Vale: Quincy Jones
Legendary US music producer, composer, conductor, and arranger Quincy Jones has died.
- Published by David Knox
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Legendary US music producer, composer, conductor, and arranger Quincy Jones, whose career spanned decades, has died aged 91.
He died on Sunday night at his home in Los Angeles according to US reports. Â A cause of death was not disclosed.
“Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing,” the family said in a statement.
“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 music CV spans generations, backing Billie Holiday, arranging for Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, producing Off the Wall and Thriller for Michael Jackson and 1985’s We Are the World. He worked with Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Snoop Dogg and LL Cool J, Tony Bennett, Lesley Gore, Diana Ross, Chaka Khan, and Queen Latifah.
On We are the World alone, performers included Michael Jackson, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder and Bruce Springsteen.
Thriller sold more than 20 million copies in 1983 alone. Selling 65 million copies it became the highest-selling album of all time.
He amassed 28 Gramys, two honorary Academy Awards and an Emmy for scoring TV’s Roots.
As a music executive, he overcame racial barriers by becoming a vice-president at Mercury Records in the early 60s. In 1971, he became the first black musical director for the Academy Awards.
He produced The Color Purple, MadTV, Bel Air, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, In the House, Vibe, and composed for numerous screen works including Sanford and Son, Ironside, The Bill Cosby Show, In Cold Blood, The Italian Job, The Wiz and more.
2 Responses
Total Respect….a life more than just well lived.
RIP Quincy. Leaving an amazing legacy behind. Thriller was the album a received for my birthday as a kid. One of the greatest albums of all time. I loved the Netflix doco We Are The World, learned a lot about the making of this iconic song.