Acclaimed Producer & Musician Quincy Jones Has Died

Legendary record producer and musician Quincy Jones, a 28-time Grammy winner who worked closely with Michael Jackson and many others, died at age 91. According to the AP, Jones’ publicist Arnold Robinson confirmed Jones’ death on Sunday night while surrounded by family at his Los Angeles home.

A statement from Jones’ family read:

“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.”

Jones’ legacy spans multiple genres and decades, having worked with everyone from jazz legends like Duke Ellington and Dizzy Gillespie to rap artists like Snoop Dogg and LL Cool J. His accomplishments in film and television were equally influential.

Quincy Delight Jones Jr. was born on March 14, 1993, in Chicago, where he spent his early years. Jones began playing piano at age 11. He later moved to Washington state where he met and became friends with Ray Charles.

Jones’ musical career flourished after earning a scholarship to Boston’s Berklee College of Music, though he dropped out to tour with jazz Lionel Hampton’s band. His emerging skills as a musician, arranger and producer led him to work with renowned musicians including Billie Holiday (whom he backed as a teenager), Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald.

Jones broke numerous racial barriers in the entertainment industry. He became one of the first Black executives at a major American record label as vice president at Mercury Records in the early 1960s, and in 1971, he became the first Black musical director for the Academy Awards ceremony.

His most commercially successful collaboration was with Michael Jackson, producing three landmark albums, 1979’s Off the Wall, 1982’s Thriller and 1987’s Bad. Jackson’s album Thriller was particularly successful, selling over 20 million copies in 1983 alone and becoming one of the top-selling albums of all time.

One of his most notable achievements was organizing and producing 1985’s “We Are the World,” the charity single for African famine relief that featured an unprecedented gathering of music stars including Michael Jackson, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder and dozens of others.

Jones released several notable solo albums throughout his career, with 1981’s The Dude standing as one of his most acclaimed works. The album earned him three Grammy Awards and featured vocals from artists like James Ingram and Patti Austin. His other significant solo releases include 1974’s Body Heat and 1989’s Back on the Block, with the latter winning Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards.

In business, Jones founded Quincy Jones Entertainment in partnership with Time Warner, which included Vibe magazine and Qwest Broadcasting. The company was sold for $270 million in 1999.

Jones’ contributions to film and television were equally significant. He composed scores for films including In Cold Blood, In the Heat of the Night and The Pawnbroker. He also produced the 1985 feature film, The Color Purple, which received 11 Oscar nominations. Jones helped launch hip-hop star Will Smith’s acting career through the television program The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Jones earned an impressive 28 Grammy Awards, two honorary Academy Awards, and an Emmy Award for his work on Roots. He received a Kennedy Center tribute and numerous international honors, including France’s Legion d’Honneur.

Throughout his life, Jones was committed to philanthropy, particularly after attending Martin Luther King Jr.’s funeral in 1968. He established the Quincy Jones Listen Up! Foundation to connect young people with music, culture, and technology. Jones had seven children, his daughter Rashida Jones became a successful actress and filmmaker.