Abraham Quintanilla, father and manager of the late Tejano pop icon Selena Quintanilla, died Saturday. He was 86.

“It’s with a heavy heart to let you guys know that my Dad passed away today,” Mr. Quintanilla’s son, A.B. Quintanilla III, wrote on his Instagram account on Saturday. The cause of death has not been disclosed to the public.

As patriarch of the famous Mexican American music family, Mr. Quintanilla played a critical role in the development of his daughter Selena’s career. After her tragic death in 1995, he dedicated his life to safeguarding her legacy and overseeing primary control over her estate. This included managing the rights to her image, name and likeness — at times, to controversial ends.

Born in Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1939, Mr. Quintanilla began his music career a

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