Quincy Jones' Devastated Family Announce Music Production Giant Has Died Aged 91 — After Stellar Career Working With Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Will Smith and More
Quincy Jones passed away aged 91 'surrounded by his family'.
Nov. 4 2024, Published 5:23 a.m. ET
Legendary music producer Quincy Jones has died aged 91.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the 28-Grammy award-winning artist, best known for his collaborations with Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra and Will Smith, passed away on Sunday surrounded by his family.
Jones worked with artists including Michael Jackson and Will Smith.
His publicist Arnold Robinson has announced: "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."
Jones worked on the King of Pop’s iconic albums Thriller, Off The Wall and Bad, plus co-wrote and produced the classic charity single We Are The World.
Jones co-wrote and produced the classic charity single We Are The World.
He also produced records for other music greats including Aretha Franklin, Donna Summer, George Benson, Ray Charles and Dizzy Gillespie.
Away from music, he founded a TV and film production company in 1990, enjoying particular success with The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and The Color Purple, and launched Qwest TV, an on-demand music TV service, in 2017.
Jones was born in Chicago in 1933 before moving to Washington state with his father after his parents divorced.
Jones is a father of seven.
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At just 14, he played in a band with a teenage Ray Charles.
After studying music at university, he moved to New York after being hired by jazz band leader Lionel Hampton, with one early gig being playing trumpet for Elvis Presley for The King's first TV appearances.
Jones eventually landed a job as a producer and arranger at Mercury Records and began scoring films too, becoming the first African American to be nominated for the Best Original Song accolade at the 1968 Oscars for The Eyes of Love from the film Banning, marking his first of seven nominations.
Jones with Oprah Winfrey, one of the many top stars he worked with.
The producer narrowly avoided being killed by Charles Manson's cult, having forgotten he was meant to go to Sharon Tate's house on the night of the murders there, and survived a brain aneurysm in 1974.
Jones married three times, to high-school girlfriend Jeri Caldwell for nine years until 1966, to Ulla Andersson from 1967 to 1974 and Peggy Lipton, who he wed the same year as his second divorce before they split in 1989.
He had seven children in total, a daughter Jolie, 69, with Caldwell, a daughter Martina, 58, and son Quincy Jr, 55, with Andersson, and two daughters, Kidada, 50, and Rashida, 48, with Lipton.
He also has Rachel, 59, from a brief relationship with Carol Reynolds and Kenya, 31, with Nastassja Kinski.
Quincy spoke about fatherhood back in 2018, saying he sees inspiration from his own dad, Quincy Delight Jones, Sr.
He wrote on Facebook on Father's Day: "I'm forever grateful to my father for working so hard to keep a roof over our head back in the '30s during The Great Depression... he never gave up on us.
"I'm telling y'awl, it's up to you to create the type of relationship you want to have with your kid, and it's never too late to start."
Quincy added: "Never underestimate your role in your kid's lives. I learned that a bit later in my life, but I'm so glad I finally figured it out because being a father is hands down one of the greatest blessings."
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