American music legend Quincy Jones died at the age of 91, US media reported on Monday. He was a producer for Michael Jackson and Frank Sinatra.
His death was confirmed by his press secretary, Arnold Robinson, in a statement which did not specify the cause, according to media reports. 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 throughout a career spanning more than seven decades.
“Quincy did everything”
Born March 14, 1933 in the slums of Chicago, he rose to prominence in the 1950s as an arranger for stars such as Duke Ellington, Dinah Washington, Count Basie and legend Ray Charles.
He played second trumpet on Elvis Presley’s “Heartbreak Hotel” and teamed with Dizzy Gillespie for several years before moving to Paris in 1957, where he studied with the famous composer Nadia Boulanger.
Quincy Jones also established himself in Hollywood, where he composed music for films and television shows. While composing his own hits, like “Soul Bossa Nova,” he arranged at a breakneck pace for dozens of industry stars.
But he is also best known as the producer of Michael Jackson’s albums “Off the Wall”, “Thriller” and “Bad”.
“Quincy did it all. He was able to take his genius and translate it into any type of sound,” jazz pianist Herbie Hancock told PBS in 2001. “He’s not afraid to nothing. If you want Quincy to do something, you tell him he can’t do it, and of course he will do it.
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