentary, Selena y Los Dinos: A Family's Legacy, which premiered on November 17. They also worked with the streaming giant on Selena: The Series, a biographical drama based on the young star's life.