Quincy Jones, the renowned musician and producer known for his collaborations with icons such as Michael Jackson and Frank Sinatra, is dead. He aged 91.
Gatekeepers News reports that his publicist, Arnold Robinson, confirmed that he “passed away peacefully” on Sunday night at his residence in Bel Air.
Jones’ family released a statement expressing their sorrow: “Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing. 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.”
Best remembered for producing Michael Jackson’s landmark album, Thriller, Jones had a prolific career spanning over 75 years. He won 28 Grammy Awards and was recognized as one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century by Time magazine. His career included significant early collaborations with Frank Sinatra, notably reworking the classic “Fly Me To The Moon” from a waltz to a swing style.
In the 1978 film The Wiz, he began his partnership with a young Michael Jackson, later producing Jackson’s successful albums Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad, the latter of which contributed to Jackson’s rise to global superstardom. In 1985, Jones spearheaded the iconic charity single “We Are the World,” featuring 46 of the era’s top artists, including Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner, and Cyndi Lauper, to aid famine relief efforts in Ethiopia.
The song achieved number-one status in both the US and UK and was showcased at Live Aid. Jones also composed soundtracks for over 50 films and television programs, including the 1969 British film The Italian Job.
Actor Michael Caine, who starred in that film, honoured Jones on social media, describing him as “a titan in the musical world” and expressing his gratitude for having known him. In addition to his music contributions, Jones produced the acclaimed film The Color Purple, which helped introduce Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg to wider audiences.
He was also a producer for the popular television series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Throughout his illustrious career, Jones received numerous accolades, including multiple Grammy Awards, an Emmy, a Tony, and an Oscar.
He was married three times and had seven children, among them music producer Quincy Jones III and actress Rashida Jones, known for her role in the US version of ‘The Office’.
