Quincy Jones in ‘Quincy’. Photo: Netflix.
Preview:
- Musical icon Quincy Jones has died at the age of 91.
- He enjoyed a long, successful career almost impossible to sum up in one sentence.
- Jones will be best remembered for his work as a composer, producer, songwriter and performer.
Quincy Jones, long acknowledged as a titan of music and movies, died Sunday at the age of 91.
The legendary performer, composer, producer and songsmith’s death was announced by his family in a statement to the Associated Press:
“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. He is truly one of a kind and we will miss him dearly; we take comfort and immense pride in knowing that the love and joy, that were the essence of his being, was shared with the world through all that he created. Through his music and his boundless love, Quincy Jones’ heart will beat for eternity.”
Jones, whose work spanned decades and saw him win 28 Grammys, score nominations for seven Oscars, an Emmy, a Tony and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, will be remembered for the impact he had on so many people’s lives through his music and his collaborations with other talented performers.
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Quincy Jones: Early Life and Career
Quincy Jones in ‘Quincy’. Photo: Netflix.
Born in Chicago in 1933 and raised in Seattle, Jones’ early years were tough, but he found an escape in music.
He studied music theory and composition as a trumpet player and went on to attend Berklee College of Music on a scholarship, but left before completing his degree to tour with bandleader Lionel Hampton.
In the 1950s, Jones worked with jazz legends like Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Charles, and Count Basie, carving out his reputation as an arranger and conductor.
Jones worked for decades with other musical icons including Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, Betty Carter, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Little Richard, Aretha Franklin, Donny Hathaway, Minnie Ripperton, Al Jarreau, Luther Vandross, Chaka Khan, James Ingram and Tamia, among many others.
For Michael Jackson, he produced “Thriller”, which won eight Grammys and became a cultural milestone. He also produced two more of Jackson’s bestselling albums, “Off the Wall” and “Bad.”
An active charity worker and activist, he gathered 1985 supergroup USA for Africa megahit “We Are the World,” whose sales supported African famine relief. Jones co-wrote the song with Lionel Richie.
Quincy Jones: Film and TV work
(L to R) Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger in ‘In the Heat of the Night’. Photo: United Artists.
For movie fans, Jones has a firm place in hearts and minds as the composer behind a huge swathe of scores. He was the first Black composer to score a major motion picture via ‘The Pawnbroker,’ in 1964.
His scores included ‘In the Heat of the Night,’ ‘In Cold Blood,’ ‘Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice,’ ‘The Out-of-Towners,’ ‘They Call Me Mr. Tibbs,’ ‘The Wiz’ and ‘The Color Purple.’
That latter title also cemented his reputation as a producer, since he helped shepherd different incarnations of ‘The Color Purple’ to screen and stage, including last year’s movie musical.
On the small screen, Jones was an executive producer of ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,’ ‘Mad TV,’ ‘The Jenny Jones Show’ and the 1996 Oscars, in addition to writing music or scores for ‘Ironside,’ ‘The Bill Cosby Show,’ ‘Roots,’ ‘Mad TV’ and, most famously, ‘Sanford & Son.’
Quincy Jones: Tributes Pour In
Rashida Jones stars in ‘Sunny,’ now streaming on Apple TV+.
It’s a testament to Jones’ enduring legacy across the entertainment spectrum that a wide variety of performers from the world of both music and film are paying tribute.
Rapper and actor LL Cool J took to Instagram to write the following:
“You were a father and example at a time when I truly needed a father and example. Mentor. Role model. King. You gave me opportunities and shared wisdom. Music would not be music without you. My condolences to the entire family. I love you. Rest in the sweetest music eternally.”
And actor Michael Caine (for whom Jones produced the score for ‘The Italian Job’ wrote on twitter:
“My Celestial twin Quincy was a titan in the musical world. He was a wonderful and unique human being, lucky to have known him.”
Jones is survived by his seven children, including actor Rashida Jones.
Quincy Jones in ‘Quincy’. Photo: Netflix.