Quincy Jones has died.
The legendary music producer – who was best known as the producer of the late Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ album and worked with the likes of Frank Sinatra and Ray Charles – passed away at the age of 91 on Sunday (03.11.24) surrounded by his family, his publicist Arnold Robinson has announced.
Quincy’s loved ones said in a statement: “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.”
The producer’s career spanned over 70 years and saw him win 28 Grammy Awards out of 80.
As well as ‘Thriller’, he also produced ‘Off the Wall’ and ‘Bad’ for Michael, as well as records for the likes of Aretha Franklin, Donna Summer, George Benson and Dizzy Gillespie.
He co-wrote and produced the charity single ‘We Are The World’ and was a successful composer on dozens of film scores.
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Away from music, he founded a TV and film production company in 1990, enjoying particular success with ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ and ‘The olor Purple’, and launched Qwest TV, an on-demand music TV service, in 2017.
He was born in Chicago in 1993 before moving to Washington state with his father after his parents divorced. At just 14, he played in a band with teenaged Ray Charles, once backing Billie Holiday.
After studying music at university, he moved to New York after being hired by jazz band leader Lionel Hampton, with one early gig being playing trumpet for Elvis Presley for The King’s first TV appearances.
Quincy eventually landed a job as a producer and arranger at Mercury Records and began scoring films too, becoming the first African American to be nominated for the Best Original Song accolade at the 1968 Oscars for ‘The Eyes of Love’ from the film ‘Banning’, marking his first of seven nominations.
The producer narrowly avoided being killed by Charles Manson’s cult, having forgotten he was meant to go to Sharon Tate’s house on the night of the murders there, and survived a brain aneurysm in 1974.
He married three times, to high-school girlfriend Jeri Caldwell for nine years until 1966, to Ulla Andersson from 1967 to 1974 and Peggy Lipton, who he wed the same year as his second divorce before they split in 1989.
He had daughter Jolie with Jeri, a son, Quincy Jr., and daughter Martina, with Ulla, and two daughters, Rashida and Kidada with Peggy. He also has Rachel from a brief relationship with Carol Reynolds and Kenya with Nastassja Kinski.
