Quincy Jones: The Legendary Producer, Songwriter Dies At 91
The music industry recently experienced a profound loss with the news of the death of Quincy Jones, 91, known for his exceptional talent as a record producer, songwriter and composer. Jones has left behind the legacy of a successful career of over 70 years, winning 28 Grammy Awards and a Grammy Legend Award. Artists and fans alike have mourned his passing and reflected on the immense influence he had on music.
A Musical Genius
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Quincy Jones’ began his journey into music at an early stage and started learning and playing the piano. By the time his family moved to Seattle, Washington, he began learning to play the horn. He was also friends with another influential musician, Ray Charles, who Jones cited as an inspiration for his music career.
After graduating from Schillinger House (now, Berklee College of Music) in 1951, Jones began his professional music career.
The King of Pop and Beyond
Quincy Jones’ talents undeniably contributed to the King of Pop, Michael Jackson’s illustrious career. His work with Jackson made him well-known in pop music history. Jones produced Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad, Jackson’s albums that made him a household name. Thriller further cemented Jackson’s fame and Jones’ genius because of his ability to blend different genres, disco and funk. Jones recruited some of the album’s high -profile guests: Eddie Van Halen played the iconic guitar solo on “Beat It” and actor Vincent Price cameoed on the title track.
Jones also produced music for Frank Sinatra. He first worked with him in 1958 for a benefit concert at the Monaco Sporting Club by Princess Grace. Sinatra hired Jones for his second album, It Might as Well Be Swing in 1964. They collaborated frequently after that until Sinatra’s final album, L.A. Is My Lady.
His contributions weren’t limited to pop music. He was also an accomplished film and TV composer, and producer. He worked on films, In Cold Blood, The Italian Job, In the Heat of the Night, and Walk Don’t Run among others. He also composed theme songs for TV shows including Sanford and Son, The Bill Cosby Show, and the game show Now You See It.
Jones was also a film producer, co-producing the 1985 film The Color Purple, with Steven Spielberg; that movie introduced Oprah Winfrey to a much larger audience. He also scored the film which earned him an Academy Award Nomination. His commitment to humanitarian efforts was also credited when he united several artists to record the single “We Are the World” to raise money for the famine victims in Ethiopia.
Farewell to Quincy Jones, A Music Icon
According to Arnold Robinson, Jones’ publicist, the music legend died Sunday night at his home in Los Angeles with his family. As reported by AP News in a statement from the family, “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.”
