Quincy Jones, the legendary Music producer who worked with artists such as Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald and scores of other A-list acts, died Nov. 3 at the age of 91.
Jones, who also produced and conducted “We Are the World,” leaves behind a legacy not only as a pioneering musician, but also as a father.
“Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing,” his family said in a statement to NBC News.
“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.”
Jones embraced his family up to his dying day. On Nov. 2, he shared an Instagram post in honor of his daughter Martina’s birthday.
“Happy Birthday to my Tina Beena @martinafotos1!! So proud to be yo papa! Big hug, I love you eternally,” he captioned a picture of the two of them.
Indeed, Jones embraced his role as a dad.
“Never underestimate your role in your kid’s lives…I learned that a bit later in my life, but I’m so glad I finally figured it out because being a father is hands down one of the greatest blessings!!” he wrote on Facebook on Father’s Day in 2018.
Jones was married three times and had seven children with five different women.
Here’s a look at all of Jones’ kids.
Jolie Jones Levine
Jones Levine is Jones’ oldest daughter, whom he had with his first wife, Jeri Caldwell.
“Jolie’s family life exposed her to many cultures and many people who would have a profound effect on her personal philosophy and life path,” her website says. “Surrounded by living legends such as Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughan, Peggy Lee and Frank Sinatra, Jolie witnessed a world of limitless creative expression, dedication, persistence and possibilities.”
She worked as a model as a teenager. Her website’s biography says she “was the first African American to adorn the cover of Mademoiselle magazine and appear in the pages of Seventeen Magazine.”
In 2022, she celebrated her dad’s birthday with a throwback photo of her as a little girl with him. “Happy birthday Daddykins! I’ll always be your little girl I love you,” she captioned the picture on Instagram.
Rachel Jones
Rachel is Jones’ daughter whom he had with dancer Carol Reynolds.
She has worked as a veterinarian in private practice in Los Angeles.
“Since the sale of her stationary practice in 2020, she now owns and operates Marina Vet Mobile, a mobile version of her elite holistic veterinary practice. She services the high and low desert from Joshua Tree to Palm Springs, along with other areas and New York City on a limited basis,” her company’s website says.
“Thank you for choosing me to be your daughter. Your brilliance lives in me and for that I am grateful. For you I am grateful. I LOVE YOU,” she wrote on Instagram on Father’s Day in 2020.
Martina Jones
Martina, who works as a photographer, is one of two kids Jones had with second wife Ulla Andersson.
“Happy Father’s Day ‘D’ !! I love you as much today as did on day one … you are a huge light to not only me but to everyone that has crossed your path,” she wrote on Instagram in a Father’s Day tribute to her dad this year.
“I am so honored to call you my Father… love you to the moon and back … Thanks for loving me.”
Quincy Jones III
Jones and Andersson were also parents to Quincy III, Jones’ only son.
Quincy III, also known as QDIII, has followed his father’s footsteps with a career in music, composing music for TV shows and producing a wide range of shows and documentaries, including the “Beef” series of documentaries. He’s even earned an Emmy nomination for his theme to “The PJs.” In his career, he’s produced music for LL Cool J, Ice Cube and 2Pac.
The younger Jones, whose X handle lists him as a “Music Producer, Media Producer, Tech Entrepreneur,” also honored his father after his death with a picture of them together on Instagram.
Kidada Jones
Jones and his third wife, actor Peggy Lipton, had two daughters, including Kidada.
She has worked in the fashion industry and gained fame for helping to style Michael Jackson when he appeared on the cover of Jones’ Vibe magazine in 1995. She also worked as Tommy Hilfiger’s muse and has created a line of clothing for Disney, according to W magaazine.
Rashida Jones
Rashida, whose mother is also Lipton, may be the most recognizable of Jones’ kids. She’s an actor who has appeared on “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation.” She also put the spotlight on her father in the 2018 documentary “Quincy,” which she wrote and directed. That won a Grammy for best music film.
“I think the reason I wanted to make this is because he is well documented, there’s actually really kind of extensive pieces on him, but he’s so accomplished you never actually get to spend time with him in any of those pieces because you have to cover the decades of success that he’s had,” she told The Hollywood Reporter about the project in 2018.
Kenya Kinski-Jones
After Jones and Lipton broke up, he and actor Nastassja Kinski welcomed daughter Kenya. She has worked as a model.
“I did my very first shoot for Vogue Spain and was inspired by the whole process of it,” she told People in 2018.
“Then I began college and worked the jobs that didn’t interfere with my classes. When I graduated I could finally take the job on full time. I moved to New York, got my first apartment, and have been able to travel to some incredible places and work with such special, talented individuals which I’m very grateful for.”
