Fourteen-year-old Selena poses with her father, Abraham Quintanalla Jr., in the Corpus Christi backyard of Rosalia Hernandez, the photographer's mother. The occasion was Selena's first photo shoot for publicity stills. Abraham Quintanilla died Saturday at age 86. Selena's father, Abraham Quintanilla Jr., center, is pictured with Edward James Olmos, left, and Gregory Nava as the iconic Tejano singer received a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in November 2017. SAN ANTONIO, TX - SEPTEMBER 01: Abraham Quintanilla speaks onstage during the "Selena's Legacy, Fotos y Recuerdos: A Conversation with the Quintanilla Family" during People En Espanol's Festival 2012 held at Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center on September 1, 2012 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Danny Bollinger/WireImage) Abraham Quintanilla Jr., the uncompromising patriarch whose fierce conviction and unfiltered opinions helped power the career of Tejano superstar Selena, has died at 86. His son AB Quintanilla III made the announcement Saturday morning on Instagram. "It's with a heavy heart to let you guys know that my Dad passed away today." he wrote on Instagram. The announcement came on A.B. Quintanilla III's 62nd birthday. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The man immortalized on the big screen by Edward James Olmos in the 1997 film "Selena" was far more than a supporting character in his daughter's story. He was known for being protective of Selena's legacy and played a pivotal role in approving and shaping posthumous releases, tributes and portrayals. Quintanilla was born in Corpus Christi on Feb. 22, 1939. He was just a teenager when he joined the band Los Dinos. They achieved modest regional success but were hampered by the era's sparse opportunities for Mexican-American artists. In the newly released Selena documentary on Netflix, Quintanilla recalled the racism Los Dinos encountered when they arrived for a show and were met by a white venue owner who wasn't expecting brown musicians. Marcela Quintanilla and Abraham Quintanilla Jr. during the Media Welcome for the MAC Cosmetics Selena World Premier on September 29, 2016 in Corpus Christi. "A whole bunch of Mexicans walk in, so he was surprised. He told us, 'Can you wait outside? And then he gave me a check for $5. It was a rejection because we were Mexicans," Quintanilla said. Those challenges inspired Quintanilla to pivot to Tejano music and an audience he knew would be receptive to Mexican-American performers. They also later shaped his stern approach to managing Selena y Los Dinos, the group he assembled after retiring from performing himself and retooling the original Los Dinos into a family band centered around Selena and her siblings. His strong hand guided Selena to international success before her death in 1995. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In the years after Selena's death, Quintanilla remained active in Tejano music, working with artists such as Jennifer Peña, Imagen Latina and Isabel Marie through his own Q Productions company. Carlos Villegas, who sang lead for Imagen Latina, recalls touring with Selena and learning firsthand from Quintanilla about discipline, professionalism and surviving a music industry that often shut doors on Tejano artists. "It was a formative time in my life and career. Those lessons stayed with me and helped shape the path I continue to follow today," Villegas says. Quintanilla often spoke bluntly about what drove him forward. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "Music is like a drug addiction," he said in the Netflix documentary. "Once it gets into your system, it'll be like that for the rest of your life."