Where To Watch
R.I.P. Quincy Jones, titan of American music
He created theme songs for classic TV and film and worked with everyone from Sinatra to Michael Jackson. He was 91 years old.
Quincy Jones, mainstay of the entertainment industry for seven decades, passed away on November 3rd, 2024. He is survived by daughters Rashida Jones, Jolie Jones Levine, Rachel Jones, Martina Jones, Kidada Jones, and Kenya Kinski-Jones; son Quincy Jones III; brother Richard Jones and sisters Theresa Frank and Margie Jay.
Jones left an immeasurable legacy in film, television, and music. His list of accomplishments includes some of the most recognizable and commercially successful pieces of art throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.
As a musician, Jones composed pieces that are still instantly familiar to listeners. The theme songs he created for In the Heat of the Night, Ironside, and Sanford & Son were indelible earworms. The unforgettable soundtrack Jones recorded for Roots elevated the already-powerful story. His "Soul Bossa Nova," first released in 1962, later found renewed success as the theme song for the James Bond parody series Austin Powers. And while the music he wrote for the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song might be one of the most-remembered parts of the series, it was his work as a producer that shepherded the show to air.
An artist in his own right, Quincy Jones' greatest contribution was his work with other artists. His name is etched into the annals of history as producer of Michael Jackson's Thriller, the best-selling album of all time. His work extended beyond commercial ambition, as Jones also composed and produced the celebrity-packed "We Are the World" which raised funds to fight famine in Ethiopia.
In addition to his work with The King of Pop, Jones arranged and produced albums for Ray Charles, Tony Bennet, Frank Sinatra, and Aretha Franklin, among others.
His work as a music producer is rivaled only by his production credits in film and television, where Jones used his outsized influence to bring important work to huge audiences. Jones is credited as a producer on The Color Purple, MadTV, and In the House. He was also the music producer and musical supervisor for the 1978 film The Wiz.
In October 2001, Jones released his autobiography, Q.
"Life is a dream," Jones wrote. “Mine’s been in Technicolor, with full Dolby sound through THX amplification before they knew what these systems were.”
Related
9 Comments
R.I.P. Quincy Jones.
