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MusicUnited States of America

Quincy Jones: 'Thriller' producer dies at 91

November 4, 2024

The music titan produced Michael Jackson's "Thriller" album and worked with Frank Sinatra. His family said he died in his home in Los Angeles.

https://p.dw.com/p/4mYmt
Quincy Jones at the 2004 Grammy Awards
Quincy Jones won the third most Grammys of all timeImage: imago/ZUMA Globe

Legendary US music producer Quincy Jones passed away Sunday night at the age of 91, his publicist announced.

"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." 

More than seven decades in music: Quincy Jones dies at 91

Who was Quincy Jones?

Born in 1933 in Chicago, Jones started out making his own music, backing the likes of Billie Holiday and later fronting his own band. It was then that he met Ray Charles, who would become a lifelong friend and collaborator.

Jones later became one of first Black executives to thrive in the entertainment industry and amassed a music catalogue that included Michael Jackson's "Thriller" album, work from jazz legends like Duke Ellington, as well as crooners like Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett.

His own music was also frequently sampled by rappers such as Tupac Shakur and Kanye West. He also wrote film and television scores, including "The Color Purple" and "Sanford and Son."

Tributes pour in

A number of Hollywood stars and musicians paid tribute to Jones on social media, with American rapper and actor Ice-T writing on X: "I woke up today to the terrible news that we lost Quincy Jones. Genius is a description loosely used but rarely deserved. Point blank, Quincy was the MAN. I won my 1st Grammy with Quincy and I live with his wisdom daily," 

English actor Michael Caine, who was born on the same date as Jones on March 14, 1933, expressed how fortunate he felt to know Jones, saying: "My Celestial twin Quincy was a titan in the musical world. He was a wonderful and unique human being, lucky to have known him." 

Playwright Lynn Nottage added: "We've lost a pure unadulterated genius. 20th century music carries his imprint."

And, Harry Connick Jr took to Instagram to express the influence Jones had on his career: "My hero. Truly one of the greatest minds the music world has ever known. He was so kind to me, so wonderful, such an influence. His legacy and his music will live forever. Thank you for everything, Q. You were the dude."

es, km/msh (AP, AFP)