The industry has lost a true legend and icon whose career spanned music and film.Quincy Jones, one of the most accomplished and well-known producers, songwriters, and composers, has sadly passed away at 91. While he’s best known for producing three of Michael Jackson’s biggest and most signature albums, which includeOff The Wall,Thriller, andBad, he also dabbled in film and television as a producer, lending his name tothe movie musicaladaptation ofThe Wiz, Steven Spielberg’sThe Color Purpleand television’sThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, among others.
Per theAssociated Press, Jones' publicist, Arnold Robinson, revealed that he passed away peacefully at home on Sunday night surrounded by his loved ones. The family released a statement regarding his passing that reads:
“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.”
A cause of death was not disclosed, but Robinson did make a request to have any donations, should people wish to make them, be made to The Jazz Foundation of America, given Jones' love of the music industry. An art form that gave Jones purpose and meaning.
“Quincy’s family is grateful for the outpouring of condolences…and respectfully request privacy at this time. In lieu of flowers…the family asks that donations be made to The Jazz Foundation of America - jazzfoundation.org.”
Quincy Jones Was an Accomplished Figure in Music & Film
Born on the South Side of Chicago on August 06, 2025, Jones' career knew no bounds. The early part of his musical journey began as a jazz arranger and conductor, working with other legends such as Frank Sinatra and Count Basie. As an African American, he alsobroke down barriers, becoming the first African American to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for the tune “The Eyes of Love”, featured in the 1967 filmBanning. He was nominated in the same year for Best Original Score for his work on the critically acclaimed crime film,In Cold Blood. Jones also accomplished another first forAfrican Americans at the Academy Awardsin 1971, when he became the first African American to be the musical director and conductor for the big event. All told, he was the second most Oscar-nominated African American with seven nominations, tying with sound designer Wille D. Burton.
In a career littered with accomplishments, most know Jones for producing three ofMichael Jackson’s biggest albums:Off The Wall,Thriller, andBad. The duo met when Jones produced the soundtrack for the movie adaptation ofThe Wizin 1978, in which Jackson co-starred as the Scarecrow alongside Diana Ross’s Dorothy. Their seriously big seller together would be Jackson’sThrilleralbum in 1982. The signature Jackson release remains the best-selling album of all time with 70 million copies sold worldwide, winning a record-breaking eight Grammy Awards in 1984.
By the end of Jones' career, he would go on to win a total of 28 Grammy Awards out of a staggering 80 nominations, making him the most Grammy-nominated producer ever. Jones did more groundbreaking work in 1985 with Jackson and a slew of other music artists when he produced and recorded “We Are the World”, a song made to raise money for the 1983-1985 famine in Ethiopia. The single sold over 20 million copies, making it one of the biggest selling singles of all time, and it raised over $80 million for their cause.
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Alongside all of Jones' work within the music industry, he frequently lent his talents to films. He wrote the music and scores for many projects, includingIn the Heat of the NightandThe Color Purple. The1985 Spielberg filmbecame Jones' first producing film credit, and it would go on to become very successful, grossing $98.4 million at the box office on a $15 million budget. The movie was also nominated for eleven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The composer was also involved in the Broadway musical adaptation ofThe Color Purple, going on to win a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.
In TV, Jones produced the iconic sitcom,The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which ran for six seasons, andMad TV. He composed music for the miniseriesRoots,Ironside,The Bill Cosby ShowandSanford & Son. Jones would go on to win an Emmy Award for Outstanding Musical Composition for a Series for his work onRoots, which remains one of the most successful and iconic miniseries of all time. Jones is survived by his daughter, actress Rashida Jones, as well as daughters Jolie Jones Levine, Rachel Jones, Martina Jones, Kiada Jones, Kenya Kinski-Jones, son Quincy Jones III, sisters Theresa Frank and Margie Jay, and his brother, Richard Jones. Rest in peace to a true legend.
