Quincy Jones Dies Aged 91

Legendary Music Producer and Composer Passes Away

Quincy Jones, the renowned music producer, composer, and trumpeter, has died at the age of 91. Born on March 14, 1933, in Chicago, Jones was a giant in the music industry, with a career spanning over 65 years.

A Versatile Career

Jones was a trumpeter, bandleader, arranger, composer, and producer, and won 27 Grammy Awards. He was a studio workaholic and a virtuoso at handling delicate egos, shaping recordings by jazz greats such as Miles Davis, producing Frank Sinatra, and putting together the superstar ensemble that recorded the 1985 fundraiser “We Are the World”, the biggest hit song of its time.

Musical Break-in

Quincy Delight Jones Jr was born in Chicago, but his interest in music bloomed in Bremerton, Washington, where he and his friends found a piano in the community center. He experimented with different instruments in the school band before settling on the trumpet, and by 13 was playing jazz, popular music, and rhythm-and-blues in nightclubs.

A Collaboration with Michael Jackson

Jones’s most lasting achievements were in collaboration with Michael Jackson. They made three landmark albums – “Off the Wall” in 1979, “Thriller” in 1982, and “Bad” in 1987 – that changed the landscape of American popular music. “Thriller” sold as many as 70 million copies, with six of the nine songs on the album becoming top 10 singles.

Divine Collaboration

Their 1982 collaboration, “Thriller”, became a cultural touchstone of the 1980s. Jones and Jackson wanted to broaden Jackson’s fan base, so they added rock elements, getting guitarist Eddie Van Halen to play a blistering solo on “Beat It”, which became one of Jackson’s biggest hits ever. Complemented by dazzling videos featuring Jackson’s mesmerizing dancing, “Thriller” made the entertainer one of the biggest stars in the world.

Later Life and Legacy

Jones continued to work on various projects, including his own record label, Qwest, and Vibe, a magazine that covered the hip-hop world. He also had various foundations and humanitarian projects.

Personal Life

Jones was married three times and had seven children. He kept launching new projects well past the traditional retirement age, telling GQ magazine in 2018: “I never been this busy in my life.”

FAQs

Q: What was Quincy Jones’s age at the time of his death?
A: 91

Q: What was Quincy Jones’s most famous collaboration?
A: With Michael Jackson on the albums “Off the Wall”, “Thriller”, and “Bad”

Q: How many Grammy Awards did Quincy Jones win?
A: 27

Q: What was the name of Quincy Jones’s record label?
A: Qwest