EBN- Quincy Jones, the 79-time Grammy nominated composer and producer who collaborated with Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra and Michael Jackson, died at his home in Bel Air, California, surrounded by his children, siblings and other family members.
Tonight with heavy and broken hearts, we must share the passing of our father and brother, Quincy Jones ,” the statement from the Quincy Jones family reads.
“While this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great life he lived. There will never be another like him. He is truly one of a kind and will be sorely missed. We take comfort and immense pride in knowing that the love and joy that were the essence of his being shared with the world through all that he created. Through his music and his boundless love, Quincy Jones’ heart will beat forever.
His early start
Jones grew up in the jazz world and became one of the most prominent figures in pop music. He won six of his 28 Grammy Awards for his 1990 album Back on the Block. Jones was a huge celebrity in the entertainment community.
To many, he is perhaps best known for his prolific production collaboration with Michael Jackson, which began in 1979 with the album Off the Wall, which sold an estimated 20 million copies internationally. He then collaborated with him on the chart-topping 1982 album Thriller—for which Jones won Album of the Year. It is the best-selling album of all time, with worldwide sales estimated at over 110 million copies.
Jones was the first African American to compose a major motion picture score, 1964’s The Pawnbroker. He also received seven Academy Award nominations for Best Original Score and Song. In 1995, he received the AMPAS Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, another first for an African artist.
