Abraham Quintanilla Jr., Architect of Selena’s Global Brand Legacy, Dies at 86

Corpus Christi, Saturday, 13 December 2025.
Abraham Quintanilla Jr., the formidable patriarch and business strategist behind the global Tejano icon Selena, has passed away at the age of 86 in Corpus Christi, Texas. While best known as Selena’s father, Quintanilla was the pivotal architect of a multi-generational brand, transforming a family band into an international enterprise. Following Selena’s tragic murder in 1995, he transitioned from manager to the fierce guardian of her intellectual property, overseeing Q-Productions, posthumous album releases, and major licensing deals, including a biographical film and a recent Netflix series. His astute management ensured the continued commercial viability of the Selena estate for three decades, navigating complex copyright landscapes to keep her legacy profitable and culturally relevant long after her passing. His death marks the end of an era for the Tejano music industry he helped revolutionize.