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Quincy Jones was a visionary American record producer, composer, arranger, and conductor whose influence on music, film, and culture has spanned more than 70 years. Born in 1933 in Chicago, Jones began his career as a jazz trumpeter and arranger, working with legends like Lionel Hampton and Dizzy Gillespie. His talents quickly led him to arranging and producing for some of the biggest names in music, from Ray Charles to Duke Ellington, and later, modern icons like Michael Jackson, for whom he produced the groundbreaking albums Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad.
Jones has also made his mark in film and television, scoring classic films like In the Heat of the Nightand producing The Color Purple. As the first African-American to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song, and with 28 Grammy Awards to his name, Jones has been a pioneer in breaking barriers and shaping the sounds of jazz, soul, pop, and hip-hop. An advocate for music education and social justice, he founded the Quincy Jones Musiq Consortium to provide music opportunities for underserved communities. With an unmatched legacy and an indelible impact on global culture, Jones remains one of the most influential figures in modern music history.
A private funeral was held for Jones in Los Angeles with a public memorial planned according to AP News.