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Quincy Jones, the iconic musician, composer, producer, and entertainment legend, has passed away at the age of 91. His publicist, Arnold Robinson, confirmed that he died at his residence in Bel Air last night (November 3) surrounded by his loved ones.
“Tonight, with heavy hearts, we announce the passing of our father and brother Quincy Jones,” the family said in a statement. “While his loss is profound for our family, we choose to celebrate the extraordinary life he led and recognize that there will never be another like him.”
Throughout a career spanning more than seven decades, Jones established himself as one of the most accomplished and versatile figures in contemporary music. Moving effortlessly between various genres including big-band jazz, bebop, gospel, blues, soul, funk, R&B, disco, rock, and rap, he produced music for legendary artists such as Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, Lesley Gore, and Donna Summer. Jones holds the distinction of being one of the most decorated musicians in Grammy Awards history, with 28 wins and 80 nominations to his name.
Born in 1933 in Chicago, Jones began playing the trumpet at the young age of 10 and started singing with a local gospel group. By 14, he was already performing in a band with a 16-year-old Ray Charles, who served as an early inspiration for his own musical journey. After a brief stint at Seattle University, he enrolled at the Boston-based Schillinger House (later known as the Berklee School of Music) and went on to tour as a trumpeter, arranger, and pianist with bandleader Lionel Hampton alongside jazz greats Art Farmer and Clifford Brown. He also played second trumpet in the studio band that backed Elvis Presley in his first six TV appearances and served as trumpeter and musical director for Dizzy Gillespie.
Upon relocating to Paris in 1957 to work for Barclays Records, the French licensee for Mercury, Jones honed his composition and theory skills under Nadia Boulanger. By 1961, he had risen to the position of vice president at Mercury, focusing on music for both the small and big screen. In 1963, he was enlisted to score Sidney Lumet’s The Pawnbroker, marking the beginning of his extensive career in composing scores for nearly 40 major motion pictures, including classics like The Italian Job, In the Heat of the Night, The Getaway, and The Color Purple. Prior to producing three of Michael Jackson’s most iconic albums – Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad – Jones also produced the soundtrack for The Wiz, the musical adaptation of The Wizard of Oz featuring Michael Jackson and Diana Ross.
Jones was also the mastermind behind the USA for Africa recording session that resulted in the 1985 charity single ‘We Are the World,’ penned by Jackson and Lionel Richie, to raise funds for famine-stricken Ethiopia. Following the success of The Color Purple (which he also produced) that same year, he established the film and TV production company Quincy Jones Entertainment in 1990. The company’s biggest hit was The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which launched the career of Will Smith. In 1991, Jones collaborated on a live album with Miles Davis, Miles & Quincy Live at Montreux, which stood as his final album before his passing several months later.
Aside from founding the record label Qwest and the music magazine Vibe, Jones later introduced Qwest TV, a streaming platform focused on archival concert footage and music documentaries. In 2001, he released his autobiography, Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones, and his life and career were further documented in the 2018 film Quincy, directed by his daughter Rashida Jones and Al Hicks. In addition to his Grammy Awards, Jones was also honored with a Kennedy Center Honor in 2001, the National Medal of Arts in 2010, and induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. In 2021, he was inducted into the Black Music Walk of Fame in Atlanta alongside James Brown and Otis Redding as part of the inaugural class of artists.
“He was truly one of a kind, and his presence will be greatly missed; we find solace and immense pride in knowing that the love and joy that defined his essence were shared with the world through his creations,” the Jones family expressed. “Through his music and boundless love, Quincy Jones’ spirit will endure for eternity.”
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