Abraham Quintanilla Jr
Encyclopedia
Abraham Isaac Quintanilla, Jr. (born February 20, 1939) is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is the father of singer Selena
, who was murdered in 1995.
, the middle child of six siblings, to Mexican
immigrant
parents Abraham Quintanilla, Sr. (born: Abrán Quintanilla) and Mary Calderon Quintanilla (born: María Calderon, 1920 - January 18, 1972). Quintanilla's parents worked at the Rio Grande
river in Texas, gleaning
vegetables, cotton and fruits. When he was fourteen, his parents left the Catholic Church and converted
to Jehovah's Witnesses
. Quintanilla's mother became a door-to-door
missionary, trying to convert other Hispanic and Latino Americans
from Catholicism
to Jehovah's Witnesses. Quintanilla's father later worked as an autobody repairman
.
Quintanilla attended Ray Miller High School
and soon joined with two of his friends to form a high school choir called the Gumdrops. Abraham dropped out of Ray Miller High School when he was a senior to pursue his career. Mary strongly disapproved of her son's desire to become a professional singer.
was quitting the band: Abraham quickly approached the "Dinos" and asked if he can be part of their singing group. The group decided to give Abraham a chance by practicing with them. Quintanilla's wishes were granted when the Dinos crowned him as the "third voice". During the beginning stages of the group, the Dinos were paid thirty United States dollar
s in booked venues. Los Dinos cited their musical inspirations were musical ensemble
s The Four Aces
and Mills Brothers
. In 1959, Los Dinos released their first single "So Hard to Tell" on the J.W. Fox label that was owned by Johnny Herrera. The single became a classic hit on KEYS
and helped the band to be booked at personal appearances at sock hop
s in Corpus, Kingville
and Woodsboro
, Texas.
The Dino's second single "Give Me One Chance", was composed by Teddy Randazzo
who'd written songs for Little Anthony and the Imperials, sold 150,000 copies. The single began getting extensive airplay throughout South Texas
and on KILT-FM
. Los Dino's popularity prosper after the record sales of "Give Me One Chance". The band recorded ten English-language revolutions per minute
s and covered
songs of The Beatles
, Ray Stevens
, Johnny Tillotson
, Tommy Roe
, Sam & Dave
and the Five Americans
.
The band faced racism
and discrimination due to being of Mexican descent
. A club owner, who thought the band were Italian
, was surprised to learn that Los Dinos were Mexican Americans. The club owner decided not to pay them. Los Dinos were turned down motel rooms
and other venues that were predominantly white
neighborhoods.
The bands next singles "Twistin' Irene", "Ride Your Pony
", and "Lover's Holiday
" sold poorly. In October 1961, Quintanilla was drafted into the military and was stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord
in Fort Lewis, Virginia
/Washington, D.C.
. While on duty, he meet a Marcella Samora, who is half-Mexican American and half-Cherokee Indian. Marcella's father originated from Amarillo
, while her mother was from Colorado
. Quintanilla and Marcella married on June 8, 1963.
On December 13, 1963, Quintanilla was discharged from active duty and while doing so, Marcella gave birth to their first child, Abraham "A.B." Quintanilla III
. Within a month, Quintanilla moved his family and relocated in Corpus Christi. While back, he re-joined with Los Dinos and began singing American pop
and Rock and roll
music. While performing to a crowd of Mexican people, Los Dinos were told to play Spanish-language Mexican music. They were later booed and were called "queer
s". The people at the club were refunded their money, after the band confess of not knowing any Mexican music. This angered people who wanted to dance and chased the band out of the building. Local Corpus Christi police had to be called in to escort the band out. The band changed their musical genres to Chicano rock
due to costs in creating English-language popular music
and the popularity of the band. Los Dinos recorded their first record Con Esta Copa (With This Cup) in 1964 on Arnoldo Ramirez label Falcon Records
. The single "Con esta copa" became an instant hit in Texas and had heavy airplay, at the time of its release on Epitome. The single was also played in neighboring states.
The band released three more records with Falcon until they moved on to Bernal records
. On June 29, 1967, Marcella gave birth to their second child and first daughter, Suzette Michelle Quintanilla. By 1969, Los Dino's popularity faded in numbers and their record sales began to decline. Quintanilla later quit the band, while the rest of the group went on without him.
Los Dinos continued to record music and by 1974, the band recorded twenty 45s
and six LP record
s. The band then officially ended their careers.
and began working full time to support his wife and two kids. He worked for Dow Chemical
, while trying to get over his passion for music. While settling in, Marcella was told by doctors that she had a tumor
and it needed to be removed. Marcella and Quintanilla decided to get a second opinion before performing the removal. While visiting a second doctor, the couple were told that Marcella was pregnant. Marcella and Abraham were told that they were going to have another son and picked the name: Marc Antony (Quintanilla). But on Easter Sunday, April 16, 1971; Marcella and Abraham delivered a girl at Freeport Community Hospital. A women who shared the room, offered the name "Selena".
One day, while Quintanilla was teaching his oldest child, A.B. to play a guitar, Selena came in the room and began singing along with her father. Quintanilla noticed that Selena had a gift and wasted no time, and began working to develop her vocal talents. Quintanilla formed a new group, based on his childhood band; Selena y Los Dinos
(Selena And The Guys). Quintanilla, with the help of his former recording studio manager and friend, began recording songs with Selena and began building a foundation of awareness for his children.
In 1982, Quintanilla opened up a Mexican restaurant
called PapaGayos (Parrots) and built a platform for his children to perform in front of costumers, while they enjoy their meals. Shortly after the restaurant opened, it suffered the recession of 1983
, and was forced to close. He then took his musical aspirations and re-located back to Corpus Christi, after he was evicted from his home. Selena y Los Dinos, along with Quintanilla, performed at street corners, parties, weddings, and other social-activities that would offer income for the family. In 1984, Selena y Los Dinos were signed to Freddie Records; they recorded and released their debut album entitled Selena Y Los Dinos. Selena was criticized by Freddie Martinez (CEO
of Freddie Records), for being a young female in a male-dominate genre. Quintanilla moved his children to Cara Records who released their second album The New Girl in Town. The album helped Selena y Los Dinos to appear as musical guests on the Johnny Canales Show
.
By 1989, Selena released eight long plays
on Manny Guerra's independent labels GP Productions and Record Producer Productions. These albums led Selena to win and dominate awards at the Tejano Music Awards
, starting in 1986. While performing at the TMA's, Selena caught the eyes of José Behar, the former head of Sony
Music Latin. Behar signed Selena with Capitol
/EMI
. He later said that he signed Selena because he thought he had discovered the next Gloria Estefan
.
In 1993, Selena won a Grammy Award
for "Best Mexican-American Album
" for Selena Live!
. In 1994, Selena's album Amor Prohibido
became the biggest selling Latin album of all time, being certified 20x Platinum (Latin type) by the RIAA
for selling over two million copies, while selling over five million copies worldwide. Selena's sales and fan base increased, paving the way for Selena's dream of recording a crossover album
in prospective.
and friend, Yolanda Saldívar
. Selena's death was devastating to Quintanilla, who began to experience emotional trauma, distress, and depression.
After Selena's death, Quintanilla has been involved in every development of albums, documentaries, and other productions that involves or talks about Selena. Soon after Selena's death, Abraham Quintanilla and his family started The Selena Foundation, a charitable organization
which assists children in crisis. Abraham Quintanilla has appeared in numerous television specials about Selena. Quintanilla continues to produce new acts in the music and film industries with his record company, Q-Productions
.
Selena
Selena Quintanilla-Pérez , known simply as Selena, was a Mexican American singer-songwriter. She was named the "top Latin artist of the '90s" and "Best selling Latin artist of the decade" by Billboard for her fourteen top-ten singles in the Top Latin Songs chart, including seven number-one hits...
, who was murdered in 1995.
Early life
Quintanilla was born in Corpus Christi, TexasCorpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
, the middle child of six siblings, to Mexican
Mexican people
Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....
immigrant
Immigration to the United States
Immigration to the United States has been a major source of population growth and cultural change throughout much of the history of the United States. The economic, social, and political aspects of immigration have caused controversy regarding ethnicity, economic benefits, jobs for non-immigrants,...
parents Abraham Quintanilla, Sr. (born: Abrán Quintanilla) and Mary Calderon Quintanilla (born: María Calderon, 1920 - January 18, 1972). Quintanilla's parents worked at the Rio Grande
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande is a river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it forms part of the Mexico – United States border. Its length varies as its course changes...
river in Texas, gleaning
Gleaning
Gleaning is the act of collecting leftover crops from farmers' fields after they have been commercially harvested or on fields where it is not economically profitable to harvest...
vegetables, cotton and fruits. When he was fourteen, his parents left the Catholic Church and converted
Religious conversion
Religious conversion is the adoption of a new religion that differs from the convert's previous religion. Changing from one denomination to another within the same religion is usually described as reaffiliation rather than conversion.People convert to a different religion for various reasons,...
to Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
. Quintanilla's mother became a door-to-door
Door-to-door
Door-to-door is a sales technique in which a salesperson walks from the door of one house to the door of another trying to sell a product or service to the general public. A variant of this involves cold calling first, when another sales representative attempts to gain agreement that a salesperson...
missionary, trying to convert other Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
from Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
to Jehovah's Witnesses. Quintanilla's father later worked as an autobody repairman
Coachbuilder
A coachbuilder is a manufacturer of bodies for carriages or automobiles.The trade dates back several centuries. Rippon was active in the time of Queen Elizabeth I, Barker founded in 1710 by an officer in Queen Anne's Guards, Brewster a relative newcomer , formed in 1810. Others in Britain included...
.
Quintanilla attended Ray Miller High School
Corpus Christi Independent School District
Corpus Christi Independent School District is a school district based in Corpus Christi, Texas, United States.CCISD serves most of the city of Corpus Christi.In 2009, the school district was rated "academically acceptable" by the Texas Education Agency....
and soon joined with two of his friends to form a high school choir called the Gumdrops. Abraham dropped out of Ray Miller High School when he was a senior to pursue his career. Mary strongly disapproved of her son's desire to become a professional singer.
Early years
In 1957, Quintanilla encountered his alumni class mates performing at a high school dance. He quickly recognized their voices and was hooked. While learning that one of their lead vocalistLead vocalist
The lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
was quitting the band: Abraham quickly approached the "Dinos" and asked if he can be part of their singing group. The group decided to give Abraham a chance by practicing with them. Quintanilla's wishes were granted when the Dinos crowned him as the "third voice". During the beginning stages of the group, the Dinos were paid thirty United States dollar
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
s in booked venues. Los Dinos cited their musical inspirations were musical ensemble
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
s The Four Aces
The Four Aces
The Four Aces is an American male traditional pop music quartet, popular since the 1950s. Over the last half-century, the group amassed many gold records. Its million-selling signature tunes include "Love is a Many-Splendored Thing", "Three Coins in the Fountain", "Stranger in Paradise", "Tell Me...
and Mills Brothers
Mills Brothers
The Mills Brothers, sometimes billed as The Four Mills Brothers, were an American jazz and pop vocal quartet of the 20th century who made more than 2,000 recordings that combined sold more than 50 million copies, and garnered at least three dozen gold records...
. In 1959, Los Dinos released their first single "So Hard to Tell" on the J.W. Fox label that was owned by Johnny Herrera. The single became a classic hit on KEYS
KEYS
KEYS is a radio station serving the Corpus Christi, Texas area with a sports format. It broadcasts on AM frequency 1440 kHz and is licensed to Malkan AM Associates, L.P.-History:...
and helped the band to be booked at personal appearances at sock hop
Sock Hop
The sock hop was an informal sponsored dance at American high schools, typically held in the high school's own gym or cafeteria. The term sock hop came about because dancers were required to remove their shoes to protect the varnished floor of the gymnasium. These hops were a cultural feature of...
s in Corpus, Kingville
Kingsville, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 25,575 people, 8,943 households, and 6,134 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,848.8 people per square mile . There were 10,427 housing units at an average density of 753.8 per square mile...
and Woodsboro
Woodsboro, Texas
Woodsboro is a town in Refugio County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,685 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Woodsboro is located at ....
, Texas.
The Dino's second single "Give Me One Chance", was composed by Teddy Randazzo
Teddy Randazzo
Teddy Randazzo was a NYC born pop songwriter who composed 1960s hit songs such as "Goin' Out of My Head", "It's Gonna Take a Miracle", and "Hurt So Bad"...
who'd written songs for Little Anthony and the Imperials, sold 150,000 copies. The single began getting extensive airplay throughout South Texas
South Texas
South Texas is a region of the U.S. state of Texas that lies roughly south of and including San Antonio. The southern and western boundary is the Rio Grande River, and to the east it is the Gulf of Mexico. The population of this region is about 3.7 million. The southern portion of this region is...
and on KILT-FM
KILT-FM
KILT-FM is a Houston, Texas-based radio station with a country music format. It is owned by CBS Radio. Its transmitter is located in Missouri City, Texas. The station's callsign is a tribute to the station's former owner, Gordon McClendon, who was known as the "Old Scotchman". It is a sister...
. Los Dino's popularity prosper after the record sales of "Give Me One Chance". The band recorded ten English-language revolutions per minute
Revolutions per minute
Revolutions per minute is a measure of the frequency of a rotation. It annotates the number of full rotations completed in one minute around a fixed axis...
s and covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
songs of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, Ray Stevens
Ray Stevens
Ray Stevens is an American country music, pop singer-songwriter who has become known for his novelty songs.-Early career:...
, Johnny Tillotson
Johnny Tillotson
Johnny Tillotson is an American singer and songwriter. He enjoyed his greatest success in the early 1960s, when he scored 9 top-ten hits on the pop, country and adult contemporary billboard charts including "Poetry In Motion" and the self-penned "It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin'"...
, Tommy Roe
Tommy Roe
Tommy Roe is an American pop music singer-songwriter.Best-remembered for his hits "Sheila" and "Dizzy" , critic Bill Dahl wrote that Roe was "widely perceived as one of the archetypal bubblegum artists of the late 1960s, but Roe cut some pretty decent rockers along the way, especially early in his...
, Sam & Dave
Sam & Dave
Sam & Dave were an American soul and rhythm and blues duo who performed together from 1961 through 1981. The tenor voice was Samuel David Moore , and the baritone/tenor voice was Dave Prater .Sam & Dave are members of...
and the Five Americans
Five Americans
Five Americans was a 1960s American band, most famous for the song "Western Union", which reached #5 in the U.S. Billboard chart and was their only single to chart in the Top 20...
.
The band faced racism
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
and discrimination due to being of Mexican descent
Mexican people
Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....
. A club owner, who thought the band were Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
, was surprised to learn that Los Dinos were Mexican Americans. The club owner decided not to pay them. Los Dinos were turned down motel rooms
Motel
A motor hotel, or motel for short, is a hotel designed for motorists, and usually has a parking area for motor vehicles...
and other venues that were predominantly white
White American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
neighborhoods.
The bands next singles "Twistin' Irene", "Ride Your Pony
Allen Toussaint
Allen Toussaint is an American musician, composer, record producer, and influential figure in New Orleans R&B.Many of Toussaint's songs have become familiar through numerous cover versions, including "Working in the Coalmine", "Ride Your Pony", "Fortune Teller", "Play Something Sweet ", "Southern...
", and "Lover's Holiday
Lou Rawls
Louis Allen "Lou" Rawls was an American soul, jazz, and blues singer. He was known for his smooth vocal style: Frank Sinatra once said that Rawls had "the classiest singing and silkiest chops in the singing game"...
" sold poorly. In October 1961, Quintanilla was drafted into the military and was stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Joint Base Lewis-McChord is a United States military facility located south-southwest of Tacoma, Washington. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Army Joint Base Garrison, Joint Base Lewis-McChord....
in Fort Lewis, Virginia
Fort Lewis, Virginia
Fort Lewis is an unincorporated community in Bath County, Virginia, in the United States.-Reference:...
/Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. While on duty, he meet a Marcella Samora, who is half-Mexican American and half-Cherokee Indian. Marcella's father originated from Amarillo
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
, while her mother was from Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. Quintanilla and Marcella married on June 8, 1963.
On December 13, 1963, Quintanilla was discharged from active duty and while doing so, Marcella gave birth to their first child, Abraham "A.B." Quintanilla III
A.B. Quintanilla
Abraham Isaac Quintanilla III better known as A.B. Quintanilla III or simply A.B. Quintanilla, is an American songwriter, record producer and musician. He is the older brother of "The Queen of Tejano music" Selena...
. Within a month, Quintanilla moved his family and relocated in Corpus Christi. While back, he re-joined with Los Dinos and began singing American pop
American pop
American pop is a vague and nebulous term, applied generally to whatever form of music is most popular among mainstream American teenage audiences. Adolescents are an especially important audience, both because of their relatively large amount of discretionary spending, and their fervent devotion...
and Rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
music. While performing to a crowd of Mexican people, Los Dinos were told to play Spanish-language Mexican music. They were later booed and were called "queer
Queer
Queer is an umbrella term for sexual minorities that are not heterosexual, heteronormative, or gender-binary. In the context of Western identity politics the term also acts as a label setting queer-identifying people apart from discourse, ideologies, and lifestyles that typify mainstream LGBT ...
s". The people at the club were refunded their money, after the band confess of not knowing any Mexican music. This angered people who wanted to dance and chased the band out of the building. Local Corpus Christi police had to be called in to escort the band out. The band changed their musical genres to Chicano rock
Chicano rock
Chicano rock is rock music performed by Mexican American groups or music with themes derived from Chicano culture. Chicano Rock, to a great extent, does not refer to any single style or approach. Some of these groups do not sing in Spanish at all, or use many specifically Latin instruments or sounds...
due to costs in creating English-language popular music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
and the popularity of the band. Los Dinos recorded their first record Con Esta Copa (With This Cup) in 1964 on Arnoldo Ramirez label Falcon Records
Falcon Records
Falcon Records was a sub-label of Vee-Jay Records.Due to a name conflict with Falcon Records, the name was subsequently changed to Abner Records....
. The single "Con esta copa" became an instant hit in Texas and had heavy airplay, at the time of its release on Epitome. The single was also played in neighboring states.
The band released three more records with Falcon until they moved on to Bernal records
Paulino Bernal
Paulino Bernal is an accordion player and Christian evangelist. He was a member of the Tejano Tex-Mex group Conjunto Bernal....
. On June 29, 1967, Marcella gave birth to their second child and first daughter, Suzette Michelle Quintanilla. By 1969, Los Dino's popularity faded in numbers and their record sales began to decline. Quintanilla later quit the band, while the rest of the group went on without him.
Los Dinos continued to record music and by 1974, the band recorded twenty 45s
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
and six LP record
LP record
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
s. The band then officially ended their careers.
With Selena y Los Dinos
In the early 1970s, Quintanilla moved to Lake Jackson, TexasLake Jackson, Texas
Lake Jackson is a city in Brazoria County, Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. As of a 2006 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city population was 27,614....
and began working full time to support his wife and two kids. He worked for Dow Chemical
Dow Chemical Company
The Dow Chemical Company is a multinational corporation headquartered in Midland, Michigan, United States. As of 2007, it is the second largest chemical manufacturer in the world by revenue and as of February 2009, the third-largest chemical company in the world by market capitalization .Dow...
, while trying to get over his passion for music. While settling in, Marcella was told by doctors that she had a tumor
Tumor
A tumor or tumour is commonly used as a synonym for a neoplasm that appears enlarged in size. Tumor is not synonymous with cancer...
and it needed to be removed. Marcella and Quintanilla decided to get a second opinion before performing the removal. While visiting a second doctor, the couple were told that Marcella was pregnant. Marcella and Abraham were told that they were going to have another son and picked the name: Marc Antony (Quintanilla). But on Easter Sunday, April 16, 1971; Marcella and Abraham delivered a girl at Freeport Community Hospital. A women who shared the room, offered the name "Selena".
One day, while Quintanilla was teaching his oldest child, A.B. to play a guitar, Selena came in the room and began singing along with her father. Quintanilla noticed that Selena had a gift and wasted no time, and began working to develop her vocal talents. Quintanilla formed a new group, based on his childhood band; Selena y Los Dinos
Selena y Los Dinos
Selena y Los Dinos was the band in which Grammy-Award-winning Tejano music singer Selena performed, until her death on March 31, 1995. Selena fronted the band since 1980, started by her father Abraham Quintanilla, Jr....
(Selena And The Guys). Quintanilla, with the help of his former recording studio manager and friend, began recording songs with Selena and began building a foundation of awareness for his children.
In 1982, Quintanilla opened up a Mexican restaurant
Mexican cuisine
Mexican cuisine, a style of food that originates in Mexico, is known for its varied flavors, colourful decoration and variety of spices and ingredients, most of which are native to the country. The cuisine of Mexico has evolved through thousands of years of blending indigenous cultures, with later...
called PapaGayos (Parrots) and built a platform for his children to perform in front of costumers, while they enjoy their meals. Shortly after the restaurant opened, it suffered the recession of 1983
Early 1980s recession
The early 1980s recession describes the severe global economic recession affecting much of the developed world in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The United States and Japan exited recession relatively early, but high unemployment would continue to affect other OECD nations through at least 1985...
, and was forced to close. He then took his musical aspirations and re-located back to Corpus Christi, after he was evicted from his home. Selena y Los Dinos, along with Quintanilla, performed at street corners, parties, weddings, and other social-activities that would offer income for the family. In 1984, Selena y Los Dinos were signed to Freddie Records; they recorded and released their debut album entitled Selena Y Los Dinos. Selena was criticized by Freddie Martinez (CEO
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of Freddie Records), for being a young female in a male-dominate genre. Quintanilla moved his children to Cara Records who released their second album The New Girl in Town. The album helped Selena y Los Dinos to appear as musical guests on the Johnny Canales Show
Johnny Canales
Johnny Canales is a former Tejano singer, and was host of the popular show titled "The Johnny Canales Show". Canales is credited with one of the first live performances of Selena by her thirteenth birthday. He took Selena y Los Dinos for their first concerts in Mexico...
.
By 1989, Selena released eight long plays
LP record
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
on Manny Guerra's independent labels GP Productions and Record Producer Productions. These albums led Selena to win and dominate awards at the Tejano Music Awards
Tejano Music Awards
The Tejano Music Awards had been launched in 1980 by former art teacher and music veteran Rudy Trevino and the leader of the Latin Breed Band, Gilbert Escobedo. Only 1,500 fans turned out for the first Tejano Music Awards. Over the years, San Antonio evolved into the Nashville of Tejano music...
, starting in 1986. While performing at the TMA's, Selena caught the eyes of José Behar, the former head of Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
Music Latin. Behar signed Selena with Capitol
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
/EMI
EMI Latin
EMI Televisa Music, also known as EMI Latin and EMI International, is a subsidiary of EMI which focuses on Latin American music....
. He later said that he signed Selena because he thought he had discovered the next Gloria Estefan
Gloria Estefan
Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García de Estefan; known professionally as Gloria Estefan is a Cuban-born American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known as the "Queen Of Latin Pop", she is in the top 100 best selling music artists with over 100 million albums sold worldwide, 31.5 million of those...
.
In 1993, Selena won a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for "Best Mexican-American Album
Grammy Award for Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album
The Grammy Award for Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album was an honor presented to recording artists for quality albums in the Mexican music genre at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards...
" for Selena Live!
Selena Live!
"Live!" or "Selena Live!" is a live album by American Tejano pop singer Selena, released on May 4, 1993 by EMI Latin. The album was re-released on September 22, 2002 as part of the Selena: 20 Years of Music collection that included spoken liner notes by her family, friends and her former band...
. In 1994, Selena's album Amor Prohibido
Amor Prohibido
Amor Prohibido is the fifth studio album by American Tejano pop singer Selena. The album was released on March 13, 1994 by EMI Latin. It was re-released on September 24, 2002, as part of the Selena: 20 Years of Music collection, and included music videos and spoken liner notes by her family,...
became the biggest selling Latin album of all time, being certified 20x Platinum (Latin type) by the RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
for selling over two million copies, while selling over five million copies worldwide. Selena's sales and fan base increased, paving the way for Selena's dream of recording a crossover album
Crossover (music)
Crossover is a term applied to musical works or performers appearing on two or more of the record charts which track differing musical tastes, or genres...
in prospective.
Death of Selena
On March 31, 1995, Quintanilla's youngest child, Selena, was murdered by the president of the Selena Fan Club, manager of Selena's boutiques, Selena Etc.Selena Etc.
Selena Etc. was a South Texas-based boutique, salon, and clothing store, which was built by Latin Superstar, Selena. Selena Etc. was built and finished on January 27, 1993 in Corpus Christi, Texas which was the headquarters building...
and friend, Yolanda Saldívar
Yolanda Saldívar
Yolanda Saldívar is a Mexican American woman who was convicted in 1995 of the murder of Tejano music singer Selena at a Days Inn motel in Corpus Christi, Texas on March 31, 1995.- Early life :...
. Selena's death was devastating to Quintanilla, who began to experience emotional trauma, distress, and depression.
After Selena's death, Quintanilla has been involved in every development of albums, documentaries, and other productions that involves or talks about Selena. Soon after Selena's death, Abraham Quintanilla and his family started The Selena Foundation, a charitable organization
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
which assists children in crisis. Abraham Quintanilla has appeared in numerous television specials about Selena. Quintanilla continues to produce new acts in the music and film industries with his record company, Q-Productions
Q-Productions
Q-Productions is a record company owned and operated by Abraham Quintanilla Jr. Founded in 1993, Q Productions or also known as Q, or Q-Zone specializes within the Latin music industry, and it is located in Texas. The company's most recognized contributing artists are Selena , Los Tres Reyes, and...
.
Discography
Studio albums| Album information |
|---|
Los Dinos (The Guys)
|
| Con Esta Copa (With This Cup)
|
| The Dinos (Falcon release)
|
| 2000
|
| Unknown fifth release (Bernal release)
|
| Unknown sixth release (Bernal release)
|
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1997 | Selena Selena (film) Selena is a 1997 American biographical drama film about the life and career of the late Tejano music star Selena, a recording artist who was well known in the Mexican-American and Hispanic communities in the United States and Mexico before she was shot to death at the age of twenty-three.The movie... |
Executive Producer | |
| 1997 | Selena Remembered Selena Remembered Selena Remembered is a DVD/CD by Mexican-American Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla-Perez, released on April 1, 1997 on VHS and on January 25, 2005 on DVD. The DVD features Edward James Olmos narrating special moments and triumphs that helped Selena, and her band Selena Y Los Dinos, into... |
Producer | |
| 2003 | Greatest Hits DVD Greatest Hits (Selena album) Greatest Hits is a collection of most of the English songs by the late American Tejano-pop singer Selena. It contains all of her English songs from her Dreaming of You album, as well as both regularly and posthumously released English songs she had made throughout her career."Don't Throw Away My... |
Producer | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1995–present | Tejano Music Awards Tejano Music Awards The Tejano Music Awards had been launched in 1980 by former art teacher and music veteran Rudy Trevino and the leader of the Latin Breed Band, Gilbert Escobedo. Only 1,500 fans turned out for the first Tejano Music Awards. Over the years, San Antonio evolved into the Nashville of Tejano music... |
himself, receiving awards for Selena | TV appearances |
| 1998? | American Justice: Selena episode American Justice American Justice is an American criminal justice television program on the A&E Network, hosted by Bill Kurtis. The show features interesting or notable cases, such as the Selena Murder of a Star, Scarsdale Diet doctor murder, the Hillside Stranglers, Matthew Shepard, or the Wells Fargo heist, with... |
himself | |
| 1998 | Behind The Music: Selena the movie Behind the Music Behind the Music is a television series on VH1. It originally ran from 1997 to 2006, before it was stopped and only aired new episodes sporadically. The series places its generality on documentation of musical artists or groups who are interviewed and profiled, and discuss how their careers became... |
himself | |
| 1999 | Corpus: A Home Video for Selena | himself | |
| 2004 | Noche de estrellas: Premio lo Nuestro 2004 | himself, receiving awards for Selena | |
| 2005 | Don Francisco presenta | himself | |
| 2005 | Selena: Noche de estrellas | himself | |
| 2005 | Selena !VIVE! | himself | |
| 2005 | Selena ¡vive!, acceso total | himself | |
| 2007 | Selena: Queen of Tejano | himself | |
| 2007 | Making of Selena: 10 Years Later | himself | |