Quincy Jones, Giant of US Music, Has Died Aged 91
By Juliet Vincent
Quincy Jones, musician and producer who worked with Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra and many others, has died at the age of 91.
Jones’ publicist, Arnold Robinson, said he “passed away peacefully” on Sunday night at his home in Bel Air.
“Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing. And although this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great life that he lived and know there will never be another like him,” the family said in a statement.
Jones was best known as the producer of Michael Jackson’s Thriller album.
Over his career that spanned more than 75 years, he won 28 Grammy awards and was named as one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century by Time magazine.
He worked closely with Frank Sinatra early in his career and reworked the crooner’s classic Fly Me To The Moon, taking it from a waltz to a swing.
In the film The Wiz, Jones found himself working alongside a 19-year-old Michael Jackson. He went on to produce Jackson’s album Off the Wall which sold 20 million copies.
He also produced the pop star’s follow-ups, Thriller and Bad.
In 1985, Jones gathered 46 of America’s most popular singers of the time, including Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner and Cyndi Lauper to record We Are the World.
Jones co-wrote the song to raise money for those suffering from a devastating famine in Ethiopia.
The record was the US equivalent to Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas.
The hit reached number one in the UK and the US and was performed at Live Aid.
Jones also composed the soundtrack to more than 50 films and TV programmes including the 1969 British film, The Italian Job.
On the big screen he produced the film The Color Purple which introduced the public to two then unknown performers – Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg.
On the small screen he was one of the producers behind the hit TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
But it was music where Jones excelled – as well as winning multiple Grammys, including a legend award in 1992, he was also recognised by the Emmys, Tony’s and Oscars.
Jones was married three times and had seven children who include music producer Quincy Jones III and actress Rashida Jones, known for the US version of The Office.
Jones’ family said the music producer was “truly one of a kind” and “through his music and his boundless love, Quincy Jones’ heart will beat for eternity”.
Leading tributes, playwright Jeremy O’Harris said on X that Jones’ “contributions to American culture were limitless”, noting he was the first black person nominated for an Oscar for best score among his other achievements.
Singer Darius Rucker said we had “lost of the all time greats”, while British DJ Tony Blackburn wrote on X that Jones was a “musical genius”. (BBC)
