According to his agents, the musical legend Quincy Jones, who was a writer and producer who added his subtle polish to records by a wide range of artists, including Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, and Ray Charles, has passed away (according to his reps). He was 91 years old.
According to a statement sent by Jones’ publicist to CNN, Jones passed away overnight on Sunday at his residence in Bel Air, California. He was surrounded by his children, siblings, and other members of his family.
In a statement, the Jones family wrote, “Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing.” Quincy Jones was the family’s father and brother. “And despite the fact that this is a terrible tragedy for our family, we come together to commemorate the wonderful life that he had and are aware that there will never be another person like him. It is a source of solace and enormous satisfaction for us to know that the love and joy that were the essence of his existence were shared with the world through all that he made. He is certainly one of a kind, and we will miss him very much. Because of his music and the limitless love he had for others, Quincy Jones’ heart will continue to beat endlessly.
Although Jones was most known for his work as a jazz and pop musician, he was also a prolific cross-genre arranger, conductor, executive at a record company, and campaigner for civil rights. His brilliance and determination led to a career in the entertainment industry that was nearly unrivaled.
Quincy Jones, an American jazz pianist, arranger, and composer, shown on the left, collaborates with Frank Sinatra, an American singer and actor, on a soundstage in 1964.
His extensive and varied list of credits includes the composition of the soundtrack for the film “In the Heat of the Night,” which won an Academy Award, the production of Michael Jackson’s smash album “Thriller,” and the assembling of dozens of pop and rock artists to record the charity song “We Are the World” in 1985.
Jones was born in Chicago to a father who worked as a carpenter and a mother who struggled with mental illness. Jones began playing the piano at a young age and acquired a passion for music almost immediately.
Jones, when he was still a teenager, began performing with jazz ensembles. His aptitude for creating and arranging music caught the notice of Lionel Hampton, who was instrumental in the formation of the band.
When Hampton extended an invitation to Jones to tour with the group, Jones was just 15 years old. However, Hampton’s wife, Gladys, immediately put a halt to the invitation.
When Gladys arrived on the band bus, she said, “Hamp, what is that child doing on the bus?” I immediately climbed on the bus and joined the group. During an interview with the National Endowment for the Arts, Jones recalled the earlier time. “And I was crying with rage. And she said the words, “Get him off here.” Assist him in returning to his studies. When he has finished his studies, we will give him a call later.
Following her recommendation, Jones completed his education and was awarded a scholarship to attend Schillinger House, which is now known as Berklee College of Music, located in Boston. He graduated from this institution in the year 1951.
Following the completion of his education, he embarked on a tour with Hampton and his band.
Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughan, and Jones’s close friend Ray Charles were among the legendary musicians for whom Jones immediately began arranging and recording. This marked the beginning of Jones’s illustrious career. A number of legendary musicians, including trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, bandleader Lionel Hampton, and others, recruited the young Jones to accompany them on their tours of Europe.
Jones was presented with the opportunity to become Mercury Records’ artists-and-repertoire director in the year 1961. His promotion to vice president three years later made him the first African-American man to occupy such a position within a record company that was controlled by white people. This accomplishment cemented his place in the annals of history.
In 1963, he achieved his first pop hit with the single “It’s My Party” by Leslie Gore, which climbed all the way to the top of the charts. Not only did Jones collaborate with Sinatra and Peggy Lee during his tenure with the company, but he also collaborated with other artists.
During the same year, he was awarded what would turn out to be the first of many Grammys. The first Grammy was awarded to him for the arrangement of the song “I Can’t Stop Loving You” by the Count Basie Band.
Jones began his career as a film composer in the 1960s, and his work includes the soundtracks of films such as “In the Heat of the Night” and “In Cold Blood.”
Between the years 1969 and 1981, he was employed by A&M Records. In addition, he established his own record label, Qwest.
1982 was the year. Jones was involved in one of his most well-known collaborations when he produced Michael Jackson’s album “Thriller,” which became widely successful.
It was three years later when he invited Jackson and a number of other celebrities to participate in the recording of the charity song “We Are the World.” During the same year, he achieved success in the mainstream cinema industry by producing the picture “The Color Purple,” which was directed by Steven Spielberg.
The television series “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” in which Jones’s mentee Will Smith featured, was another one of Jones’s successes on the small screen.
When Jones established the music and culture magazine Vibe in 1993, he made his first foray into the world of publication. He eventually retired from the industry in 2006.
Jones briefly reduced the amount of work he was responsible for in 1974 due to a brain aneurysm. A number of years later, he reflected on his health concern in a post that he made on social media.
A second aneurysm that was about to burst was discovered by my physicians while they were operating on me for seven and a half hours, and as a result, they had to arrange a second operation. Jones noted that during this time, it did not appear to be a particularly hopeful situation. As a result, my friends organized a memorial ceremony for me at The Shrine in Los Angeles, and I practically attended my own burial. “Man, it seemed like everyone was there…You name it: Sidney Poitier, Sarah Vaughan, and everyone else. The presence of such a large number of individuals during the celebration of what would have been my 41st year of life was quite remarkable.
Over the course of his life, he was married three times and had seven children.
Jones had a daughter named Jolie with his high school sweetheart, Jeri Caldwell, whom he had been married to from 1957 to 1966. The pair had received one child together.
His marriage to the Swedish model Ulla Andersson took place in 1967, and the couple went on to have two daughters, Martina and Quincy Jones III, before finalizing their divorce in 1974.
During the same year, Jones tied the knot with actress Peggy Lipton, a partnership that lasted until 1990 and resulted in the birth of two daughters, Rashida Jones and Kidada Jones, both of whom are now actors.
His other children include a daughter named Rachel, who was born to dancer Carol Reynolds, and a daughter named Kenya Kinski-Jones, who is a fashion model, who was born to actress Nastassja Kinski.
Jones did not slow down in his senior years, either in his personal life or in his professional life. In the year 2014, he was the producer of the documentary titled “Keep on Keepin’ On,” which was about his mentor, the jazz trumpeter Clark Terry.
Jones stated to Rolling Stone in that year, “I never thought about it until I hit 80, but I have been blessed to work with every major music star in the history of America, including Louie Armstrong.” Jones was referring to his own career at the time.
In response, Jones stated, “You can’t plan that.” There is no way that you could say to Mr. Sinatra, ‘I want to work with you.’ No. It is necessary for you to wait till he calls you.
During the course of his book “12 Notes On Life and Creativity,” which was published in 2022, Jones thought on the core of his life’s work.
According to what Jones wrote, “Creativity is one of the most beautiful gifts that we possess with us.” “Not only does it serve as an outlet, but it also possesses the power to transform heartache into something that goes beyond a single sentiment if it is utilized in the appropriate manner.”
His family later relocated to Seattle, Washington, and it was there that Jones began receiving instruction from Clark Terry, a well-known trombone player.
Ray Charles, a pianist who was somewhat unknown at the time, was another person he met and became good friends with. The two would have a bond that would last a lifetime.
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