RIP Quincy Jones, legendary producer, arranger, composer, musician, and executive. He’s died at age 91.

Quincy Jones was simply one of the most talented people the modern music world had ever seen. He died at his home in Bel Air last night (November 3) at the age of 91. This comes 50 years after he almost died of a brain aneurysm in 1974, something that required emergency brain surgery. Once that was corrected, another aneurysm was found and that, too, required surgery. Doctors at the time said that he had a 1-in-100 chance of surviving. Can you imagine how different music might have been had he died?

Let me run though some of his accomplishments.

• He started by messing around with a neighbour’s piano at the age of 11. Music provided solace from his abusive stepmon.
• When he was a teenager serving in the national guard, he was in a car with a bunch of friends that was hit by a bus. Everyone in the car died but him. He never drove a car again.
• He began as a trumpet player for Lionel Hampton.
• He later backed up Billie Holiday.
• Quincy was a big band leader in the 1950s when he was just in his 20s. He was later a jazz player on his own, influencing the jazz-fusion scene. Many of his compositions have been sampled by other artists throughout the years. (Example: “My Definition of a Boombastic Jazz Style” by Canada’s Dream Warriors uses his “Soul Bossa Nova.” Other samplers included Tupac and Kanye.)
• Speaking of “Soul Bossa Nova,” it was the theme song for the Canadian TV show Definition. It’s also used as the theme in the Austin Powers muovies.
• He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.
• He helped Ray Charles in the early stages of his career.
• His jazz clients included Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and Dizzy Gillespie.
• Quincy was a favourite of Frank Sinatra, arranging Fly Me to the Moon and produced the Sinatra in the Sands album.
• In 1971, he became the first black musical director of the Academy Awards.
• He produced Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad for Michael Jackson. Totaled together, they song far north of 100 million copies.
• When he thought “Beat It” needed some extra spice, he convinced Eddie Van Halen to anonymously contribute a solo. It’s now iconic. He also brought in Vincent Price for “Thriller.”
• He organized and produced the We Are the World charity single, which required a recording session with 50 of America’s biggest music stars. His famous quote was “Check your egos at the door.”
• He collaborated with Aretha Franklin, Patti Austin, Paul Simon, The Brothers Johnson, Chaka Khan, James Ingram, Donna Summer, Billy Preston, Snoop Dogg, and dozens of others.
• His film scores (there were over 30) included In the Heat of the Night, The Italian Job, and The Colour Purple.
• Speaking of which, he was the one who wanted Whoopie Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey for The Colour Purple.
• He did the TV themes for Ironside and Sanford and Son.
• In 1980, he established his own label, Qwest Records. The roster included George Benson, Patti Austin, Frank Sinatra, and–wait for it–New Order (for the US market). The label also issued the soundtracks for Boyz n the Hood and Malcolm X.
• There was also Qwest Broadcasting (est. 1994) which sold five years later for US$270 million.
• He co-Founded the Institute for Black American Music.
• He produced The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air after seeing a promising new kid named Will Smith.
• He was a co-founder of VIBE manage, arguably the most important black music and culture magazine of all time.
• He was nominated for 80 Grammys, winning 28.
• He has too many honorary doctorates to list.
• France recognized him with the Commandeur de la Légion d’honneur. That’s the highest honour France has.
• He was a Kennedy Center Honoree.
• In 2023, he was the first-ever recipient of the US government’s Peace Through Music Award.
• He was involved in unaccountable charitable organizations, ranging from HIV and AIDs initiatives to programs that brought young people into muisc.

The man was the GOAT. There can be no argument.