Quiñones was born and raised in  Chicago ,  Illinois , United States; his father was Puerto Rican, and his mother was African American. His mother raised him as a single parent from the age of three. [4]  He had a younger sister, Fawn Quiñones, who was also a dancer, and frequently featured on the musical variety television program  Soul Train . [5]  He died at age 65 in December 2020, at his home.