Quincy Jones, Oscar-Nominated Composer And Record Producer, Dead At 91

Legendary music producer Quincy Jones has passed away at the age of 91, his publicist confirmed in a statement given to news outlets. Jones was a giant among the greats of the late 20th century music industry, and the list of those with whom he either worked or whose albums he produced reads like a who's who of the greatest musicians of all time. In his early years Jones' collaborators included Tommy Dorsey, Sarah Vaughn, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and Ray Charles. From there, he moved on to work with Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, and Celine Dion, picking up a record 28 Grammys along the way. 

The seven-time Oscar nominee died at his home in Los Angeles on November 3, 2024, surrounded by loved ones. "Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones' passing," Jones' family confirmed in a statement (via The Guardian). "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 details surrounding his death have not been shared publicly at the time of writing, but suffice it to say that the prolific musician, composer, producer, and plenty more besides made an indelible mark on the music industry.

A child of Chicago's South Side, Quincy Jones was born March 14, 1933, as Quincy Delight Jones Jr. At the age of 10, he moved with his father and stepmother to the suburbs of Seattle, Washington. He discovered music in grade school, and reportedly went through all the instruments available to the school band before he decided that the trumpet would be the one for him. Before Jones even became a teenager, he struck up a friendship with a local pianist named Ray Charles. The hugely talented duo joined forces and subsequently performed together at local small clubs and weddings.

Jones' musical skills caught the attention of Boston's Berklee College of Music, which offered him a scholarship. School wasn't in the cards for Jones, though. Instead, he took the opportunity to travel with jazz musician Lionel Hampton. Not only had Jones mastered the trumpet, he also ended up arranging music for Hampton, and when the tour ended in 1950, Jones began arranging and composing music for Count Basie, Dinah Washington, and Sarah Vaughn. But not all of the proficient musician's ventures turned out to be successful. A big band he started in 1957 had to be dissolved because ticket sales were not enough to support it, saddling the future superstar with massive amounts of debt.

Quincy Jones had tons of opinions on everybody from Elvis Presley to Ringo Starr, which was unsurprising given he was such a trailblazer in the industry. The Oscar nominee was the first African-American to be named as a vice president for Mercury Records. He wrote the score for Sidney Lumet's controversial 1964 movie "The Pawnbroker," about a concentration camp survivor, alongside composing as the music for more than 30 major motion pictures, including "Walk Don't Run," "In Cold Blood," "Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice," "The Lost Man," and "The Getaway." 

The prolific musician also wrote music for television including beloved sitcom "Sanford and Son." Life was not all smooth sailing for Jones, however. In 1974, he suffered a brain aneurysm that nearly killed him. In order to heal, he required two operations and six months to recover. Fortunately, Jones went on to produce Michael Jackson's greatest albums.

Quincy Jones' greatest contributions to music were made through Qwest Productions, which produced albums for Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson (including "Off the Wall," "Thriller," and "Bad"), George Benson, Patti Austin, and Donna Summer. He also brought the music world's greatest singers of the time together to record USA for Africa's "We Are the World." In the world of cinema, Jones collaborated and co-produced "The Color Purple," which snagged 11 Oscar nominations and launched the careers of Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey. 

In all, Jones holds a record 80 Grammy nominations and 28 wins; an Emmy, seven Oscar nominations, as well as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. "Thriller," his legendary collaboration with Michael Jackson, continues to maintain the record for one of the bestselling records of all time.

In 2018, Quincy Jones rocked the world again, this time through a series of interviews the music icon gave to New York Magazine and GQ, where he made several head-turning remarks about old friends, acquaintances, and collaborators, including Michael Jackson, Oprah Winfrey, and Donald Trump. Jones later apologized after the interviews were published, calling them "word vomit," crediting his children for staging what he called a "family intervention" over the incident. Jones then took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to reason, "When you've been fortunate enough to have lived such a long and crazy life (and you've recently stopped drinking — three years ago!), certain details about specific events (which do NOT paint the full picture of my intentions nor experiences) come flooding back all at once, and even at 85 it's apparent that 'word vomit' and badmouthing is inexcusable."

The legendary producer, composer, and plenty more besides, leaves behind seven children; Jolie, from his first marriage to actor Jeri Caldwell; Rachel, from a brief relationship with dancer Carol Reynolds; Martina and his only son, also named Quincy, from his second marriage to model-actor Ulla Andersson; Rashida and Kidada, from his third and final marriage to actor Peggy Lipton; and Kenya from a relationship with model-actor Nastassja Kinski.