Quincy Jones, musician and producer who labored with Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra and plenty of others, has died on the age of 91.
Jones’ publicist, Arnold Robinson, mentioned he “handed away peacefully” on Sunday night time at his residence in Bel Air.
“Tonight, with full however damaged hearts, we should share the information of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing. And though that is an unimaginable loss for our household, we rejoice the nice life that he lived and know there’ll by no means be one other like him,” the household mentioned in an announcement.
Jones was finest often called the producer of Michael Jackson’s Thriller album.
Over his profession that spanned greater than 75 years, he gained 28 Grammy awards and was named as one of the crucial influential jazz musicians of the twentieth century by Time journal.
He labored intently with Frank Sinatra early in his profession and reworked the crooner’s traditional Fly Me To The Moon, taking it from a waltz to a swing.
Within the movie The Wiz, Jones discovered himself working alongside a 19-year-old Michael Jackson. He went on to provide Jackson’s album Off the Wall which offered 20 million copies.
He additionally produced the pop star’s follow-ups, Thriller and Unhealthy.
In 1985, Jones gathered 46 of America’s hottest singers of the time, together with Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner and Cyndi Lauper to report We Are the World.
Jones co-wrote the track to lift cash for these affected by a devastating famine in Ethiopia.
The report was the US equal to Band Assist’s Do They Know It is Christmas.
The hit reached primary within the UK and the US and was carried out at Reside Assist.
Getty PhotosJones additionally composed the soundtrack to greater than 50 movies and TV programmes together with the 1969 British movie, The Italian Job.
On the large display screen he produced the movie The Colour Purple which launched the general public to 2 then unknown performers – Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg.
On the small display screen he was one of many producers behind the hit TV present The Recent Prince of Bel Air.
However it was music the place Jones excelled – in addition to successful a number of Grammys, together with a legend award in 1992, he was additionally recognised by the Emmys, Tonys and Oscars.
Jones was married 3 times and had seven youngsters, together with music producer Quincy Jones III and actress Rashida Jones, identified for the US model of The Workplace.
Getty PhotosJones’ household mentioned the music producer was “actually considered one of a form” and “by way of his music and his boundless love, Quincy Jones’ coronary heart will beat for eternity”.
One of many first to pay tribute was playwright Jeremy O’Harris, who wrote on X that Jones’ “contributions to American tradition had been limitless”, noting he was the primary black particular person nominated for an Oscar for finest rating amongst his different achievements.
American rapper LL Cool J, who briefly dated Jones’ daughter Kidada Jones, said on Instagram that Jones was “a father and instance at a time once I actually wanted a father”.
“Mentor. Position mannequin. King. You gave me alternatives and shared knowledge. Music wouldn’t be music with out you.”
Singer Darius Rucker said we had “misplaced one of many all time greats”, whereas British DJ Tony Blackburn wrote on X that Jones was a “musical genius”.
