In reflecting upon the extraordinary life of Quincy Jones, I am left in absolute awe of his unparalleled contributions to the realm of music and beyond. His journey is nothing short of inspiring; from collaborating with legends like Michael Jackson on “Thriller” to founding Qwest Records and signing some of the most iconic artists of our time, he has truly redefined the boundaries of artistic excellence.
Legendary musician Quincy Jones, known for his versatility throughout a 70-year career spanning roles as an artist, conductor, songwriter, and record producer, passed away at the age of 91.
On Sunday evening, it was reported by Arnold Robinson, Jones’s representative, that Jones passed away at his residence in Bel Air, California. The reason for his demise remains undisclosed.
Tonight, our family is heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved father and brother, Quincy Jones. Although we mourn deeply, we celebrate the remarkable life he lived and acknowledge that there will never be another quite like him. He was one-of-a-kind, and his absence will be felt acutely; yet, we find solace in knowing that his love and joy touched countless lives through his music and creations. Quincy Jones’ spirit will continue to resonate eternally with the world.
Jones’ prestige within the entertainment world was so immense that he was commonly known by a single-letter moniker: “Q.” (In this case, “Q” stands for Jones’ actual name.)
Raised in the realm of jazz, Jones emerged as one of pop music’s strongest influencers. He garnered six out of his 27 Grammy Awards for his 1990 album “Back on the Block” and was recognized as a three-time producer of the year recipient.
Most people likely recognize him primarily from his musical partnerships with Michael Jackson, starting in 1979 when he produced the hit album “Off the Wall,” which is believed to have sold around 20 million copies worldwide.
The follow-up hit “Thriller” (released in 1982), which earned Jones the album of the year award and a record of the year trophy for the song “Billie Jean,” continues to be the best-selling album ever, with global sales estimated to exceed 110 million. Afterward, Jones collaborated with Jackson on his No. 1 album “Bad,” released in 1987.
In 1985, Jones gained global attention as the producer of “We Are the World,” a charity single by USA for Africa aimed at providing aid during the African famine. Jackson collaborated with Lionel Richie on the song’s composition and directed the ensemble of talented vocalists who performed it.
Jones was historically the one who wrote the music for the main movie, “The Pawnbroker,” in 1964, marking him as the first African-American to accomplish this feat. Later, he garnered seven nominations for the Academy Awards’ best original score and song. In 1995, he was honored with AMPAS’ Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, a distinction that made him the initial recipient of this award among black artists.
He gained recognition as the executive producer of the ’90s NBC sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” which catapulted Will Smith, also known as “Fresh Prince” the rapper, to fame as an actor. Subsequently, he produced series like “In the House,” “MadTV,” and more recently, a reboot of “Bel-Air” in 2022. He also worked on documentaries such as “The History of Rock ‘N’ Roll” in 1995, “Keep on Keepin’ On” in 2014, and the 2023 adaptation of “The Color Purple,” directed by Blitz Bazawule.
In the year 2006, Jones was recognized with a nomination for the Tony Award in the role of musical adaptation’s producer for “The Color Purple.
In the realm of publishing, he established the influential hip-hop publication known as Vibe, which led to a television adaptation in 1997.
In appreciation for his extensive efforts in various charitable causes, Jones was titled “Philanthropist of the Year” by EbMaster in 2014.
Quincy Delight Jones Jr. was born in Chicago. He began playing the trumpet, his main instrument, at a young age. When he was 10 years old, his family relocated to Seattle. There, as a 14-year-old amateur musician, he encountered Ray Charles, who was 17 at the time.
By age 18, having studied at the Berklee School of Music in Boston, Jones found himself touring with Lionel Hampton’s large band, playing trumpet alongside Art Farmer and Clifford Brown. In the early 50s, he refined his skills in arranging by creating charts for trumpeter Clark Terry (one of his influential early mentors), Count Basie, Dinah Washington, and numerous others. His first appearance as a band leader was in 1953, leading an octet that was co-led with drummer Roy Haynes.
Following his tenure as band director for Dizzy Gillespie’s government-supported big band and short-term engagements at ABC-Paramount and Barclay Records in France, Jones established an internal orchestra at Mercury Records. Despite a later touring group experiencing financial ruin, this connection eventually landed him an A&R role at Mercury. By 1964, he had ascended to the position of Vice President at the label, where he was instrumental in producing Leslie Gore’s most successful pop songs.
Between 1959-60, he skillfully put together two outstanding albums by Charles, titled “The Genius of Ray Charles” and “Genius + Soul Jazz.” His arrangement for “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” a hit cover of Don Gibson’s country song by Charles, earned him his first Grammy award in 1964.
At Sidney Lumet’s request, Jones composed the score for his 1964 drama “The Pawnbroker.” This task, being his initial assignment as a black composer, paved the way for him to secure high-profile composing jobs in films such as “In Cold Blood,” “In the Heat of the Night” (which included a title song by Ray Charles), “The Italian Job,” “Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice,” and “The Getaway.
During the mid-1960s, Jones formed a professional partnership with Frank Sinatra. He organized two albums featuring the vocalist alongside Count Basie’s orchestra: “It Might as Well Be Swing” (released in 1964) and the live album “Sinatra at the Sands,” which came out in 1966.
1969 marked the start of a fruitful partnership between Jones and A&M Records as an artist, resulting in nine studio albums being recorded. This collaboration earned him three Grammys for his jazz-pop productions at the label. In 1974, the album “Body Heat” from A&M became his most successful release, climbing to the No. 8 spot on the charts. The following year, he released an LP of music from the popular ABC miniseries “Roots” on the same label; it reached No. 21 on the pop album chart.
Over the course of several years, Jones primarily worked as a music producer for artists like Aretha Franklin, the Brothers Johnson, George Benson, and Chaka Khan. However, it was his collaboration with Michael Jackson that propelled him to the very pinnacle of the music world.
In 1978, Jones held the role of music supervisor during director Lumet’s film adaptation of the Broadway success “The Wiz.” Michael Jackson, who played the Scarecrow in this production and had recently signed with Epic Records as a solo artist, asked Jones for guidance regarding potential producers for his upcoming album. After providing Jackson with a list of possibilities, Jones was subsequently hired by the singer to oversee the project.
As a diehard movie buff reminiscing, I can’t help but marvel at the extraordinary, decade-long collaboration between the iconic duo, Jones and Jackson. This partnership bore fruit in the form of three multiplatinum albums, with “Thriller,” an unprecedented global sensation that still stands unmatched, being one of them. They also chalked up a staggering 18 top-10 pop hits, among which were no less than 10 chart-topping No. 1 singles. To add to their impressive repertoire, Jones walked away with four prestigious Grammy Awards for his exceptional work during this time.
In January 1985, when Jackson was at the height of his fame, Jones joined a group of renowned artists such as Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Diana Ross, and Ray Charles to record “We Are the World”. This charity single is said to have sold around 20 million copies globally, earning Jones three more Grammys, including one for ‘Record of the Year’.
In the year 1980, Jones established Qwest Records in collaboration with Warner Bros. Records. This label, in subsequent years, released the soundtrack for Steven Spielberg’s “The Color Purple,” penned by Jones himself, and signed artists like George Benson, Tevin Campbell, New Order, and for a short while Sinatra (whose 1984 album “L.A. Is My Lady” was arranged by Jones). However, the CEO of the record label became its most famous act.
1989 saw Jones’ album “Back on the Block” by Qwest, a collaborative project featuring Jones alongside musical legends such as Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Ray Charles, as well as up-and-coming artists like Ice-T and Big Daddy Kane. This remarkable collaboration garnered numerous Grammys and reached the No. 9 spot on the U.S. album chart.
1993 saw Warner Bros. putting out “Miles and Quincy Live at Montreux,” a live album from 1991 featuring trumpeter Davis and Jones, who were performing at the Montreux Jazz Festival in France. In this performance, Davis revisited compositions that Gil Evans had originally arranged in the ’50s. This turned out to be Davis’ last recording before his passing, and it won a Grammy in 1994.
In more recent years, Jones has released two solo albums: “Q’s Jook Joint” (1995) and “Q Soul Bossa Nostra” (2010). The first album brought together a mix of R&B, jazz veterans, up-and-coming hip-hop artists, and even Marlon Brando for a guest spot. The second album featured new renditions of Jones’ classic tracks, with contributions from artists as varied as Jennifer Hudson, Amy Winehouse, Usher, Snoop Dogg, Wyclef Jean, Three 6 Mafia, among others. Since then, Jones has only occasionally produced or performed as an artist. He made appearances on The Weeknd’s 2022 album “Dawn FM” and in the music video for Travis Scott and Young Thug’s song “Out West.” Following the release of his self-titled 2018 documentary, Jones teamed up with producer Mark Ronson and vocalist Chaka Khan to create the single “Keep Reachin’.
In 2011 and 2012, his orchestra, Global Gumbo, performed at the Hollywood Bowl and its Playboy Jazz Festival respectively. Towards the end of 2011, they released a charity single titled “Tomorrow,” which featured artists from various Arab countries and was co-produced by Jones and RedOne. In 2017, Jones returned to the Hollywood Bowl to perform songs from his A&M years. To celebrate his 90th birthday in July 2023, he organized a two-night event at the venue, inviting artists he had worked with throughout his career, such as singer Patti Austin and multi-talented musician Jacob Collier, to join him for the celebration.
In 1989, Jones earned the Trustees Award from the Recording Academy, followed by the Legend Award in 1991. He was also honored with the Kennedy Center Honors in 2001 and received the National Medal of Arts from President Obama in 2011. In 2013, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a recipient of the Ahmet Ertegun Award, sharing this honor with Lou Adler.
2001 saw the publication of Jones’ autobiography titled “Q”; the audiobook adaptation won a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album in 2002.
Married and divorced three times, he is survived by six daughters and a son.
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2024-11-04 11:18