Abraham Quintanilla - A Fathers Dream: My Familys Journey in Music

A Fathers Dream

My Familys Journey in Music

By

Abraham Quintanilla

Forewords

By

Jennifer Lopez

Edward James Olmos

A Fathers Dream

My Familys Journey in Music

By

Abraham Quintanilla

Forewords

By

Jennifer Lopez

Edward James Olmos

A Fathers Dream: My Familys Journey in Music

Copyright 2021, Abraham Quintanilla

ISBN 978-1-7350415-4-4

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photo-copy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior written consent of the author.

Published by

3 Griffin Hill Court

The Woodlands, TX. 77382

281-465-0119

www.cafeconlechebooks.com

Dedication

To my family

My wife, Marcella, for fifty-seven wonderful years

and

My Children

A.B. III, Suzette, and Selena

Forewords

W hile the music business undeniably brings great joy to the world through the art of song and performance, for any aspiring musician or singer its a challenging and self-sacrificing road. The odds for fame, much less success, are so stacked against them, that artists must not only believe in themselves, but have others behind them, pushing them, willing them, sharing their vision. For Selena Quintanilla and Los Dinos, that person was Abraham Quintanilla.

In this much-anticipated memoir, A Fathers Dream: My Familys Journey in Music , my friend Abraham Quintanilla, takes readers on a rollercoaster ride with the original Los Dinos. He shares stories of the early 1960s, travelling with his band members in packed station wagons bringing live musical performances to isolated Hispanic communities throughout the Southwest and West.

As a young man, Abraham realized that his love and joy of music and performance were in harmony with his heart and mind and made a personal commitment to pursue that love. From his hometown in South Texas, Abraham envisioned something that had only been achieved by a few artists, a crossover dream of national success. And though the societal norm of the era served as an impenetrable wall preventing most musicians from gaining true crossover success, Abraham persevered.

The Quintanilla familys early struggles in the music business were many, but Abraham possessed a clear, laser-sharp vision of what Selena y Los Dinos could become. He believed in the band, and he believed in this vision. And though the band struggled, it was the vision that kept them going. And though they were phenomenal performers, and talented songwriters, it was Mr. Quintanillas business acumen and creative vision that led them all to the precipice of success. He believed in them when they stopped believing in themselves and convinced them that their artistry would carry them to new frontiers.

Abraham held high this banner for Selena, A.B., and Suzette.

A Fathers Dream shows us how Abraham and his wife Marcella created a loving, tight-knit family and a successful business venture while managing to encourage their children to explore their own talents and ambitions. Selenas fashion sense, Suzettes business savvy, A.B.s songwriting abilitiesall blossomed in their family. Having the privilege of spending quality time with the Quintanillas, I can see Suzette has her fathers straightforwardness. A.B. has his musical ear and producer chops. They both have their dads love of a good joke and their mothers kind, gentle heart. From her mother, Selena was given the ability to love deeply and forever. And from her father, she received the joy of performing and the knowledge that entertaining is a privilege that must be respected. The most precious gift Abraham gave to Selena were the roots to know from where she came and the wings to fly to the next dream.

Abraham Quintanilla has experienced unspeakable joy, and unbearable sorrow, and with this book, is ready to share his remarkable journey with the world. A Fathers Dream provides the recognition that every road has hills and valleys, and Abrahams story will encourage you to move forward, embracing life and finding strength in God.

I remember toward the end of the filming for the movie, Selena, Mr. Quintanilla and I had a few minutes to ourselves. I wanted to offer my gratitude for his familys love and acceptance, to thank him for inviting me to be a part of his familys journey. I began with, Mr. Quintanilla, Id like to... He looked over his glasses directly into my eyes, and said, My dear, call me Abraham. And, at that moment, I knew we would always be friends.

With this book, A Fathers Dream: My Familys Life in Music, I hope that you too, will have that moment when you see my friend Abraham as a son, husband, father, businessman, and musician. A visionary. I hope youll see him as I do, a man who lived and continues to live his epic life, being true to himself and God.

Jennifer Lopez

Introduction

I imagine that many people may wonder why Ive decided to write this book at this point in my life. Being at this point in my life is precisely the reason why I did write it. I had in mind to write a book about my own and my familys experience in the music world for a long time but kept putting it off. I thought I would be criticized and accused of capitalizing on my familys history. In my heart I knew that wasnt true; people, in general, seem to have an interest in our lives, but the thought did hold me back. Then, I heard it said, History is created by those who write it.

Ive read a lot of stories about myself and my family that were just not true. The history that was being written wasnt our true story. Only we could tell that story. And, at eighty-two years of age, with a lifetime of experience of being in the public eye, Ive come to realize that we all must be brave and own our own lives. I wrote this book for the public to hear our story as we lived it. I wrote it for all to learn of our struggles, our successes, and our beliefs. Once I decided that now was the time to sit down and tell our story, there was no turning back.

I also feel my story and our familys stories are important to our people, the Latino people, the Mexican-American people. For centuries, weve all struggled to be accepted and to pursue the American Dream. I share our story for the public to know from the inside of how we accomplished what we did. I also felt it was important for us to share how we survived the tragedy of losing our daughter and sister, Selena.

Im very proud of all my children and what theyve accomplished in the music world. Im proud to have been able to recognize their talent and develop it in a manner that would pave the way for them to become artists. My children had never touched a musical instrument in their lives, but they learned and grew into excellent musicians and performers with love and guidance. I want other parents to know the importance of guiding their children, spending time with them, encouraging them. I hope parents offer their children the best of all they havetheir knowledge, experience, history, and love. I also hope parents educate their children about God.

Our familys experience may encourage other people and other families to reach for their dream to create their own business. The Mexican-American community has always been very business-minded. My dad and uncles were all entrepreneurs in their own right. Wed often say that my younger brother, Isaac, could sell a hairbrush to a bald man. Today, we see immigrants from Mexico and Latin America coming to the U.S. being very business savvy, starting a business, and succeeding. They work hard. They take it seriously. Its part of our Latino culture and my familys Mexican heritage.