Quincy Jones, producer of Michael Jackson and Frank Sinatra, dies aged 91

Quincy Jones, producer of Michael Jackson and Frank Sinatra, dies aged 91

Quincy Jones’s life in music: From Thriller to Austin Powers

Quincy Jones, the celebrated US musician and producer who labored with Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and plenty of others, has died on the age of 91.

Jones’ publicist, Arnold Robinson, stated he “handed away peacefully” on Sunday night time at his house 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 unbelievable loss for our household, we have fun the nice life that he lived and know there’ll by no means be one other like him,” the household stated in a press release.

Jones was finest often called the producer of Michael Jackson’s Thriller album.

Over a profession spanning 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 Sinatra and reworked the crooner’s basic Fly Me To The Moon, taking it from a waltz to a swing.

For 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 and the pop star’s follow-ups Thriller – which bought 34 million copies int he US alone – and Dangerous.

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 tune to boost 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 Dwell Assist.

Getty Images Michael Jackson (left) and Quincy Jones at the Grammys - Jackson is wearing a sequinned jacket and his trademark single white glove. Jones is wearing a tux with a tartan bow tie.Getty Photographs

Jones produced three of Michael Jackson’s albums

Jones additionally composed the soundtrack to greater than 50 movies and TV programmes together with the 1969 British movie, The Italian Job.

Michael Caine, who starred in The Italian Job, paid tribute to Jones on X, calling him “a titan within the musical world”.

“He was an exquisite and distinctive human being, fortunate to have identified him.”

Sir Elton John additionally praised Jones and stated “no person had a profession as unbelievable” as him, writing: “He performed with the perfect and he produced the perfect. What a man. Beloved him.”

TV producer Shonda Rhimes referred to as him “a legend, a visionary, a pioneer”.

Whereas Dr Dre posted on Insta: “Quincy is the rationale I made a decision to develop into a report producer,” including that point he had spent “hanging out with him was priceless”.

Quincy Jones on gangsters, David Bowie and Picasso

On the large display screen, Jones produced the movie The Colour Purple, which launched the general public to 2 then unknown performers – Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg.

Posting a tribute on Instagram, Goldberg stated he was “one in all a sort”.

On the small display screen, he was one of many producers behind the hit TV present The Recent Prince of Bel Air.

But it surely 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 thrice and had seven kids, together with music producer Quincy Jones III and actress Rashida Jones, identified for the US model of The Workplace.

Getty Images Oprah Winfrey kissing a smiling Quincy Jones on the cheek backstage at the 1995 Oscars Getty Photographs

Jones made his debut as a movie producer with 1985’s The Colour Purple which obtained 11 Oscar nominations, together with one for Jones’ rating

Jones’ household stated the music producer was “really one in all a sort” and “by 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.

Rapper LL Cool J, who briefly dated Jones’ daughter Kidada Jones, stated on Instagram that Jones was “a father and instance at a time once I really wanted a father”.

He added: “Mentor. Position mannequin. King. You gave me alternatives and shared knowledge. Music wouldn’t be music with out you.”

Singer Victoria Monét stated that Jones’ “legacy will dwell on eternally and ever” and musician Nile Rodgers posted on X: “Relaxation in Energy”.

Ice T additionally paid tribute and wrote: “Genius is an outline loosely used however Hardly ever deserved. Level clean, Quincy was the MAN. I gained my 1st Grammy with Quincy and I dwell along with his Knowledge every day.”

Singer Darius Rucker stated we had “misplaced one of many all time greats”, whereas British DJ Tony Blackburn wrote on X that Jones was a “musical genius”.

Montreux Jazz Competition CEO Mathieu Jaton, who labored alongside Quincy for a few years, stated the spirit of Jones “will eternally resonate” with the pageant’s historical past.

He added that Jones, as a co-producer within the Nineteen Nineties, “helped elevate the pageant to new heights”.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *