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Renowned music producer to the stars Quincy Jones has passed away at age 91.
The news of his passing was revealed by his publicist Arnold Robinson on November 4, 2024.
His family shared a heartfelt statement, saying, “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.”
They added, "We take comfort and immense pride in knowing that the love and joy, that were the essence of his being, was shared with the world through all that he created. Through his music and his boundless love, Quincy Jones's heart will beat for eternity."
The star was born in Chicago in 1933, to his mother's family, who was descended from slave owners, and his father, who was half-white and born to a Welsh slave master and one of his female slaves. He was first exposed to music inside the confines of his childhood home through his mother's singing and a neighbour's piano, which he began learning to play when he was seven years old.
Following the divorce of his parents, Jones and his father relocated to Washington State, where he participated in his high school band and learnt how to play drums and various brass instruments. He began performing in bars in Seattle at the age of 14, once backing Billie Holiday in 1948 with a 16-year-old Ray Charles. After attending Seattle University to study music, he moved east to Boston to finish his studies.
Through his influential career, which spanned over 70 years, he worked with Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and many other artists. Among his best-known credits was as the producer of Jackson's historic Thriller album.