Abraham Quintanilla facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Abraham Quintanilla
Quintanilla in 2020
Background information
Birth name	Abraham Isaac Quintanilla Jr.
Born	(1939-02-20) February 20, 1939 (age 86) Corpus Christi, Texas, U.S.
Genres	Polka, doo-wop, Tejano
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter producer
Years active	1957–present
Labels	Falcon, J.W. Fox, Bernal, Epitome

Abraham Isaac Quintanilla Jr. (born February 20, 1939) is an American singer, songwriter, and producer. He is best known as the father and manager of the famous Tejano singer Selena.

Quintanilla was born into a Mexican-American family in Corpus Christi, Texas. He started his music journey in 1956 with a singing group called the "Dinos". He left the group in the late 1960s to focus on his family. Later, when he discovered Selena's amazing singing talent, he formed a new band. This band, called Selena y Los Dinos, included Selena and her two older siblings. With his help, the group became very successful in Tejano music by the late 1980s. This success allowed Selena to start a solo career and become one of the most celebrated Latin music artists ever. After Selena's sad passing in 1995, Quintanilla helped produce a movie about her life.

Abraham Quintanilla's Early Life

Quintanilla was born on February 20, 1939, in Corpus Christi, Texas. He was the middle child of six siblings. His parents, Abraham Gonzalez Quintanilla Sr. and Maria Tereza Calderon, worked hard picking vegetables, cotton, and fruits along the Rio Grande in Texas.

When he was fourteen, his parents changed their religion from Catholic to Jehovah's Witnesses. His father later worked fixing cars. Abraham went to Roy Miller High School. There, he joined two friends to form a high school choir called the Gumdrops. Abraham left high school before graduating to follow his dream of becoming a singer. His mother, Maria, did not approve of his choice at first.

Abraham Quintanilla's Music Career

Starting with the Dinos

In 1956, Quintanilla saw some old classmates performing at a high school dance. He loved their sound and learned that their lead singer was leaving. Abraham quickly asked if he could join the "Dinos". The group gave him a chance, and he became their "third voice".

At first, the Dinos earned about thirty US dollars for their shows. They were inspired by groups like The Four Aces and Mills Brothers. In 1959, the Dinos released their first song, "So Hard to Tell". It became a hit on a local radio station, KEYS. This helped them get more shows at dances in Texas towns like Corpus Christi, Kingsville, and Woodsboro.

Their second song, "Give Me One Chance", sold 150,000 copies. It was played a lot on radio stations across South Texas. The Dinos became more popular after this success. They recorded many English songs and even covered hits by famous artists like The Beatles.

Some of their later songs, like "Twistin' Irene", didn't sell as well. In October 1961, Quintanilla joined the United States Air Force. He was stationed in Tacoma, Washington. There, he met Marcella Samora, who was part Mexican American and part Cherokee Native American. They got married on June 8, 1963.

Returning to Music

After leaving the Air Force in November 1963, Abraham and Marcella had their first child, Abraham "A.B." Quintanilla III. The family then moved back to Corpus Christi, Texas. Quintanilla rejoined Los Dinos and continued playing American pop and rock and roll music.

One time, when they played for a Mexican-American audience, people wanted them to play Spanish-language Mexican music. When the band couldn't, there was a misunderstanding, and the audience became upset. The band had to be escorted out by police. After this, Los Dinos decided to change their music style to Chicano rock. This was also because making English-language pop music was expensive.

In 1964, Los Dinos recorded their first Spanish record, Con Esta Copa (With This Cup). This song became an instant hit in Texas and was played often on the radio. The band released more records. On June 29, 1967, Marcella gave birth to their second child, Suzette Michelle Quintanilla. By 1969, Los Dinos' popularity began to fade, and Quintanilla left the band. The rest of the group continued for a while, but they officially ended their careers by 1974.

Forming Selena y Los Dinos

In the early 1970s, Quintanilla moved to Lake Jackson, Texas. He worked full-time at Dow Chemical to support his family, putting his music dreams aside.

In 1971, Marcella gave birth to their third child, a daughter named Selena. One day, Quintanilla was teaching his oldest child, A.B., to play guitar. Selena, who was very young, came in and started singing along. Quintanilla immediately noticed Selena's beautiful voice. He believed she was truly talented and began to help her develop her singing.

Quintanilla formed a new group, naming it Selena y Los Dinos (Selena And The Guys), similar to his old band. He started recording songs with Selena and building a music career for his children.

In 1979, Quintanilla opened a Mexican restaurant called PapaGayo's (Parrots). He built a stage there so his children could perform for the customers. However, due to tough economic times in 1981, the restaurant had to close. This was a difficult period for the Quintanilla family. Abraham moved his family back to Corpus Christi after they had to sell their home. Selena y Los Dinos and their father performed wherever they could, like at parties and weddings, to earn money for the family.

In 1984, Selena y Los Dinos signed with Freddie Records and released their first album, Selena Y Los Dinos. Some people criticized Selena for being a young girl in a music style mostly dominated by men. Quintanilla then moved his children to Cara Records, where they released their second album, The New Girl in Town. This led to Selena y Los Dinos appearing on the Johnny Canales Show.

By 1989, Selena had released eight albums. These albums helped Selena become very successful at the Tejano Music Awards, starting in 1986. Selena's performances caught the attention of Jose Behar, who worked for Sony Music Latin. Behar signed Selena with Capitol/EMI. He believed she could become as big as Gloria Estefan.

Selena won a Grammy Award in 1993 for "Best Mexican-American Album" for her album Selena Live!. Her 1994 album Amor Prohibido became one of the best-selling Latin albums ever. It sold millions of copies worldwide. Selena's popularity grew, and she was planning to record an English album.

After Selena's Passing

On March 31, 1995, Selena, Abraham Quintanilla's youngest child, sadly passed away.

After Selena's death, Quintanilla has been involved in all projects related to her music and story. Soon after, Abraham Quintanilla and his family started The Selena Foundation. This is a charity that helps children who are going through difficult times. Abraham Quintanilla has appeared in many TV shows about Selena. He continues to work in the music and film industries with his company, Q-Productions.

In the 1997 movie Selena, Abraham Quintanilla was played by actor Edward James Olmos. Quintanilla himself helped produce the film. In the 2020 Netflix show Selena: The Series, he was played by Ricardo Chavira. In 2021, Quintanilla released his book, A Father's Dream: My Family's Journey in Music.

Discography

Studio albums

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Abraham Quintanilla para niños