Last Updated on March 3, 2024
Who is Suzette Quintanilla?
The series “Selena” has again put Tex-Mex fusion music under the spotlight. The remarkable story revolves around the lives of the Latin-American music family, the Quintanillas. The family of gifted musicians chose to start a band together with the role of main singer, bassist, and drummer filled by the three siblings.
The drummer, Suzette Quintanilla, played an iconic role in the story and arguably held the band together through all the challenges they faced. The series is based on a true-life story, and many of the scenarios portrayed have truth to them. The show was created in honor of Suzette’s sister, Selena, a singer with an angelic voice, heralded as the queen of Tejano music.
Selena Y Los Dinos (Selena and The Boys), the Quintanilla family band, had Selena, Suzette’s younger sister, as the lead singer, A.B III as the lead bassist, and Suzette as the drummer. They toured America a lot as a band, leaving the young siblings little time for a social life. Suzette initially hesitated to join the band as a drummer due to her self-consciousness, but her father convinced her to come out of her shell and fill the role.
The band released quite a few studio albums, such as “Alpha,” their first studio album, not to be met with legal action. The goal was to promote Tejano music, and ultimately, their roots through their sound. Suzette’s role in the band was providing percussion. Their achievements in Tejano are impressive, and they could have gone on to do even more.
The group unfortunately disbanded when Selena was shot and killed on March 31, 1995.
Quick Facts
Full Name: | Suzette Quintanilla |
Popular Name: | Suzette Arriaga |
Gender: | Female |
Birth Date: | June 29, 1967 |
Age: | 55 years |
Parents: | Abraham Quintanilla Jr. , Marcella Samora |
Siblings: | A.B Quintanilla III, Selena Quintanilla |
Birth Place: | Lake Jackson, Texas |
Nationality: | American |
Ethnicity: | Latin-American |
Education: | N/A |
Marital Status: | Married |
Sexual Orientation: | Straight |
Wife/Spouse: | Bill Arriaga |
Children: | John Arriaga |
Dating: | N/A |
Net Worth: | $3 Million |
Source of Wealth: | Music, Business |
Height: | 1.72m (5ft8) |
Weight: | 68kg (149.9 lbs) |
Early Life and Career Information
Very little is known about Suzette’s childhood, and publicly available information was depicted on the show.
Suzette was born and raised in Lake Jackson, Texas. She is the second of three siblings, including her older brother, A.B Quintanilla III, and her younger sister, Selena Quintanilla.
Suzette was a timid, self-conscious child. Born to a family of famous singers, she has always been surrounded by music. Her father, Abraham Quintanilla II, is an American singer-songwriter and producer. He had high hopes for his kids and always encouraged them to pursue music. His son, A.B, showed interest in the bass, and his daughter, Selena, showed incredible singing talent at a young age.
Abraham was the one that tried to get Suzette to learn the drums. The ideal family band was within reach; he just needed to help Suzette come out of her shell. Suzette eventually gave in, and the band, Selena Y Los Dinos, was formed. Tejano music is a fusion of Texan and Mexican musical influences. Over time, Suzette and the family band became the poster children for the genre and grew a dedicated fan base.
Suzette and the other band members had their problems, same as all other music groups. Abraham, the band’s manager, had a rule that no two band members were allowed to date. His warning wasn’t enough to stop the inevitable. Selena ended up becoming involved with guitarist Chris Perez. Suzette was aware of this but decided it was none of her business. Selena and Chris managed to keep their relationship a secret for some time, but her father eventually found out.
Abraham kicked Chris from the band for some time, leaving Selena miserable. He eventually accepted Chris into the family. There were many other bumps along the road, but the band did make significant strides in spreading their sound across America.
Suzette grew into her role as the drummer, but all of that changed when Selena was killed in 1995. After that, the band broke up to honor the late singer, and Suzette felt the need to preserve her sister’s legacy through her work. She became the CEO and president of operations for Q productions, managing her family’s Tejano record company. The family built a museum in memory of Selena, which Suzette is in charge of managing. She is also the executive producer of the Netflix series “Selena.”
Suzette has kept herself at the forefront of her sister’s legacy and is dedicated to finishing the work Selena started in her lifetime.
Suzette Quintanilla’s Net Worth
Selena Y Los Dinos, as a group, dropped four successful studio albums back in the day. Suzette’s involvement in the band more than likely kickstarted her career. Since her sister’s death, she has taken on more of a managerial role in the family recording company and the makeup/perfume line dedicated to her sister.
Suzette is also the executive producer of the Selena Netflix series alongside her father, a title that has raked in several hours of total watch time. Her endeavors culminate in an impressive net worth of $3 Million.
Lessons from the Life of Suzette Quintanilla
Family Is Very Important
The Quintanilla family has managed to stick together through so much. Suzette grew up surrounded by a support system that saw her through many struggles. Her father managed to bring her out of herself, tackling her insecurities at a young age. Selena and A.B always had her back, regardless of the situation.
The siblings may not have always seen eye to eye, but they knew how important family is when it came down to it. Blood is always thicker than water.
Dedication Will Take You far
Suzette clearly loved her sister very much. So much so that she has dedicated every single day since Selena’s passing to spreading her message across the world. Since then, she has achieved a lot, from opening a dedicated museum to her sister and even starting a scent and makeup brand in her honor.
The widely popular Netflix Series also shines a light on their lives and everything that led to the unfortunate incident in 1995.