Quincy Jones, the music producer and composer who labored with Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra and Ray Charles, has died on the age of 91.
Quincy Jones, the multi-talented music titan whose legacy ranged from producing Michael Jackson’s historic ‘Thriller’ album to collaborating with Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and a whole bunch of different recording artists, has died at 91.
Jones’ publicist Arnold Robinson confirmed he died Sunday evening at his residence within the Bel Air part of Los Angeles, surrounded by his household.
“Tonight, with full however damaged hearts, we should share the information of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing,” the household mentioned in a press release. “And though that is an unbelievable loss for our household, we rejoice the good life that he lived and know there’ll by no means be one other like him.”
Jones’ profession, which spans greater than 70 years, noticed him obtain 28 Grammy award wins out of 80 nominations. He was one of many first Black executives to thrive in Hollywood, amassing a rare musical catalog that features among the richest moments of American music.
For years, it was unlikely to discover a music lover who didn’t personal at the least one document along with his title on it, or a pacesetter within the leisure trade and past who didn’t have some connection to him.
He was named some of the influential jazz musicians of the twentieth century by Time journal.
Jones stored firm with presidents and international leaders, film stars and musicians, philanthropists and enterprise leaders. He toured with Rely Basie and Lionel Hampton, organized information for Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, composed the soundtracks for Roots and Within the Warmth of the Evening, organized President Invoice Clinton’s first inaugural celebration and oversaw the all-star recording of ‘We Are the World’, the 1985 charity document for famine aid in Africa.
Lionel Richie, who co-wrote ‘We Are the World’ and was among the many featured singers, would name Jones “the grasp orchestrator.”
In a profession which started when information have been nonetheless performed on vinyl at 78 rpm, high honours doubtless go to his productions with Michael Jackson: ‘Off the Wall’, ‘Thriller’ and ‘Unhealthy’ have been albums near-universal of their fashion and enchantment. Jones’ versatility and creativeness helped set off the explosive abilities of Jackson as he remodeled from youngster star to the “King of Pop.”
On such traditional tracks as ‘Billie Jean’ and ‘Don’t Cease ‘Til You Get Sufficient’, Jones and Jackson common a world soundscape out of disco, funk, rock, pop, R&B and jazz and African chants. For ‘Thriller’, among the most memorable touches originated with Jones, who recruited Eddie Van Halen for a guitar solo on the genre-fusing ‘Beat It’ and introduced in Vincent Value for a ghoulish voiceover on the title monitor.
‘Thriller’ bought greater than 20 million copies in 1983 alone and has contended with the Eagles’ ‘Best Hits 1971-1975’ because the best-selling album of all time.
“If an album doesn’t do effectively, everybody says ‘it was the producers fault’; so if it does effectively, it must be your ‘fault,’ too,” Jones mentioned in an interview with the Library of Congress in 2016. “The tracks don’t simply swiftly seem. The producer has to have the talent, expertise and skill to information the imaginative and prescient to completion.”
The checklist of his honors and awards embody 28 Grammys, two honorary Academy Awards and an Emmy for Roots. He additionally acquired France’s Legion d’Honneur, the Rudolph Valentino Award from the Republic of Italy and a Kennedy Heart tribute for his contributions to American tradition.
He was the topic of a 1990 documentary, Hear Up: The Lives of Quincy Jones and a 2018 movie by daughter Rashida Jones.
The daddy of seven, was married 3 times to Jeri Caldwell, Ulla Andersson and Peggy Lipton.
