Prolific music producer Quincy Jones died on Sunday, November 3, 2024, at his home surrounded by family. He was 91 years old.

“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 that he lived and know there will never be another like him,” the family said in a statement.

He worked with a who’s who of big name talent from Frank Sinatra to Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin to Paul Simon.

Jones was born on March 14, 1933, in Chicago, Illinois, then he left home at 14 and lied about his age so that he could join the National Guard. His music career began by playing trumpet for jazz musicians like Dizzy Gillespie and Lionel Hampton.

He produced Lesley Gore’s “It’s My Party,” which went No. 1 and made the 16-year-old singer one of the youngest to achieve that milestone. In 1963, he produced three more of her songs that reached the Top 5, including “You Don’t Own Me.”

In the ‘70s, Jones worked with The Brothers Johnson funk duo, producing their first four albums, all of which went platinum. Their single “I’ll Be Good to You,” and two others reached the Top 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100 list.

In 1980, he created his own record label, Qwest Records, signing artists like Sinatra, Patti Austin, Tevin Campbell, George Benson, and New Order.

Jones produced three of Jackson’s biggest hit albums starting with Off the Wall, then Thriller, followed by Bad. For Jackson’s R&B/rock mashup “Beat It,” Jones sought Eddie Van Halen to perform the song’s powerful guitar solo. He also took “Human Nature,” which was an unsuccessful song demoed by Steve Porcaro of Toto, and made it a hit on Jackson’s album.

He co-produced and conducted the choir for “We Are the World,” a song that Jackson and Lionel Richie wrote for African famine relief. The song, featuring an all-star lineup of 1980s talent, was a top seller in ’85 and won four Grammys.

Jones composed theme songs for a few sitcoms, including Sanford and Son and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and he composed the score for The Color Purple, which was nominated for an Academy Award. As a musician, Jones recorded several albums that featured famous singers like Chaka Khan and Ray Charles.

Over his long career in music, he won 28 Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Awards, and he was nominated for seven Academy Awards. In 2001, he received the Kennedy Center Honors.