Quincy Jones, Giant of American Music, Dies at 91
As a producer, he made the best-selling album of all time, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” He was also a prolific arranger and composer of film music.
Quincy Jones, one of the most powerful forces in American popular music for more than half a century, died on Sunday in California. He was 91.
His death was confirmed in a statement by his publicist, Arnold Robinson, that did not mention a cause. The statement said that he had died peacefully at his home in Bel Air.
Mr. Jones began his career as a jazz trumpeter and was later in great demand as an arranger, writing for the big bands of Count Basie and others; as a composer of film music; and as a record producer. But he may have made his most lasting mark by doing what some believe to be equally important in the ground-level history of an art form: the work of connecting.
Beyond his hands-on work with score paper, he organized, charmed, persuaded, hired and validated. Starting in the late 1950s, he took social and professional mobility to a new level in Black popular art, eventually creating the conditions for a great deal of music to flow between styles, outlets and markets. And all of that could be said of him even if he had not produced Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” the best-selling album of all time.
Mr. Jones’s music has been sampled and reused hundreds of times, through all stages of hip-hop and for the theme to the “Austin Powers” films (his “Soul Bossa Nova,” from 1962). He has the third-highest total of Grammy Awards won by a single person — he was nominated 80 times and won 28. (Beyoncé’s 32 wins is the highest total; Georg Solti is second with 31.) He was given honorary degrees by Harvard, Princeton, Juilliard, the New England Conservatory, the Berklee School of Music and many other institutions, as well as a National Medal of Arts and a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master fellowship.
His success — as his colleague in arranging, Benny Carter, is said to have remarked — may have overshadowed his talent.
Subscribe to The Times to read as many articles as you like.
News
NBA Insider details Steve Kerr reasons for Jayson Tatum’s Olympic benching
NBA Insider details Steve Kerr reasons for Jayson Tatum’s Olympic benching Brian Windhorst gives his explanation as to why Jayson Tatum was benched by Steve Kerr in the Olympics. When Jayson Tatum rode the bench during the Summer Olympics, many questioned why…
“It’s My Life” stands as a rock anthem by the iconic American band Bon Jovi
“It’s My Life” stands as a rock anthem by the iconic American band Bon Jovi “It’s My Life” stands as a rock anthem by the iconic American band Bon Jovi, hitting the airwaves as the leading track from their 2000…
Bon Jovi and Pitbull together in ‘Now or Never’, new version of ‘It’s My Life’
Bon Jovi and Pitbull together in ‘Now or Never’, new version of ‘It’s My Life’ The remix ‘Now or Never’ is available from today for pre-order. In this Sept. 12, 2024 photo provided by David Bergman, artists Jon Bon Jovi…
Jon Bon Jovi 80: Golden Moments Worth Watching – Click to Watch Now!
Jon Bon Jovi 80: Golden Moments Worth Watching – Click to Watch Now! Jon Bon Jovi – The 80s were full of rock’n’roll and the most famous in the world of music. With hits like “Livin’ on a Prayer”, “You…
Hollywood stars eagerly go to the US presidential election
Hollywood stars eagerly go to the US presidential election Lady Gaga, Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston… and many artists posted photos to vote and shared about the presidential candidate they voted for. On November 5 (local time), singer Lady Gaga joined…
Ryan Reynolds wishes Taylor Swift could “experience” ‘Eras Tour’ from crowd
Ryan Reynolds wishes Taylor Swift could “experience” ‘Eras Tour’ from crowd “It’s an athletic event and a collective cultural phenomenon” EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – OCTOBER 01: (L-R) Singer Taylor Swift, Blake Lively, and Actor Ryan Reynolds look on prior…
End of content
No more pages to load