Music Giant Quincy Jones Dies at 91

Legendary producer, musician, composer, and arranger Quincy Jones died on November 3 at his home in the Bel-Air section of Los Angeles. He was 91. 

Jones was a major figure in the 20th-century musical landscape and had a dizzying array of accomplishments during his amazing seven-decade career. The music Renaissance man worked with many of the recording industry’s biggest talents–including Frank Sinatra, Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, Dinah Washington, Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, Duke Ellington, Ray Charles, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, and Celine Dion, among countless others. Jones had a gift for bringing out the best in the artists he produced, creating an open, collaborative studio environment where their talents could fully shine.

Among Jones’s numerous career highlights, his work on Michael Jackson’s Thriller (1982) is probably the most celebrated. The album was a cultural phenomenon and a massive game-changer. It has the distinction of being the biggest-selling album of all time. The collection landed multiple awards, including eight Grammys, and placed Jackson in the rare company of era-defining megastars like Elvis and the Beatles. In all, Jones produced three albums for Jackson. His impeccable production chops paired with Jackson’s extraordinary musical gifts was a world-beating combination. The first album the two collaborated on was Off The Wall (1979), an incredible collection of R&B, disco, and soul tracks. This album is particularly significant because it introduced the adult MJ to the world, now an assured and focused young artist who finally had some control over the creative direction of his music. The smash lead single from the collection “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” earned Jackson his first Grammy. Off The Wall was a huge critical and commercial success and opened the way for Thriller's total global domination. The third and final album the two worked on together was Bad (1987). To date, the collection has sold an estimated 45 million copies worldwide. It was also the first album to have five number-one singles in a row–a feat that has only been repeated once since then with Katy Perry’s album Teenage Dream (2010). 

Another big career highlight for Jones was when he produced and conducted the all-star charity single “We Are The World,” in which 45 prominent music artists participated. The single sold over 20 million copies worldwide and raised more than $60 million for famine relief in parts of Africa. The song won four Grammys, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year. 

Quincy and Michael working on the Off The Wall album

Jones also distinguished himself in the cinematic world through his impressive film scores. He scored nearly 40 films. Some of his film credits include In The Heat of the Night, The Color Purple, The Slender Thread, Cactus Flower, Get Rich or Die Tryin’, The Pawnbroker, Makenna’s Gold, and In Cold Blood. He was the musical supervisor for the 1978 film The Wiz. He also produced the film’s soundtrack. Jones met Michael Jackson on the set of The Wiz (Jackson played Scarecrow). The two hit it off, leading Jones to produce Off The Wall. Jones also composed the popular instrumental “Soul Bossa Nova,” famously played in the opening scene of the 1997 spy comedy Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.

Additionally, Jones wrote the theme song for the hit ‘70s sitcom Sanford and Son. And he earned a Primetime Emmy Award for composing music for the landmark, record-breaking miniseries Roots (1977). He was also an executive producer for the highly popular ‘90s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Also, Jones became the first African American to serve as the conductor and music director of the Academy Awards in 1971. And he was an executive producer for the 1996 Academy Awards. 

Jones received a slew of awards and accolades for his work as a musician, producer, arranger, and film composer–28 Grammys, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Tony Award, and seven Academy Award nominations. And he was a five-time NAACP Image Award winner. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1980. In 1995, he was honored with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science. He was a Kennedy Center Honors recipient in 2001 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. In 2018, Jones became the first composer to be immortalized by having his hands and feet imprinted at the iconic TCL Chinese Theatre (originally named Grauman's Chinese Theatre). Jones was set to receive an honorary Oscar at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences’ 15th Governors Awards on Sunday, November 17.

Jones was a lifelong social activist. He was a strong supporter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Operation Breadbasket, an effort designed to improve the economic conditions in black communities. He was also one of the founders of the Institute for Black American Music (IBAM), which organized events aimed at raising funds for the creation of a national library of African-American art and music. Additionally, he helped establish the Black Arts Festival in his hometown of Chicago. He also founded the Quincy Jones Listen Up Foundation, a nonprofit organization created to break the cycle of poverty and violence by connecting disadvantaged children with education, technology, and culture and the roots and fruits of music. In 2001, the foundation built more than 100 homes in South Africa as part of its crusade to provide housing and support to communities in need. 

Jones worked closely with U2 frontman Bono for many years on a number of philanthropic endeavors. He became an honorary member of the board of directors of the Jazz Foundation of America in 2001. He was involved in the foundation's efforts to save the homes and lives of America’s elderly jazz and blues musicians, including Hurricane Katrina survivors. In 2004, Jones helped launch the We Are The Future (WAF) project. Its goal is to provide children in poverty-stricken and conflict-ridden areas a chance to live their childhoods in an environment where they can develop a sense of hope. Jones also supported many other civil rights and humanitarian organizations, including NAACP, GLAAD, amfAR, and the Maybach Foundation. 

Jones's contributions to music were immeasurable. He bridged musical generations, bringing together old-school and new-school artists in the studio. He stood at the intersection of jazz, R&B, pop, funk, soul and hip-hop. He didn’t look down on rap as some purist musicians from his generation did and was always willing to work with talented artists from that genre. Some of the major rap artists Jones worked with include Snoop Dogg, LL Cool J, Ice-T, and Queen Latifah. He remained open to new sounds, ideas, and musical trends. He appreciated and nurtured real talent, no matter the genre or where it came from. His massive impact on entertainment continues to resonate loudly and will do so in the years to come.