Quincy Jones, the music giant whose legacy spans seven decades – including collaborations with everyone from Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and Ray Charles to the production of Michael Jackson’s iconic Thriller album and partnering with Lionel Richie to write We Are the World – has died at 91.
Jones’ publicist, Arnold Robinson, confirmed he “passed away peacefully” on Sunday evening 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.
Over the course of his storied career, Jones earned 28 Grammy Awards, became the first African-American to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song (in 1968, along with Bob Russell, for The Eyes of Love from Banning) and was bestowed honours including an honorary Oscar, the U.S. National Medal of Arts and France’s Grand Commandeur de Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, among many others.
Tributes Pour In
Upon news of Jones’ death, music legends, actors, politicians and others took to social media to pay tribute.
Kamala Harris:
Barack Obama:
Oprah:
Lionel Ritchie:
Dr. Dre:
LL Cool J:
John Legend:
Gloria Estefan:
Colman Domingo:
Elton John:
David Furnish:
Jamie Lee Curtis:
Whoopi Goldberg:
Harry Connick Jr.:
Nile Rodgers:
The Weeknd:
Jennifer Hudson:
Ice T:
Bernice King:
Martin Luther King III:
The Martin Luther King Jr. Centre:
Bill Clinton:
Sheryl Lee Ralph:
Magic Johnson:
Wendell Pierce:
Morgan Freeman:
New Order:
Michael Caine:
Michael Jackson’s estate:
Prince’s estate:
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences:
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame:
Vibe Magazine:
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