The City of Grand Prairie Parks, Arts & Recreation Department is hosting the first ever Epic Fest: Featuring Flight of the Monarch, in Grand Prairie, Texas. This free event is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, September 21-22 at EpicCentral (formerly GrandCentral), the Grand Lawn Amphitheater, and surrounding Epic facilities to welcome everyone to the new park, highlight the Flight of the Monarch and educate the community on all diverse cultures and backgrounds that make up Grand Prairie. Along with our selected performers, the festival will celebrate the culture, nature and arts of Grand Prairie with a headlining performance from the Kumbia Kings, on Friday night and Sister Hazel on Saturday Night. Be sure to enjoy a variety of Flight of the Monarch activities, live entertainment, educational components, multi-cultural performances, vendors, lawn games, food, and beer gardens.

Imagine a young man’s flight from poverty, from denial to embrace of his heritage, from a dream attained to 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 fight back toward the light on his own. It was, as he says now, an experience “I would not wish on 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.

AWARDS/NOMINATIONS (Kumbia Kings and/or AB Quintanilla, III):

Grammy
2003 Best Pop Album By A Duo Or Group With Vocal
2003 Best Regional Mexican Song ‘Ay! Papacito’, A.B. Quintanilla III & Alicia Villarreal, songwriters (Limite)
2001 Latin Grammy Nominee “Best Tejano Album”
2000 Latin Grammy Nominee “Best Tejano Performance”
2000 Best Tejano Performance A.B. Quintanilla III & Kumbia Kings
1993 Best Mexican American Performance Selena Live – Producer: ABQIII (Selena y Los Dinos)

American Music Awards
2003 Favorite Artist – Latin Music

Latin Billboard Awards
2002 Album Pop del Año, Group Shhh! – AB Quintanilla III y Los Kumbia Kings
2000 Album of the Year, New Artist Amor, Familia y Respeto – AB Quintanilla III y Los Kumbia Kings
2000 Album of the Year, Group Amor, Familia y Respeto – AB Quintanilla III y Los Kumbia Kings
(Nomination)
BMI Awards Highlights (Total of 13 song awards)
2001 Most Performed Latin Song Fuiste Mala – Kumbia Kings
1998 Most Performed Latin Song Esperándote – Songwriter: ABQ III (Cristian)
1996 Latin Songwriter of The Year A.B. Quintanilla III
1994 Latin Songwriter of The Year A.B. Quintanilla III
1994 Most Performed Latin Song Amor Prohibido – Songwriter: ABQIII (Selena y Los Dinos)
1993 Latin Songwriter of The Year A.B. Quintanilla III

TTMA (Tejano Music) Awards
2003 Showband of The Year AB Quintanilla III y Los Kumbia Kings
2003 Male Entertainer of The Year AB Quintanilla III
2003 Bass Player of The Year AB Quintanilla III
2002 Record Producer of The Year AB Quintanilla III
2002 Bass Player of The Year AB Quintanilla III
2002 Showband of The Year AB Quintanilla III y Los Kumbia Kings
2002 Tejano Crossover Shhh! – AB Quintanilla III y Los Kumbia Kings
2001 Songwriter of The Year AB Quintanilla III
2001 Showband of The Year AB Quintanilla III y Los Kumbia Kings
2001 Record Producer of The Year AB Quintanilla III
2001 Bass Player of The Year AB Quintanilla III
2001 “Selena” Lifetime Achievement AB Quintanilla III
2000 Record Producer of The Year AB Quintanilla III
2000 Bass Player of The Year AB Quintanilla III
2000 Showband of The Year AB Quintanilla III y Los Kumbia Kings
2000 Tejano Crossover Azucar – AB Quintanilla III y Los Kumbia Kings
2000 Album of The Year Amor, Familia y Respeto – AB Quintanilla III y Los KK
2000 Most Promising Band AB Quintanilla III y Los Kumbia Kings
1999 Bass Player of The Year AB Quintanilla III
1999 Song of The Year Te Quiero Te Amo – Songwriter: ABQIII (David Lee Garza)
1997 Record Producer of The Year AB Quintanilla III
1997 Tejano Crossover of The Year No Quiero Saber – Songwriter: ABQIII
1997 Album of The Year Como Te Extraño – Producer: ABQIII (Pete Astudillo)
1996 Album of The Year Dreaming of You – Producer: ABQIII (Selena y Los Dinos)
1995 Song of The Year Bidi Bidi Bom Bom – Songwriter: ABQIII (Selena y Los Dinos)
1995 Single of The Year Amor Prohibido – Songwriter: ABQIII (Selena y Los Dinos)
1995 Album of The Year Amor Prohibido – Producer: ABQIII (Selena y Los Dinos)
1994 Album of The Year Selena Live – Producer: ABQIII (Selena y Los Dinos)
1993 Album of The Year Entra A Mi Mundo – Producer: ABQIII (Selena y Los Dinos)

Premio Lo Nuestro
1993 R-M Cancion del Año /Compositor Como La Flor – Songwriter: ABQIII
1993 R-M Cancion del Año/Productor Como La Flor – Producer: ABQIII
1995 Cancion del Año Amor Prohibido – Songwriter: ABQIII (Selelna y Los Dinos)
1996 R-M Cancion del Año Como Te Extraño – Songwriter: ABQIII (Pete Astudillo)
1996 Premio A La Musica Latina AB Quintanilla III
2000 Revelacion R-M del Año AB Quintanilla III y Los Kumbia Kings
2002 Nominee “Regional Mexican, Group or Duo”

Furia Musical
1999 Disco Del Año Tex Mex AB Quintanilla III y Los Kumbia Kings
2000 Sensación Tex-Mex del Año AB Quintanilla III y Los Kumbia Kings
2001 Sensación Tex-Mex del Año AB Quintanilla III y Los Kumbia Kings
2002 Sensación Tex-Mex del Año AB Quintanilla III y Los Kumbia Kings

TEMA
1999 Song of The Year Te Quiero Te Amo – Songwriter: ABQIII (David Lee Garza)

Alma Awards
2002 Nominee “Album Of The Year” Shhh

Ritmo Latino Music Awards
2001 Tejano Artist or Group AB Quintanilla III y Los Kumbia Kings
1999 Tejano Artist or Group AB Quintanilla III y Los Kumbia Kings

The City of Grand Prairie Parks, Arts & Recreation Department is hosting the first ever Epic Fest: Featuring Flight of the Monarch, in Grand Prairie, Texas. This free event is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, September 21-22 at EpicCentral (formerly GrandCentral), the Grand Lawn Amphitheater, and surrounding Epic facilities to welcome everyone to the new park, highlight the Flight of the Monarch and educate the community on all diverse cultures and backgrounds that make up Grand Prairie. Along with our selected performers, the festival will celebrate the culture, nature and arts of Grand Prairie with a headlining performance from the Kumbia Kings, on Friday night and Sister Hazel on Saturday Night. Be sure to enjoy a variety of Flight of the Monarch activities, live entertainment, educational components, multi-cultural performances, vendors, lawn games, food, and beer gardens.

Originating from Gainesville, FL, Sister Hazel is comprised of five gifted, seasoned musicians whose well-spring of natural talent has been called “one of the Top 100 Most Influential Independent Performers of the last 15 years” by Performing Songwriter Magazine. Song “All for You” topped the adult alternative charts during the summer of 1997 and the success propelled their album to platinum status. Sister Hazel has been equally attentive to connecting with their audience through social media. In their first showing on the country music charts they made a strong debut with “Lighter In The Dark” at #4 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart, #6 on Billboard’s Independent Albums chart, #30 on Billboard’s Top Current Albums chart and #79 on the Billboard 200 album chart. Living up to their fan-centered reputation, the band hosts annual events like “Hazelnut Hang,” that focuses on fan involvement and are co-founders of the Rockboat, a cruise featuring nonstop opportunities for fan/artist interaction. In addition to the events and touring, the band also gives back with Lyrics For Life. Founded by singer Ken Block, the charity unites musicians and celebrities for concerts and auctions to benefit cancer research and patient-care charities.