Music titan Quincy Jones dies aged 91

Quincy Jones became one of the first black executives to thrive in Hollywood. Picture: Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA Wire

Quincy Jones, the US music titan whose vast legacy ranged from producing Michael Jackson’s Thriller album to collaborating with Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and hundreds of other recording artists, has died aged 91.

Jones’ publicist, Arnold Robinson, said he died on Sunday night at his home in the Bel Air area of Los Angeles, surrounded by his family.

“Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing,” the family said in a statement.

“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.” 

Jones rose from running with gangs on the South Side of Chicago to the very heights of show business, becoming one of the first black executives to thrive in Hollywood and amassing an extraordinary musical catalogue that includes some of the richest moments in American music.

Quincy Jones in. the 1980s. Picture: A&M Records/Getty Images

For years, it was unlikely to find a music lover who did not own at least one record with his name on it, or a leader in the entertainment industry and beyond who did not have some connection with him.

Jones kept company with presidents and foreign leaders, movie stars and musicians, philanthropists and business leaders.

He toured with Count Basie and Lionel Hampton, arranged records for Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, composed the soundtracks for Roots and In The Heat Of The Night, organised then-president Bill Clinton’s first inaugural celebration and oversaw the all-star recording of We Are The World, the 1985 charity record for famine relief in Africa.

Lionel Richie, who co-wrote We Are the World and was among the featured singers, would call Jones “the master orchestrator”.