Quincy Jones helped shape nearly every facet of pop music history, either directly or indirectly, for more than half a century. On Nov. 3, the consummate multi-hyphenate passed away at the age of 91.
The recipient of 28 GRAMMY wins and 80 nominations — ranking third and fourth most in the organization’s history, respectively — Jones will be remembered for his work with everyone from Michael Jackson to Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin to Count Basie. He was also known for his powerful support of many humanitarian causes.
Jones’ legacy within the Recording Academy dates back to just a few years after its founding. The Great Wide World of Quincy Jones was nominated for Best Jazz Performance Large Group at the 3rd GRAMMY Awards, and not a decade passed since without the icon receiving an award. In addition, Jones was the recipient of the Trustees Award in 1989, the GRAMMY Legend Award in 1992, and the MusiCares Person Of The Year in 1996, and was the subject of a GRAMMY Foundation gala tribute in 2014. In 2023, Jones became the first-ever recipient of the Academy & State Department’s PEACE Through Music Award.
In presenting that last award, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. called Jones his "friend and mentor," and noted that his respect and admiration for Jones are echoed throughout the organization. "We are all absolutely heartbroken by the passing of the incomparable Quincy Jones," Mason jr. said in a statement. "A master of many crafts, Quincy’s artistry and humanity impacted artists, music creators, and audiences around the world and will continue to do so. He has been recognized by his Recording Academy peers with an extraordinary 28 GRAMMY awards, standing among the most celebrated recipients in GRAMMY history. Quincy leaves behind an unmatched legacy and will always be remembered for the joy he and his music brought to the world."
Jones' long list of accolades also includes honorary degrees from Harvard, Princeton, and Juilliard, as well as a National Medal of Arts. His legacy doesn’t stop with the immense impact of his music, but extends to activism and humanitarianism. Jones was an advocate for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his Operation Breadbasket, served on the board of People United to Save Humanity, founded the Quincy Jones Listen Up Foundation, supported the work of the NAACP, GLAAD, and other organizations, and produced the "We Are the World" charity single.
With such a massive footprint both personally and professionally, it should be no surprise that news of his passing has resulted in seemingly endless remembrance and thanks across social media. Elton John, Victoria Monét, Reverend Al Sharpton, LL Cool J and Lin Manuel-Miranda were among the many artists praising Quincy Jones' influence and legacy.
"Wow, Q - what a great ride!!" Lionel Richie wrote on X, accompanied by a picture of the two together. Jones and Richie worked closely together on "We Are the World," a project which was also co-written by Michael Jackson. After connecting with Jackson for The Wiz, Jones became a frequent collaborator of the pop icon, including the albums Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad.
"The world mourns the loss & celebrates the life of Quincy Jones," the Jackson estate shared. "A legendary talent whose contributions to music spanned generations and genres. What an MJ/Q decade-long partnership produced is unmatched and includes the biggest selling album of all time. Rest in Peace, Q."
Clive Davis similarly mourned Jones’ passing. "Quincy Jones was a true giant of music," he wrote on Instagram. "Whether it was jazz, pop, r&b or rock, no genre of music escaped his genius…Say ‘We Are the World’ and say ‘The Color Purple’ and you’ll understand the range of his music. He was the ultimate music renaissance man and a true inspiration to all of us in music."
In an Instagram post, John Legend reflected on joy Jones "brought to every room. He was the life of the party, so charming and full of light. I feel so fortunate to have witnessed it in person. But we’re all so fortunate to live in a world made more beautiful by the music he created."
A True Innovator Who Always Built Up
"I'm often asked what my 'formula for success' is...but to be honest, there is no formula or road map, and if anyone tells you there is, they're full of it," Jones wrote in the introduction to his 2022 book, 12 Notes: On Life and Creativity.
For Jones, that winding road started with a childhood on the South Side of Chicago, before moving in his early years between Kentucky and Washington before joining his school band and choir, not to mention convincing Count Basie trumpeter Clark Terry to give him lessons. He also crossed paths and shared the stage with Ray Charles, when Jones was 14 and Charles 16. An obviously prodigious talent, Jones relocated to New York by his early 20s; he quickly became a freelance arranger for Count Basie and musical director, arranger, and trumpeter for Dizzy Gilespie.
Jones began his solo recording career in 1956 with This Is How I Feel About Jazz, and moved to Paris, where he learned to arrange strings and studied music theory. This was followed by invitations to work on stage musicals and film soundtracks (including The Pawnbroker, In the Heat of the Night, and In Cold Blood (not to mention much later contributing music to and even appearing in the Austin Powers series. Jones had signed as an artist to Mercury Records in 1958 and moved his way up the executive ladder — a first for a Black man at a major label — becoming music director and, eventually, vice president.
After excelling in jazz at Mercury, Jones reached pop success by shepherding Lesley Gore's "It's My Party" to the top of the charts. He continued releasing his own material as well, experimenting at the intersections of jazz, funk, and more.
While Jones may be most known for his 1980s run with Michael Jackson, the decade also saw him open Qwest, a label that released works from the likes of Frank Sinatra, Lena Horne, and New Order, among many others. "It’s so sad to hear about Quincy Jones. When he signed us to his label, he made us feel so welcome - inviting us to dinner at his home every time we were in town," former New Order bassist Peter Hook posted on X. "He made us big in America. He was so humble & sweet that you immediately fell in love with him."
Read more: Mogul Moment: How Quincy Jones Became An Architect Of Black Music
Jones won 13 of his 28 GRAMMYs in the ‘80s, including Record Of The Year, Best Pop Duo or Group Performance, and Best Music Video for "We Are the World." In a recent interview with GRAMMY.com, Lionel Richie described Jones’ steady, nurturing hand on the project: "I asked Quincy a very important question one time. I said, ‘How in the world did you deal with all of those various personalities and stuff?’ He said, ‘What do you think an arranger does? … My job is to organize chaos.’"
A Jack Of All Trades — And Master Of All
In addition to writing and recording his own music and producing for others, Jones proved to be a mastermind across many other parts of the entertainment industry. In the '90s, he launched Quincy Jones Entertainment. Beyond operating his record label, the company produced successful TV shows like "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air" and "Mad TV", and helped publish music magazines Vibe and Spin.
The ‘90s also saw Jones’ music intertwined with hip-hop, most notably as sampled by Tupac in the chart-topping "How Do U Want It." The legendary Ice-T, who had guested on Jones’ album Back on the Block, expressed the impact that the legendary musician and producer had made: "Love you Quincy.. You changed my life."
One of Jones’ final appearances on record came in 2022, where he provided a spoken word track to The Weeknd's Dawn FM called "A Tale By Quincy." The Weeknd’s Abel Tesfaye even wrote the foreword to Jones’ 2022 book, 12 Notes, which included a powerful summary of the impact that Jones had on Tesfaye — and the entire musical world. "Even if you've already read his autobiography or know everything there is to know about him, I hope you'll take time to listen to the advice he has to share with you in the pages of this book," Tesfaye wrote. "Because I promise it is what matters the most."
"My fans know how important Quincy was to the fabric of my music," he added on X. "[I] tried to capture what he meant to me as a human. Let’s celebrate his life today."