Selena Forever

Selena Forever

Selena Quintanilla was born on April 16, 1971in Lake Jackson, Texas to a Mexican-American father, Abraham Quintanilla and a half-Cherokee mother, Marcella Ofelia Samora. She was the youngest of three children. She had a brother, A.B and a sister, Suzette. Earlier, during the late 1950s and early 1960s, Abraham and a few friends had formed a band "Los Dinos" and performed a mix of rock 'n' roll and Mexican songs at nightclubs and restaurants in Corpus Christi. However, due to little opportunities, Abraham had to give up the band when he married and took the job at Dow Chemical to support his family. Even though he gave up the band, Abraham's passion for music surely did not die. He taught his children how to play an instrument at an early age. A.B. III was taught bass and Suzette, the drums. Abraham spent many hours working with A.B. III and Suzette.

[Abraham Lincoln, Congressman-elect from Illinois....

Le sacrifice d'Isaac par Abraham (mosaïques de la...

Left to right: George Koneak, Fort Chimo, Que.; Sh...

Feeling excluded, Selena asked her dad why she couldn't learn an instrument. When told that she was too young, Selena decided to sing. Abraham was convinced that Selena was destined to be a star, especially since she shared his passion for music and her voice had a special quality to it. Soon, with Marcella's blessing, Abraham converted the family garage into a soundproof studio. Once everyone was proficient at their musical tasks - A.B. III on bass, Suzette on the drums and 9 year-old Selena at singing, Abraham formed a family band called "Selena Y Los Dinos"

In the summer of 1980, Abraham Quintanilla quit his job at Dow Chemical and opened Papa Gayo's, a family-run restaurant that featured quality meals and live entertainment. In an attempt to succeed, Abraham poured all of his life-savings into it and everyone pitched in to help. Papa Gayo's also gave Selena...