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This page is for the real person. For the dramatization/character in the 2020 Netflix series, see A.B. Quintanilla III/Netflix series.



Abraham Isaac "A.B." Quintanilla III (born December 13, 1963) is a Mexican-American singer, and he is the brother, song-writer, and producer for Selena.

Biography[]

Personal Life[]

A.B. Quintanilla III is the oldest of the three children of Abraham Quintanilla Jr., including the late Selena Quintanilla and Suzette Quintanilla. A.B. has eight children, including sons Svani (b. 1991) and Gianni Quintanilla (b. 2000)[1] as well as four sons and two other daughters born between 1989 and 2007.

He married his longtime girlfriend Rikkie Leigh Robertson on November 12, 2011. On July 5, 2016, he announced after a concert that he was getting divorced from his wife. They have no children together.

A.B. Quintanilla married Anjelah O., an Argentinian woman, on September 16, 2019, in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

Career[]

A.B. learned to play the guitar and bass while living in Texas. With Selena, his sister Suzette, and their father, Abraham, he became a member of the successful band Selena y Los Dinos. A.B. also became Selena's producer.

He co-wrote Selena's hit songs like "Como la Flor" ("Like the Flower") and "Amor Prohibido" ("Forbidden Love").

After Selena was murdered, A.B. was devastated. He helped produce "Como Te Extraño" ("How I Miss You") by Pedro "Pete" Astudillo, which was written for Selena as well as Astudillo's late grandmother. The song earned Astudillo a Premios Lo Nuestro award for Best Song of the Year in 1996.

A.B. Quintanilla later resurfaced in 1999 by creating the Kumbia Kings, which mixed cumbia and pop music. The Kumbia Kings went on an international tour, had several CD releases and participated on such shows as Cristina Saralegui's El Show de Cristina. Quintanilla also produced for such entertainers as Thalía, Alicia Villarreal, Verónica Castro and Cristian Castro.

He produced and arranged the 2004 album, A.B. Quintanilla III Presents Joe Lopez, which includes "Cuando Estoy Contigo" ("When I Am with You") and "Soy Tan Feliz" ("I'm So Happy"), co-written by Quintanilla and Luigi Giraldo.

A.B. Quintanilla left Kumbia Kings in mid-2006 due to a controversy with member Cruz Martínez. A.B., along with new members and ex-Kumbia Kings Chris Pérez (A.B.'s brother-in-law, Selena's widower) and Pee Wee; started the group Kumbia All Starz in 2006. This new group had hits such as "Chiquilla", "Parece Que Va a Llover", and "Speedy Gonzales". The Kumbia All Starz have become immensely popular in South America, especially in Bolivia, where they performed a series of concerts in 2014.

In 2016, A.B. Quintanilla signed with DEL Records and formed Elektro Kumbia.

In 2017, he released a single called "Piña Colada Shot".

Portrayals in Media[]

1997 film[]

In the 1997 film Selena, A.B. Quintanilla III is portrayed by Jacob Vargas as an adult, and by Rafael Tamayo as a young boy.

2020 Netflix series[]

Main article: A.B. Quintanilla III/Netflix series

In the 2020 Netflix series Selena: The Series, A.B. Quintanilla III is portrayed by Gabriel Chavarria as an adult, and by Juan Martinez as a young boy.

References[]

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