Only a handful of individuals manage to survive and conquer difficult circumstances, emerging as resilient figures. Among these resilient few is Marcella Samora, who stands out as a beacon of strength.
She bore witness to the heart-wrenching loss of her daughter, who was on the brink of stardom in the Tejano music world.
Let’s explore in the piece who Marcella Samora’s famous daughter is and how she dealt with the tragedy in her life.
Who is Marcella Samora?
Marcella Samora, of Mexican and Cherokee descent, is the mother of the late international pop icon Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, better known as Selena.
Born to a Texan father and a Coloradan mother, Marcella spent part of her early life in Washington, where she crossed paths with her future husband, Abraham Quintanilla Jr., who was stationed there during his service in the U.S. military.
The couple tied the knot in June 1963. After the birth of their first child, Abraham “A.B.” Quintanilla III, the family relocated to Texas, where they welcomed two more children, daughters Suzette and Selena.
Abraham, a singer-songwriter, imparted music training to all his children and formed a group named Selena y Los Dinos around them. Among them, Selena emerged as the breakout star.
Following Selena’s tragic murder in 1995, Marcella fought alongside other family members for justice for her daughter.
The culprit, one of Selena’s fans and employees, named Yolanda Saldívar, was eventually sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years.
How did Marcella Samora Meet Abraham Quintanilla Jr.
While residing in Washington, Marcella Samora acquainted herself with Abraham Quintanilla Jr., who had been drafted into the military in October 1961 and was stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, near Tacoma.
The couple got married on June 8, 1963. On December 13, she gave birth to their first child, a son named Abraham Isaac Quintanilla III.
On the same day, Abraham received his discharge papers from active duty. Within a month, Marcella, her husband, and their newborn son relocated to Abraham’s hometown, Corpus Christi, Texas.
Before joining the military, Abraham was a member of a musical act called Los Dinos. After returning, he rejoined the group, and they performed American pop and rock and roll music at various clubs.
On June 29, 1967, Marcella and Abraham welcomed their eldest daughter, Suzette Michelle.
Abraham continued to perform with Los Dinos, quitting the group in 1969, and Los Dinos was eventually disbanded in 1974.
In the early 1970s, Marcella Samora and her family moved to Lake Jackson, Texas. At that time, Abraham had left the music business entirely and taken regular jobs to support his wife and children.
In 1970, Marcella was diagnosed with a tumor and was told that she needed immediate surgery to remove it. However, before undergoing the procedure, she and her husband decided to seek a second opinion. The second doctor revealed that she was pregnant.
Furthermore, they found out that they would be having a second son and chose the name “Marc Antony.” However, on April 16, 1971, Marcella and Abraham’s daughter was born at Freeport Community Hospital.
One of her roommates there suggested the name “Selena.”
As their children grew up, Abraham introduced them to music one by one, recognizing Selena’s potential very quickly.
He subsequently formed a new group based on his former band around his children, Selena y Los Dinos. The family moved back to Corpus Christi in the early-to-mid 1980s.
In 1988, Marcella was introduced to Chris Pérez, who joined Selena y Los Dinos as the lead guitarist and later became her son-in-law through her youngest daughter. Neither Marcella nor Abraham initially had any knowledge about the marriage, which took place on April 2, 1992.
After they found out, they eventually accepted Pérez into their family. By the end of 1994, Selena was at the peak of her career, with several chart-topping albums and a Grammy and numerous other awards.
Marcella’s other children, Abraham III and Suzette, also found recognition in the industry.
Marcella Samora Other Children
Suzette, Marcella’s second child, served as a drummer in bands, ventured into acting, and later married Bill Arianna. She now has three grandchildren and has been married to Abraham for over 50 years.
As the years passed, her life gradually moved away from the limelight, with Selena’s death becoming more of a distant memory. Nonetheless, Selena’s former husband, Chris Perez, remained at the forefront of preserving his late wife’s legacy.
Many music publications attribute Selena as one of the reasons why Latin music is so popular today.
Selena Quintanilla Legacy
Both Abraham and Marcella Quintanilla are alive as of 2022.
Since the tragic murder of their 23-year-old daughter in 1995, Abraham and Marcella have worked tirelessly to preserve their daughter’s legacy and contributed to setting up The Selena Foundation, which aids children in crisis.
In 1997, Abraham served as the executive producer on the film Selena , which featured Jennifer Lopez in her breakout role. The pair also endorsed Netflix’s T.V. series on their daughter.
In November 2017, Selena Quintanilla‘s family, including her parents, were present when the late singer was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
