Quincy Jones, the celebrated musician and producer who worked with Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and many others, has died at the age of 91.
Quincy Jones’ publicist, Arnold Robinson, said he “passed away peacefully” on November 3 at his home in Bel Air.
“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,” the family said in a statement.
Quincy Jones was best known as the producer of Michael Jackson’s Thriller album.
Over a career spanning more than 75 years, he won 28 Grammy Awards and was named as one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century by Time magazine.
Quincy Jones worked closely with Frank Sinatra and reworked the crooner’s classic Fly Me To The Moon, taking it from a waltz to a swing.
For the film The Wiz, Quincy Jones found himself working alongside a 19-year-old Michael Jackson. He went on to produce Michael Jackson’s album Off the Wall and the pop star’s follow-ups Thriller – which sold 34 million copies int he US alone – and Bad.
In 1985, Quincy Jones gathered 46 of America’s most popular singers of the time, including Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner and Cyndi Lauper, to record We Are the World.
Quincy Jones co-wrote the song to raise money for those suffering from a devastating famine in Ethiopia. The record was the US equivalent to Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas.
Quincy Jones also composed the soundtrack to more than 50 films and TV programs including the 1969 British film, The Italian Job.
