Maker of global hits from Frank Sinatra to Michael Jackson, the American producer and jazz trumpeter Quincy Jones, whose death at the age of 91 was announced on Monday, marked his era by establishing himself as an outstanding composer with a multi-awarded career.
In an environment where producers most often work in the shadows, the musician, composer, arranger and producer is one of the rare ones to have stepped into the spotlight, standing out as a reference in American music, period second half of the 22nd century.
He “passed away peacefully” at his home in Los Angeles in the presence of “his children, his brothers and sisters and his close family”, announced his press secretary Arnold Robinson in a press release on Monday.
“While this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great life he lived and know there will never be another like him,” his family said. “Thanks to his music and his limitless love, the heart of Quincy Jones will fight for eternity,” she added.
The composer’s life flirts with the beautiful stories of Uncle Sam: born in 1933 in a Chicago city hit by the Great Depression, to a mother suffering from schizophrenia and a carpenter father, Quincy Delight Jones Jr., his real name, came across a piano at the age of 11. It’s a revelation, the first note of his life as an artist.
In his memoirs, he describes his meeting with Ray Charles as a “blessing”, as this elder, with whom he interacted as a teenager in local clubs, guided him in learning music.
Little by little the collaborations follow one another, the pace becomes frantic: Quincy Jones composes for singers from different worlds, works regularly with Frank Sinatra.
28 Grammy Awards
His CV was already well-stocked when he experienced the definitive turning point in his career, in 1978, thanks to the meeting with Michael Jackson, who sought to explore new sounds.
The chemistry between Jackson, Jones and sound engineer Bruce Swedien is more than just sparks. It spawned the three best albums of the “King of pop”: “Off the wall” (1979), “Bad” (1987) and especially “Thriller” (1982), the best-selling album in history, more than 100 million copies.
Eclectic and hard worker, Quincy Jones has released more than 400 records and won 28 Grammy Awards, earning him the status of a living legend.
In 1961, he was also the first African-American to access a management position in the recording industry, becoming vice-president of the Mercury Records label.
In Montreux like at home
“Quincy Jones first came to MJF in 1990. He was co-producer between 1991 and 1993. It was the beginning of a great friendship with Claude Nobs who called him his ‘brother from another mother’.” , recalled Mathieu Jaton.
In 1991, the duo organized a masterstroke, the legendary concert of Miles Davis who died a few weeks later. From, Quincy Jones returned every year, putting together large tailor-made evenings with musicians from all continents and generations: from Phil Collins to Petula Clark, including Al Jarreau, Herbie Hancock, Simply Red, and even Jon Batiste.
“Since the death of Claude Nobs in 2013, Quincy has redoubled its presence and availability”, says Mathieu Jaton. “In 2019, the concert of its 85th anniversary brought together a whole young generation of artists, for a very symbolic moment. Since Covid, he has not returned, for health reasons.”
“Just like Claude Nobs, Quincy had a broad vision of music and was interested in all styles. It was quality that counted. He was the first to bring hip hop to Montreux in the early 90s. He also gave enormous credibility to the festival,” underlines the boss of the MJF.
When Quincy Jones arrived in Montreux, he declared “I’m back home”. “Tireless, he always had incredible projects. He went to jam sessions, loved discovering young musicians. He met new talents in Montreux, such as Jacob Collier or Alfredo Rodriguez, whom he took under his wing as as a producer and mentor, he was always available,” notes Mathieu Jaton.
TV and cinema
Prolific in music and in family – he had seven children – “Mr. Q” as this jack of all trades was nicknamed, had also turned to film production (“The Color Purple” by Steven Spielberg, 1985) and series like “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”, which revealed Will Smith.
Committed, the producer managed to bring together a panel of stars, from Bob Dylan to Bruce Springsteen via Cyndi Lauper, for the successful charity song “We are the world” (1985) recorded by the “supergroup” “USA for Africa” and dedicated to the fight against famine in Ethiopia.
With Keystone-ATS
