Quincy Jones has passed away at 91. Photo Credit: Canadian Film Centre
Veteran producer and longtime industry figure Quincy Jones has passed away at the age of 91.
Quincy Jones’ team announced the news in a statement, indicating that the 28-time Grammy winner (and 80-time nominee) had passed in his Bel Air home surrounded by family and friends. Beyond this statement, reps for the Rock Hall of Famer (inducted in the Ahmet Ertegun Award category) hadn’t provided a cause of death or additional details at the time of writing.
“Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing,” the statement reads. “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.
“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.”
The Chicago native arrived on the music scene decades back; Clarence Avant, who helped launch his career and the careers of others, passed in August of 2023.
Jones secured early collaborations (including as arranger and/or producer) with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, and Sammy Davis Jr., to name just a few.
Concentrated in the late 50s and 60s, those tie-ups (besides the release of multiple solo albums across several decades) set the stage for producer credits on high-profile works in the 70s and 80s. Said credits extend to Aretha Franklin’s 1973 album Hey Now Hey (The Other Side of the Sky) and, in what are probably the most noteworthy examples, Michael Jackson’s Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), and Bad (1987).
(Sony Music scooped up a sizable stake in Jackson’s body of work earlier in 2024 despite legal challenges from the artist’s family; Jones had at least one credits-related dispute with Jackson’s estate over the years.)
In the film world, Jones produced and scored 1985’s The Color Purple, on top of scoring a number of different movies yet; the newest of these projects, Lola, released this past February.
Back to the core industry, recent years had seen Jones make headlines for his investments in a variety of companies. Also in February, for instance, the Grammy Legend Award recipient joined ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus in backing music-rights company Salt.
On social media, fans, members of the music community, and others are offering kind words and celebrating the life of Jones.
“We have lost one of the all time greats,” wrote Darius Rucker. “The world will miss Quincy Jones. Rest my friend.”
“My Celestial twin Quincy was a titan in the musical world,” penned actor Michael Caine. “He was a wonderful and unique human being, lucky to have known him.”
“We join billions of music fans around the world,” Warner Chappell CEO Guy Moot and COO Carianne Marshall relayed in joint remarks, “as we mourn the loss of the great Quincy Jones, and celebrate his immeasurable contributions to culture. Words like titan, genius, GOAT, will be used today and he deserves it all.
“Quincy was a producer, artist, composer, and activist, but above all, he was a songwriter. He leaves behind an extraordinarily powerful, diverse body of work that will light the way for future generations. Our deepest condolences go out to his family and friends,” the execs concluded.
“Quincy Jones, a true musical genius whose impact transcended generations,” a fan posted. “His creativity and passion shaped the sound of our lives, leaving a legacy that will forever inspire. Thank you, Quincy, for the rhythm of your heart and the magic you brought to my childhood.”