- Legendary producer and composer Quincy Jones has died aged 91
- One of the most influential figures in music of the past 50 years
- He worked on the biggest album of all time by sales
Quincy Jones, the legendary jazz musician, composer and music producer – responsible for some of the biggest hits of all time – has died aged 91.
Jones’ publicist, Arnold Robinson, announced the news earlier today. In a statement, Jones’ family said: “Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing.
“And although this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great life he live and know there will never be another like him.”
Jones’ career spanned 75 years, and he won 28 Grammys in all – and he was nominated for an award on 80 occasions.
Over the years, he worked with some of the most iconic names in the world of music and produced some of the biggest hits of all time. Below, we pick out five times that Quincy Jones changed the world of music.
Soul Bossa Nova
This tune from 1962, written by Jones and which appeared on his album, Big Band Bossa Nova, gained a whole new audience when it was used as the theme to the 1997 film Austin Powers International Man of Mystery. Since then, it has been used regularly in TV and films, usually when trying to evoke the spirit of the 1960s. For instance, it was used as a theme for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, it was used on Canadian game show Definition for many years, as well as on comedy show Ispup.
Lesley Gore
In the 1960s, Jones worked as an arranger for a huge range of popular artists, including Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Dinah Washington. He also produced all four of Lesley Gore’s million-selling singles, including ‘It’s My Party’, which got to number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Italian Job soundtrack
The iconic heist film from 1969, starring Michael Caine and a host of Minis running around Italy, also had a famous soundtrack, which Jones produced. One of the most famous tracks, written by Jones, came at the close, and is often known as ‘The Self Preservation Society’ – that refrain appears in the chorus – but is actually called ‘Get a Bloomin’ Move On’. The music has become classic, and reflective of the time.
In all, Jones scored nearly 40 movies over the years, as well as numerous TV shows, including Sanford and Son and Ironside.
Michael Jackson ‘Thriller’
Arguably the most famous album he produced was Michael Jackson’s Thriller in 1982. The album remains the biggest selling long-player to this day, with an estimated 70 million copies sold across the world. Jones was synonymous with Jackson’s solo success, producing the ‘Off The Wall’ (1979), and Bad (1987) albums. But Thriller was the biggest album. Seven singles were released – all of which went top 10 on the US Billboard chart – including the title track, Billie Jean, Beat It and The Girl Is Mine
Supercharging the career of Will Smith
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is one of the most iconic TV shows of the 1990s. The show launched the TV career of Will Smith, and Jones was an executive producer on the show. Smith was already known as one half of DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince, but the series – featuring a fictionalised version of himself – shot him to wider fame and provided the launchpad for his film career and multiple hit singles and albums.
The iconic theme tune – called ‘Yo Home to Bel-Air’ – for the show was written by Jones, with Smith providing the lyrics.
