MIAMI, United States. – The renowned musician, composer and producer Quincy Jones died this Sunday, November 3 at the age of 91 at his residence in Bel Air, Los Angeles, surrounded by his family, according to his publicist, Arnold Robinson.
“Tonight, with a full but broken heart, we must share the news of the passing of our father and brother Quincy Jones,” his family said in a statement. “While this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great life he lived and know there will never be another like him.”
Winner of 28 Grammy Awards from a total of 80 nominations and a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Jones left an unparalleled legacy in the music and entertainment industry. “He is truly one of a kind and will be greatly missed; It comforts us and makes us immensely proud to know that the love and joy, which were the essence of his being, were shared with the world through everything he created. “Through his music and his boundless love, Quincy Jones’ heart will beat for eternity,” his family added.
Clive Davis, also a music legend, described Jones as “the quintessential musical renaissance man” in an interview with Billboard in 2013. “Quincy is always young, always vital, with an imagination as big as the biggest heart in the world,” Davis said.
For her part, the Cuban-American singer Gloria Estefan He assured on his Instagram account that the world was “different” now that Quincy Jones left us. “Throughout his life at every stage and on every stage he beautified our existence with the music he created (…). “I feel privileged to have been in his sphere and see firsthand the wonder that ‘Q’ Mr. Quincy Jones was and always will be,” the singer-songwriter added.
With a career that spanned more than seven decades, Quincy Jones collaborated with countless luminaries such as Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra and Michael Jackson. He was the producer of Jackson’s emblematic albums: off the wall, Thriller and Bad. In addition, he obtained the rights to the novel The color purple and participated in the production of its film adaptation in 1985, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring a young Oprah Winfrey.
In 1985, he led the historic recording sessions for the charity single “We Are the World,” which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and brought together the biggest stars in music at the time.
Jones made history by becoming the first African-American to hold the position of vice president at a major record label in 1961, assuming the direction of A&R at Mercury Records. There he produced several hits for artists such as Lesley Gore, including his debut It’s My Party.
He also broke barriers in the world of film by being the first black composer to receive recognition for his film work. His first soundtrack was for The lender by Sidney Lumet in 1964. Later, he composed the music for films such as In the heat of the night and In cold blood in 1967.
On television, he created memorable themes for series such as The Bill Cosby Show, Ironside and Sanford and Son. He was executive producer of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Aira series that launched actor and rapper Will Smith to stardom, and in the housestarring LL Cool J.
Despite facing serious health problems, including two brain aneurysms in 1974, Jones continued to be active in his career. In his 2008 book The Complete Quincy Jones: My Journey & Passionswrote: “It didn’t look like I was going to make it, so my friends planned a memorial service… They had the concert anyway.”
Reflecting on his career on his 80th birthday, he told Billboard: “I feel lucky to have been born in a time when I was able to work with all the people who shaped the history of American culture. “It’s God’s plan and you just have to open your heart and accept every part of it.”
Born on March 14, 1933 in Chicago, Quincy Delight Jones Jr. faced a difficult childhood. His mother, Sarah Frances Jones, was committed to a mental institution when he was young, and his father, Quincy Delight Jones Sr., remarried, raising a large family. At age 10, he moved with his family to Seattle, where he discovered his passion for music, learning to play the trumpet and studying composition.
At age 14, he met Ray Charles, who would become his lifelong friend and collaborator. Jones briefly attended Berklee College of Music before joining Lionel Hampton’s band. As an arranger, he worked with jazz greats such as Count Basie, Sarah Vaughan and Duke Ellington.
