Quincy Jones dead at 91

Record producer and composer Quincy Jones has died at the age of 91.

The music legend passed away on Sunday night at his home in the Bel Air neighbourhood of Los Angeles surrounded by his family, according to his publicist Arnold Robinson.

“Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing. 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,” his family said in the statement.

“He is truly one of a kind and we will miss him dearly; we take comfort and immense pride in knowing that the love and joy, that were the essence of his being, was shared with the world through all that he created. Through his music and his boundless love, Quincy Jones’ heart will beat for eternity.”

During his 70-year music career, Jones worked as a producer, bandleader, composer and arranger.

He is perhaps best known for his collaborations with Michael Jackson. He produced three of the King of Pop’s most successful albums – 1979’s Off the Wall, 1982’s Thriller and 1987’s Bad. Thriller won the Grammy for Album of the Year and is still the best-selling album of all time, having sold an estimated 70 million copies worldwide.

Jones also worked with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin and Donna Summer, among others, and produced and conducted the 1985 charity song We Are the World, which featured the voices of Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Diana Ross and more big-name musicians.

The music titan received 80 Grammy nominations during his career, making him the third most nominated artist behind Beyoncé and Jay-Z. He won 28, making him the third most-awarded person.

Jones was nominated for six Academy Awards for his composing and one for Best Picture as a producer of 1985’s The Color Purple. He was presented with an honorary award in 1995.

He also produced the 2023 The Color Purple remake and the ’90s TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, among other projects.

Jones was married three times – to high school girlfriend Jeri Caldwell from 1957 to 1966, Swedish photographer and actress Ulla Andersson from 1967 to 1974 and model and actress Peggy Lipton from 1974 to 1990. He had seven children, including his famous actress daughter Rashida Jones.

Quincy Jones dead at 91