Abraham Quintanilla
Abraham Quintanilla III, is a musician, songwriter and producer better known as A.B. Quintanilla. The 53-year-old who is of Mexican descent has been performing since the 80’s.
Abraham Quintanilla is also known as the brother of the late Tejano super star, Selena Quintanilla. A.B. who also found success as a solo performer after being in a band with his family –is now a fugitive according to the Nueces County Sheriff’s Office.
According to a statement from the Sheriff’s office, Quintanilla is wanted for contempt of court on non-payment of child support, according to a Facebook post.
Get to know the artist in his top facts below.
1. He was in a band with his sisters as a teenager
Born December 13, 1963, Abraham junior played the bass and was in charge of backing vocals; while younger sisters Suzette, played the drums, and Selena was the lead singer.
The group was called Selena Y Los Dinos and they would perform at various bars, restaurants, wedding, fairs, and many other places. The band was very time consuming for Selena and her siblings, so they never had much of a childhood, but they were encouraged to be dedicated musicians because of determination from their father Abraham.
2. He wrote songs for Selena y los Dinos
A.B. Quintanilla along with his late sister, co-wrote hit songs for their band, including “Como La Flor” “Amor Prohibido” and “No Me Queda Mas.”
3. A.B. Quintanilla Junior and his sisters found success in the late 80’s
By the late 1980’s Selena Y Los Dinos gained popularly in the western states. In 1986, the band got their first taste of success when Selena received awards for Female Vocalist of the Year and Performer of the Year at the Tejano music awards. From that point on, Selena Y Los Dinos were among the top winners year after year and gained fame and recognition.
4. His sister was murdered
A.B. Quintanilla’s family was stuck by tragedy when Selena was killed at the peak of her career. Selena was shot dead by close friend, Yolanda Saldivar on March 31, 1995. She was 23-years-old.
5. He went onto start in other bands
Following the tragic death of Selena, A.B. Quintanilla found success in other bands. He went on to start Los Kumbia Kings and a number of other musical projects. During his solo career, he released more than half a dozen albums.
6. He produced for big artists
Quintanilla also produced for top Latin entertainers as Thalía, Alicia Villarreal, Verónica Castro and Cristian Castro. He produced and arranged the 2004 CD, A.B. Quintanilla III Presents Joe Lopez, which includes “Cuando Estoy Contigo” and “Soy Tan Feliz”, co-written by Quintanilla and Luigi Giraldo.
7. He left Kumbia Kings amid controversy
In 2006, Quintanilla left the popular group due to a controversy with member Cruz Martínez. A.B., resurfaced that same year with another band called Kumbia All Starz –which became massively popular in South America. In June 2016, he announced that he had signed to Del Records and formed A.B. Quintanilla y Elektro Kumbia.
8. He is a married man
A.B. Quintanilla married his longtime girlfriend Rikkie Leigh Robertson on November 12, 2011. Last July the couple announced they were splitting up.
9. He has fathered several children
Accoridng to online sources, Abraham Quintanilla has fathered at least seven children. He fathered six sons including Svani born in 1991 and Gianni Quintanilla, born in 2000. He also has a daughter.
10. His success in Selena y los Dinos was taken to the big screen.
In the movie describing Selena’s life, A.B. was played by Mexican-born American actor Jacob Vargas (Rafael Tamayo played the part of A.B. when he was a child).
