Music producer Quincy Jones has died at the age of 91. Jones passed away Sunday evening at his home in Bel Air, Los Angeles, surrounded by his family, his representative Arnold Robinson told the AP news agency.
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– Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we announce that our father and brother Quincy Jones has passed away. Although this is an enormous loss for our family, we celebrate his magnificent life, and we know that there will never be another like him, the family writes in a statement.
Jones has collaborated with a long list of major names. He has produced Michael Jackson’s album “Thriller” and collaborated with Ray Charles. He has toured with Count Basie and arranged music for Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald.
Jones has received 27 Grammy Awards, an Emmy, and an Honorary Oscar.
– The life I have been so lucky to live is nothing I take for granted. When I was a small black boy growing up on the South Side of Chicago, it wasn’t even a dream to reach 91, because it never seemed possible.
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He thanked everyone who had given him “a shoulder to stand on” and told him that he was worth something.
– Never underestimate the positive impact you can have on a child’s life, as it can be the difference between them turning 19 or 91 years old.
Øyvind Rønning, Dagbladet’s longtime music journalist and reviewer, comments on the death.
– When you reach 91 years and have a career spanning almost 70 years, it’s clear that there are many things you will be remembered for. He started with jazz, as an arranger and conductor, and then he slipped into pop and wrote film music and so on. But what he will likely be remembered for by most people is that he was behind Michael Jackson’s three biggest albums, with “Thriller” being the largest of them and selling 65 million copies.
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– He was the producer and the musical brain behind one of the biggest artists we have had. And then there is the fact that he gathered a whole group of well-known artists to record “We Are the World,” which raised an incredible amount for those suffering from hunger in Africa. So that is probably what most people will remember.
Rønning explains that what made Jones so unique was his versatility.
– He created magic out of very much, including Michael Jackson. He worked with Frank Sinatra, produced films, and was kind of everywhere – and he was fortunately honored for that.
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The music journalist mentions a Netflix movie called “The Greatest Night in Pop,” which is a documentary about the recording of “We Are the World.”
– When you watch it, you understand the greatness of Quincy Jones, emphasizes Rønning.