Quincy Jones, the multitalented music titan whose vast legacy included collaborations with Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra and Ray Charles, has died at the age of 91.
His publicist, Arnold Robinson, said the American record producer, songwriter and composer died on Sunday night at his home in the Bel Air neighbourhood of Los Angeles, surrounded by his family.
“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.”
Jones was married three times and had seven children. He rose from a rough neighbourhood on the South Side of Chicago to becoming one of the most powerful black executives in show business. His many credits include transforming Jackson from a child star to the 'King of Pop'.
Jackson's seminal 1982 album, Thriller, sold more than 20 million copies in 1983 and is considered one of the best-selling albums of all time. Jones also toured with jazz greats Count Basie and Lionel Hampton, arranged records for Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, and composed the soundtracks for Roots, the historic 1977 TV mini-series set during and after the era of enslavement in the US.
He also gave Will Smith a key break in the hit TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which Jones produced, and through The Color Purple he introduced Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg to filmgoers.
His many honours include 28 Grammys, two honorary Academy Awards and an Emmy for Roots. He also received France’s Legion d’Honneur, the Rudolph Valentino Award from the Republic of Italy and a Kennedy Centre tribute for his contributions to American culture. He was the subject of a 1990 documentary, Listen Up: The Lives of Quincy Jones, and a 2018 film by his daughter Rashida Jones. His 2001 memoir, Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones, also made him a best-selling author.
Jones also had a close relationship with the Middle East, and the UAE in particular, having visited the country many times over the years.
In 2011, along with Emirati entrepreneur Badr Jafar, he produced Tomorrow/Bokra, a charity track featuring 24 Arab artists from 16 countries from the Middle East and North Africa. Artists featured include Iraqi crooner Kadim Al Sahir, Egyptian pop stars Tamer Hosny and Sherine Abdel Wahab, Lebanese singer Marwan Khoury and the UAE singer-songwriter Fayez Al Saeed. The music video, which also featured Senegalese RnB star Akon, wracked up more than 31 million views on YouTube.
Jones and Jafar also partnered to create Global Gumbo Group, a Middle East-focused music and arts-focused platform, in 2013. The group launched The Dubai Music Week that year, featuring performances by top artists as well as panel discussions, workshops and mentoring programmes for budding regional artists.
In 2014, Jones was honoured with the Abu Dhabi Festival Award. Created by the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation, which organises the annual Abu Dhabi Festival, it recognises personalities for their contribution to arts and culture globally.
“The 2014 Abu Dhabi Festival Award recognises the unique commitment of Quincy Jones – one of the most important people in the history of music,” Admaf founder Hoda Al Khamis-Kanoo said then. “Over the course of six decades, he has changed the way we create, listen and appreciate music throughout the world. His commitment to the development of the Arab music industry and to nurturing arts education across the region will undoubtedly benefit generations.”
Jones also opened Q's Bar and Lounge at the Palazzo Versace Dubai hotel in 2016. “Who knew back in the 1950s, that we’d see this today? It’s like a dream,” he told The National at the opening of the jazz club. “I’m just starting – we’re doing 10 movies, six albums and four Broadway shows, and a lot of other great things like this thing here.”
Reflecting on his success in his autobiography, Jones wrote: "Despite all the Grammys and the special awards and testimonials that maturity bestows, it will always be the values you carry within yourself – of work, love, and integrity – that carry the greatest worth, because these are what get you through with your dreams intact, your heart held firm and your spirit ready for another day."
