Quincy Jones, legendary composer who shaped Michael Jackson’s solo career, has died

Reflecting upon the extraordinary life of Quincy Jones, I am in awe of the magnitude and diversity of his contributions to music, film, and humanitarian efforts. As a trailblazer who transcended boundaries, he was not just a musician or producer, but a cultural ambassador who bridged gaps between genres, races, and nations.

Legendary musician, composer, and producer Quincy Jones, known for broadening the scope of American music, passed away at his residence in Bel-Air. In the latter part of the 20th century, he significantly impacted some of the era’s most prominent stars and timeless tunes.

Known as one of the greatest shapers of contemporary American music, Jones passed away on Sunday, with his children, siblings, and close relatives by his side, as stated by his representative Arnold Robinson. At 91 years old, the reason for his passing was not revealed.

Despite this being a profound loss for our family, we honor the exceptional life he lived and recognize there’s no one else quite like him, as expressed in a statement to The Times. He was uniquely extraordinary, and we will deeply miss him; yet, we find solace and immense pride in knowing that the love and joy that defined his existence were shared with the world through everything he produced. His music and boundless love will keep Quincy Jones’ spirit alive forever.

Jones’ illustrious career spanned various stages, starting in smoky jazz clubs where he worked alongside visionaries like Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, and Dizzy Gillespie. Eventually, he found himself established in Los Angeles, overseeing his musical domain from a grand mansion perched atop Bel-Air, much like a titan surveying his kingdom.

Throughout his professional journey, Jones significantly contributed to transforming Michael Jackson into a global phenomenon by creating a series of hit albums, which solidified his status as one of the most recognized musicians worldwide. Moreover, he orchestrated the creation of the blockbuster song “We Are the World,” generating massive funds for Ethiopian famine relief efforts, and garnered an impressive 28 Grammy awards, making him second only to Beyoncé and George Solti in this regard.

As a fan, I’d say I admire those stellar figures who have ascended to such heights in their careers that they are known by a single moniker – think of Prince, Madonna, or Sting. But when it comes to the enigmatic Jones, he simplified it even further: he’s just Q.

According to Harvard historian and literary critic Henry Louis Gates Jr., the impact and achievements of Jones are comparable to those of influential American inventors and intellectuals such as Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and Bill Gates.

In 2008, Gates stated to Smithsonian Magazine that when we discuss individuals who significantly shape an epoch, Quincy is one who connects deeply with the general American public’s mindset.

Oprah Winfrey, who collaborated with Jones on the production and scoring of “The Color Purple,” referred to him as an extraordinary natural force – unlike anything she had ever experienced before.

In “The Complete Quincy Jones: My Journey and Passions,” it was stated that on an off-day, Quincy Jones accomplishes more than many individuals manage to do over the course of their entire lifetime.

Miles Davis, who passed away, once said something similar: “There are some paperboys who can enter any dog’s yard without being bitten. They simply possess a certain charm.

During his youth, surrounded by tales of the times, Jones often chose to learn quietly, soaking up knowledge that he felt couldn’t be gained elsewhere. However, with the arrival of fame and achievement, he found himself increasingly vocal, shedding any initial reservations, and seemingly growing more self-assured in the process.

In 2011, The Times asked Jones to compare himself to Kanye West (now known as Ye). However, Jones appeared displeased or offended by the question.

I’m curious if [West] composes music for a symphonic orchestra, or perhaps a jazz orchestra? Let me clarify that I’m not intending to belittle or pass judgment in any way. We simply hail from opposite ends of the globe.

To demonstrate the high regard Jones was held in, during Barack Obama’s initial explorations for a presidential campaign, one of his early visits in Southern California was to the producer’s luxurious home in Bel-Air.

Gazing at the breathtaking panoramic vistas from the home, Obama listened intently as Jones recounted tales of playing alongside musical greats such as Gillespie, or the electric energy he felt as one superstar after another took their turn to contribute a verse for “We Are the World.

I hail from the vibrant city of Chicago, born on the 14th of March, 1933. My father, Quincy Jones Sr., was a talented semi-professional baseball player and a skilled carpenter, while my mother, Sarah Frances, worked as a bank officer and apartment manager. I have a younger brother named Lloyd who left us in 1998. As a movie lover, I find it fascinating to trace my roots back to this dynamic family.

Growing up, I found myself immersed in the soulful melodies of Black roots music, gospel tunes, and early jazz piano. My mother, with her passion for spirituals, was a constant source of inspiration. Right next door lived Lucy Jackson, who taught me to rhythmically express boogie-woogie on the keyboard.

At age ten, it was Jones’ mother who was admitted into a mental health facility. This event had a deep effect on him, as he recalled the distressing visits to the psychiatric ward, feeling confused about why his mother wasn’t able to return home with him.

In a 2009 interview with The Times, he stated, “They put her in restraints and took her away. To me, that marked the end of my understanding of what it meant to be her child.

In the absence of his mother who was institutionalized, Jones found himself navigating the rough streets, specifically a hard-knock neighborhood on Chicago’s south side that was under the grip of gangsters. One fateful day, as he was making his way home, a band of street thugs cornered him against a fence and slashed one of his hands with a knife blade and jabbed an ice pick into his temple.

Convincing Jones’ father, who had been through a divorce and remarriage, that he should leave Chicago was facilitated by the given circumstance.

Eager for a more promising career and a secure home, Jones’ father relocated his freshly combined family to Bremer, Washington, in 1943, securing employment at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. Once the war concluded, they shifted to Seattle.

Jones was significantly influenced by the tumultuous circumstances within his family and his unstable home environment, shaping him into who he is. As he once humorously remarked, “Had I grown up in a harmonious family, perhaps I would have become an appalling musician.

At the age of 14, he formed a lasting friendship with a young man called Ray Charles. This friendship exposed Jones to an entirely new realm.

Charles Jones stumbled upon a burgeoning talent in music, a performer who skillfully combined blues, gospel, and R&B in ways Jones had never experienced before. Intrigued by this encounter, the two musicians began collaborating. Since his youth, Charles had been blind, and he encouraged Jones to delve deeper into arranging and composing music.

Jones remembered meeting Ray Charles when he was just 14, but Charles seemed far older – more like a man of a hundred years,” or simply “At 14, Jones met Ray Charles who appeared much older, closer to a century in age.

Following his high school graduation, Jones continued his education at Seattle University and secured a scholarship for the Berklee College of Music in Boston, which it is today. In the mid-1950s, he became a member of Lionel Hampton’s large ensemble as both a trumpeter and arranger. Later, he embarked on tours across South America and the Middle East with Gillespie’s big band.

In no time after reaching the middle of his twenties, Jones quickly became a key figure in organizing and recording sessions for artists such as Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and, needless to say, Charles.

During the late 1950s, Jones moved to Paris for education purposes. There, he studied composition under the esteemed teacher Nadia Boulanger and composer Olivier Messiaen. However, his European tour with his own big band in the early ’60s encountered financial difficulties and ultimately concluded abruptly.

Jones shared with Musician magazine that our jazz band was unrivaled, but despite this, we were struggling financially,” he said. “It was then I realized there’s the world of music, and then there’s the business side of it.

A significant opportunity presented itself for Jones when Mercury Records appointed him as the musical director for their New York branch in 1964. Notably, he became the first African American to assume an executive role at a prominent U.S. record label, eventually rising to the position of vice president within the company.

The achievements of Jones didn’t slow down. During the mid-60s, he crafted four million-selling singles and ten Top 40 hits for Lesley Gore, including “It’s My Party.” Furthermore, he orchestrated Frank Sinatra’s famous hit, “Fly Me to the Moon.

1964 marked the beginning of composer’s career in creating music for films when he accepted the offer to work on Sidney Lumet’s “The Pawnbroker.” This was just the start, as it led to over 30 film scores that he produced, a list which includes “The Deadly Affair,” “In the Heat of the Night,” “Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice,” “They Call Me Mr. Tibbs!”, and “The Getaway.

As job offers poured in, the undercurrent of racial bias within the film world was never far from my grasp, constantly pulling me back.

In my perspective as a movie reviewer, when I was tasked with composing the score for “In Cold Blood,” I found myself at odds with Truman Capote, the acclaimed author whose novel served as the basis for this gripping adaptation. To my surprise, he attempted to thwart my involvement in the film’s production.

In a 2008 interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Jones stated, “He expressed confusion as to why a film without black characters would include music by a black artist.” Jones acknowledged that it would be challenging for a Black actor to establish a career in the movie industry.

For the movie “In Cold Blood,” his musical composition garnered him a nomination for an Academy Award in 1967 – marking the first of seven times he was recognized in this way.

Jones’ contribution to television was just as significant, as he composed the main themes for shows such as “Sanford and Son,” “The Bill Cosby Show,” “Banacek,” and “Ironside.

Apart from his hectic timetable, he was also involved in establishing Qwest Productions, as well as offering musical arrangements for artists such as Peggy Lee, Sarah Vaughan, Billy Eckstine, Ella Fitzgerald, Sinatra, and his own bands.

Following the creation of the soundtrack for the 1978 movie “The Wiz,” starring Diana Ross and Michael Jackson, Jones was approached by Jackson, who inquired whether he would be interested in producing Jackson’s next album.

Initially, Jackson’s music label expressed concerns, as they thought Jones was primarily a jazz artist. However, Jackson persistently advocated for collaborating with Jones.

According to Jones, everyone commented, “Michael couldn’t grow beyond his size in The Jackson 5,” but Jones replied, “We’ll find out.

1982 saw the release of the album “Thriller,” a follow-up to “Off the Wall.” This groundbreaking record became the bestselling album ever made and garnered eight Grammy awards, catapulting Michael Jackson’s career into the cosmos and establishing him as the supreme ruler of pop music, a title previously held by Quincy Jones.

Five years after their partnership, Jackson put out “Bad,” marking the end of their three-piece series. This release produced a total of five number one hits.

According to Jones, Jackson was one of the most dedicated performers he had ever encountered. To fully capture the emotional intensity that Jackson exuded, Jones claimed he turned the recording studio into a performance venue by dimming the lights and encouraging Jackson to dance during recording sessions, as if there were thousands watching. Years later, Jones won $9.4 million in a Los Angeles court case after it was decided that he had been underpaid in royalties by Jackson’s estate.

One year after the 1985 American Music Awards, Jones gathered a group of top musicians including Ross and Bruce Springsteen to record “We Are the World.” This song turned out to be one of the biggest-selling singles ever, bringing in close to $70 million to aid victims of the Ethiopian famine.

However, the overwhelming burden, strain, and strain of a failing marriage had become too much for Jones to bear, ultimately leading to his breakdown.

He postponed all ongoing projects, canceled his scheduled appearances and flew to Tahiti. Alone.

In 1989, he shared with The Times that he had stayed for a full month, and those 31 days were the hardest of his life. He descended to the lowest point, moving from one island to another aimlessly. He found himself in a dire situation.

While fitting the puzzle pieces into place, Jones expressed a sense of revitalization, almost as if he’d experienced a profound spiritual purification. He likened it to God giving him a firm shake and saying, “Let me have a peek and figure out what’s happening here.

In the bustling cityscape of L.A., my career took off at a rapid pace once again. I established Quincy Jones Entertainment, an exciting collaboration with Time Warner, and produced the iconic “Fresh Prince of Bel Air” for NBC. I also orchestrated a concert for President Bill Clinton’s inauguration and embarked on “The Q Series,” a groundbreaking anthology dedicated to Black American music. Additionally, I founded Qwest Broadcasting, which at that time was the largest minority-owned broadcasting company in the U.S. As a movie buff, I felt like I was scripting my own life story with each new project!

1996 saw him broadcasting the 68th Academy Awards ceremony. Three years after that, U2’s lead singer Bono, Bob Geldof (a singer-songwriter), and Jones held a meeting with Pope John Paul II as part of an initiative to alleviate the debt burden carried by developing countries. In 2008, he was appointed as an artistic advisor for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; some suggested he should decline this role in protest against China’s poor human rights conditions.

Jones’ accolades and recognitions were astonishingly impressive. He was nominated for a Grammy an incredible 80 times, taking home victories on 28 occasions. He also earned eight nominations for Academy Awards. France honored him as the first musician to receive both the rank of Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters and Commander of the Legion of Honor. Furthermore, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and bestowed with Kennedy Center Honors.

The Quincy Jones Foundation, led by Quincy Jones himself, has donated vast sums for humanitarian efforts and arts education, not just in Los Angeles but globally. In recognition of his accomplishments, a school in South L.A. was named after him. When he visited the school during its opening in 2011, he shared that it reminded him of his first days in L.A.

Toward the end of his life, Jones pondered his own mortality, sharing with The Times that within a span of just one year, he erased the contact details of 188 friends and acquaintances from his phone – each one having passed away.

He mentioned, “Initially, you perform with bands or duos. Then, there’s this concern that everything might eventually turn into a single performance.

Jones had three marriages, with his longest union being with actress Peggy Lipton. He leaves behind seven offspring, among them the actor Rashida Jones.

Previously, jazz critic Don Heckman (who later passed away in 2020) was instrumental in providing insights for this tale. Meanwhile, Marble held an editorial position at The Times in the past.

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2024-11-04 13:02