The death of Quincy Jones, his special relationship with France and in particular Europe 1

American music legend Quincy Jones, former producer of Michael Jackson and Frank Sinatra, has died at the age of 91, American media reported on Monday. Jazzman, composer and creator with a certain taste, his talents as a studio musician and his prowess in terms of arrangements have allowed him to join the constellation of stars of 20th century music.

From Frank Sinatra to Michael Jackson, from jazz to hip-hop, Quincy Jones has kept his finger on the pulse of pop over a career spanning more than seven decades. Quincy Jones also collaborated with French legends and even had a weakness for Europe 1 radio.

“The Europe 1 family was my family”

When he arrived in Paris in 1957, Quincy Jones had already achieved great success in the United States, alongside Frank Sinatra and Ray Charles. In his thirties, he came to work for Eddie Barclay's label. At this moment, Quincy Jones is far from being a beginner, but he admitted ten years ago, Europe 1 helped him shine. “I have the impression that I was born with Europe 1. I remember exactly, it was rue François 1er, there was a jazz festival. The Europe 1 family was my family,” he confided .

Another family, that of the Barclay Records label. Quincy Jones then collaborated with the cream of French artists. “Johnny Hallyday was 17 years old, I hired him, he was with Sylvie Vartan at the time… Henri Salvador, we made seven albums together. Charles Aznavour, Jacques Brel, all these artists…”, listed -he. And this unique link between Quincy Jones and France which was sealed more than 20 years ago, when he became Commander of the Legion of Honor.