Music supremo Quincy Jones dies at 91
LOS ANGELES – Quincy Jones, a major influence on American music in his work with artists ranging from Count Basie to Frank Sinatra and who then reshaped pop music by collaborating with Michael Jackson, died on Nov 3 at the age of 91.
His publicist, Mr Arnold Robinson, said Jones “passed away peacefully” at his home in Bel Air, while surrounded by his family.
“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,” his family said in a statement.
Jones had a prolific career that spanned more than 70 years, establishing himself as a formidable force in the background and as a gifted artist in his own right.
He left indelible imprints on jazz, pop, hip-hop and dozens of film and television soundtracks.
He produced Michael Jackson’s smash record Thriller, released in 1982, as well as Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of The Color Purple and the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, projects that helped bolster his legacy as a hit-maker and media mogul.
Jones won 28 Grammys, putting him second on the list of all-time winners.
He also received numerous accolades, including recognition at the John F. Kennedy Centre Honours in 2001, a National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama in 2010 and induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.
Jones was born in Chicago on March 14, 1933, the son of Mr Quincy Delight Jones, a semi-professional baseball player and carpenter, and Ms Sarah Frances, a bank officer and apartment complex manager. – REUTERS
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