Imagine a young man's flight from poverty, from denial to embrace of his heritage, from a dream attained t0 a dream shattered, a rise and fall and rise again, to achievements unprecedented in his field That, in bare outline, is the life of A. B. Quintanilla or, more accurately, the first stage in the life of this extraordinary musician, producer, songwriter, loyal family member, and survivor. True, he had a head start in a Way; when his sister Selena shone as the brightest young star in Latin music, A. B. was at her side, producing her records, writing her hits, playing bass onstage with her in their family's band. But in the dark years that followed her passing in 1995, A. B. had to tight back toward the light 0n his own. It was, as he says now, an experience "I would not Wish 0n my worst enemy," yet it was also undeniably a trial from which one either emerges strong or doesn't emerge at all. Today, Quintanilla can look back on a history of rare accomplishment even as he builds on a foundation for conquests to come. He's won Grammys and BMI songwriting awards, founded and led one of the most popular bands in the modern Latin market, built a studio complex that lets him produce hits without straying far from his roots in Texas. Like his sister, A. B. has built a unique sound in his music by drawing from diverse sources of inspiration. And he's gearing up to explore areas untouched by other musical entrepreneurs. As the Latin music boom builds, A. B. Quintanilla's contributions will only grow greater. Yet no matter how many careers he launches, or how much he helps to enrich America's changing soundscape, he will never turn his back on the past, on the lessons learned through hardship as well as love.