Abraham Isaac Quintanilla Jr. (born February 20, 1939) is an American singer, songwriter, and producer. He is the father of Tejano singer Selena and was her manager throughout her life. Quintanilla was born to a Mexican-American family in Corpus Christi, Texas. He began his music career as a member of the singing group the "Dinos" in 1956. He left the group in the late 1960s and initially retired from music to raise a family. After discovering Selena's singing talent, he created the band Selena y Los Dinos composed of Selena and her two older siblings to develop her talent. Under his management, the group became a major success in Tejano music by the late 1980s, allowing Selena to begin a solo career and become one of the most celebrated Latin music artists of all time. Following Selena's murder in 1995, Quintanilla became an executive producer of a biographical film about her life, in which he was portrayed by actor Edward James Olmos. Early life Quintanilla was born on February 20, 1939, in Corpus Christi, Texas, the middle child of six siblings, to Abraham Gonzalez Quintanilla Sr. and Maria Tereza Calderon. Quintanilla's parents worked along the Rio Grande 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 father later worked as an autobody repairman. Quintanilla attended Roy Miller High School and soon joined with two of his friends to form a high school choir called the Gumdrops. Abraham dropped out of Roy Miller High School when he was a senior to pursue his career. Maria strongly disapproved of her son's desire to become a professional singer. Career Early years In 1956, Quintanilla encountered his alumni classmates performing at a high school dance. He immediately recognized their voices and was hooked. While learning that one of their lead vocalists was quitting the band: Abraham immediately approached the "Dinos" and asked if he could be part of their singing group. The group decided to give Abraham a chance by inviting him to practice with them. Quintanilla's request was granted when the Dinos crowned him as the "third voice". During the beginning stages of the group, the Dinos were paid thirty US dollars in booked venues. Los Dinos cited their musical inspirations as having originated from the musical ensembles The Four Aces and Mills Brothers. In 1959, Los Dinos released