Legendary music producer Quincy Jones, an influential figure in music for over seven decades, died Sunday in Bel Air, California, at age 91. Born in 1933 on Chicago’s South Side, he collaborated with iconic artists like Frank Sinatra, Lesley Gore, and Michael Jackson.
Jones was among the most awarded figures in music history, with 28 Grammy Awards, an Emmy, an honorary Oscar, and a Tony, placing him in the elite EGOT club. He produced “We Are the World,” one of the bestselling singles of all time, and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” one of the bestselling albums. Throughout the 1960s, Jones became the first Black executive at a major record label and made his film score debut with 1964’s “The Pawnbroker.” He went on to score nearly 40 movies and numerous TV shows. See his life in photos here.
A longtime humanitarian, Jones received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award and founded the Quincy Jones Listen Up Foundation to empower youth through education and music. In 2010, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts, America’s highest artistic honor.
Quincy Jones was a legendary American record producer, composer, arranger, and conductor with a career that spans over six decades and covers a wide array of musical genres, including jazz, pop, R&B, and classical. Born on March 14, 1933, in Chicago, Illinois, Jones showed an early aptitude for music, particularly jazz, and studied trumpet and music theory as a young man. He moved to New York City in the 1950s, where he began working as a jazz arranger and soon became an in-demand talent.
Jones’s career is marked by groundbreaking achievements in both music production and film scoring. In the 1960s, he worked as a vice president at Mercury Records, making him one of the first Black executives in a major record company. He went on to produce iconic albums and collaborate with artists like Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, and, most notably, Michael Jackson. His production on Jackson’s albums Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad solidified him as one of the greatest producers of all time. Thriller became the best-selling album in history, making Jones a household name.
Apart from music, Jones has also contributed significantly to film and television. He scored over 30 films, including In the Heat of the Night and The Color Purple, and produced the television series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. He’s earned numerous awards, including 28 Grammy Awards and a Grammy Legend Award. Known for his philanthropy and advocacy for social justice, Jones continues to influence and inspire generations of musicians and producers around the world.
