Quincy Delight Jones, the legendary U.S. record and television producer, has passed away at the age of 91. His death was confirmed by his publicist, Arnold Robinson, who shared that Jones died on Sunday night at his home in Bel Air, Los Angeles, surrounded by family. In a heartfelt statement, the family expressed their grief, saying, “Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing. 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.”
With a career spanning over 70 years, Jones collaborated with a multitude of iconic figures in the entertainment industry, including Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, and Will Smith. He is perhaps best known for producing Jackson’s groundbreaking album Thriller, which sold over 20 million copies in 1983 alone and remains one of the best-selling albums of all time.
As a composer and songwriter, Jones was instrumental in the creation of the all-star charity single We Are The World, recorded in 1985, which raised millions for humanitarian efforts. He made history in 1968 as the first African American nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for “The Eyes of Love” from the film Banning. In 1971, he became the first African American to serve as the musical director and conductor of the Academy Awards, and in 1995, he received the Academy’s Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, making history once again.
Jones’s extraordinary career earned him 28 Grammy Awards out of 80 nominations, and he was recognized by Time magazine as one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century. His legacy as a pioneer in the music industry will undoubtedly live on, inspiring future generations of artists.
