Legendary music producer Quincy Jones has passed away at age 91. His family released a statement 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. He is truly one of a kind and we will miss him dearly; we take comfort and immense pride in knowing that the love and joy, that were the essence of his being, was shared with the world through all that he created. Through his music and his boundless love, Quincy Jones' heart will beat for eternity."

Among the hundreds of musicians Quincy worked with were Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, Paul Simon and Michael Jackson. His work earned him 28 Grammys as well as a Grammy Legend Award, making him the third-biggest Grammy winner of all time.

Jones was born on March 14, 1933 in Chicago. He became a trumpet player for Dizzy Gillespie and Lionel Hampton's jazz bands. His early production successes included "It's My Party" and "You Don't Own Me" for Lesley Gore in 1963, but his biggest success was Michael Jackson's Thriller, which went on to be the biggest-selling album of all time. Soon after, he'd produce and conduct the all-star choir in "We Are The World," which became the top-selling single of 1985.

He also worked in film and TV, producing and composing. He composed the score for the Oscar-nominated 1985 film The Color Purple and the theme music for Sanford and Son. Among his TV production credits was Will Smith's series The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. He even released his own albums, like 1974's Body Heat, 1978's Sounds... and Stuff Like That, 1981's The Dude and 1989's Back on the Block, which won the Album of the Year Grammy.

When asked about retirement in 2018 by GQ, Jones said, "I feel like a child, man. I'm just starting."

Gerry Martire

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