Legendary composure, producer, and musician Quincy Jones has died at the age of 91. Arnold Robinson, Jones’s publicist, has confirmed Jones’s death Sunday night at his Bel-Air home, surrounded by family. A true icon of the music industry, Quincy Jones worked with everyone from Will Smith and Ray Charles to Frank Sinatra and was instrumental in shaping some of Michael Jackson’s best and most famous albums. With multiple Grammy Awards and even more gold and platinum albums, the trophy shelf speaks to more than a few of his accomplishments, as friends and loved ones remember him.
Quincy Jones’s Lifetime of Light
The reverberations from Jones’s death have been intimately felt. “Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing,” said the family in a statement. “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.” In keeping with Jones’s generosity of spirit and love of music, the family has asked that (in lieu of flowers) donations be made to The Jazz Foundation of America.
Quincy Jones transformed the music he touched with his passion and intelligence. You can feel it on records like “Bad” and “Off the Wall.” Most notable of all, of course, is Thriller, the best-selling album of all time. In terms of both commercial and critical success, you can’t accomplish much more than Quincy Jones did, and his influence on other producers and young artists has been wide-reaching. As a jazz musician, record company executive, and more, Jones went above and beyond in his contributions to the music scene and culture. The ripples cast by his talent and spirit will be felt for a long time to come.
