An abundance of praise continues to pour in for Quincy Jones as the world learns the news of the legendary music titan’s death.
Arnold Robinson, Jones’ publicist, said he passed away Sunday night at 91 years old, surrounded by family at his Bel Air home in California.
Jones, a native of Chicago, began his music industry career as a trumpet player. As a teenager he would meet icons like Ray Charles and Billie Holiday, and played with them and others before going on to become a bandleader in his early 20s after touring with Lionel Hampton, Count Basie and more.
As a record producer, Jones had a similarly wide-ranging career, making songs for Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Donna Summer and of course Michael Jackson, with whom he made the highest-selling album of all time, “Thriller.” Jones also scored and created soundtracks for a bevy of award-winning films and television programs, including “The Wiz,” “Roots” and “In the Heat of the Night,” along with theme songs to shows like “Sanford and Son.”
He also oversaw the recording of “We Are the World,” a 1985 charity record created to bring awareness and relief to famine in Ethiopia. The song featured many of the world’s biggest musical superstars of the time, including Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, Tina Turner, Bob Dylan, Cindy Lauper and Stevie Wonder.
Jones evolved into a maker of film and television programs, including “The Color Purple” and “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” making him responsible for launching the career of Will Smith. Jones was also a media executive, having launched Vibe magazine in partnership with Time Inc. in 1993.
Various figures in Atlanta, from authors to visual artists, entertainment executives, radio personalities and recording acts and even chefs have taken to social media to share their own stories of meeting or being inspired by the lionized musician and entertainment industry pioneer.
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