One of the all-time greats of music production has died. Quincy Jones, the famed singer, songwriter, producer, composer, and Grammy award winner, is dead at the ripe age of 91. His phenomenal contributions to the industry changed the face of music forever, and he will be remembered fondly by all.
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With a career as illustrious as they come, Quincy Jones has worked with such legends as Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, and many more. He has innumerable credits that cover hundreds of roles over thousands of various productions. Before his death, Quincy Jones was responsible for an enormous amount of artistic input and output.
The aging superstar died on Sunday, November 3rd surrounded by his family.
The Illustrious Career of Quincy Jones
There are few musicians who can claim a career as full and successful as Quincy Jones before he died. He is perhaps most well known for producing Michael Jackson's 'Thriller album, but his accolades go much deeper than that.
The legend himself was born March 14, 1933, in Chicago, Illinois, and brought up in Seattle, Washington. From there he began his journey into music by studying trumpet. However, his first step into the scene began in 1951, arranging and recording for names such as Sarah Vaughan, Ray Charles, Count Basie, and Duke Ellington.
From here, Quincy Jones never stopped. He won his first of 28 Grammys in 1963 for Count Basie's 'I Can't Stop Loving You'. He won his final award for Best Music Film in 2019, for the film 'Quincy'. His cabinets must have buckled under the weight.
Furthermore, he was also the first black executive of a high-level music production company. Jones became the vice president of Mercury Records in 1961, thus leading the way for others keen to follow in his footsteps.
Throughout his life, Quincy Jones paved the way for aspiring black people. He went from one success to another, carrying others alongside himself, and pushing everyone around him to greatness. Jones inspired, encouraged, and enabled hundreds of artists throughout his life, leaving a lasting footprint that changed the world around him for the better. He will be remembered forever as an enormous, and powerful influence. Quincy Jones' death is a loss to not just the music scene, but society as a whole.
