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Quincy Jones, the trailblazing producer, arranger, and musician whose influence touched nearly every corner of the music world, has died.
Jones' publicists confirmed the producer died on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, at his home in Bel Air.
Growing up in Chicago, Jones' early life was shaped by the vibrant but challenging environment of the city’s South Side. He discovered music as a form of solace and self-expression, and by his teens, he was already playing trumpet and arranging music professionally.
Jones began his career in jazz, joining Lionel Hampton’s band as a trumpeter.
His innovative arrangements quickly drew attention, leading him to work with legends like Dizzy Gillespie.
In the late 1950s, he transitioned to Paris to study at the Paris Conservatory under Nadia Boulanger. Boulanger taught many of the leading composers and musicians of the 20th century, and her tutelage broadened his understanding of classical music and orchestration, which would deeply influence his later works.
This experience fostered his lifelong appreciation for classical composition techniques, and he would later incorporate orchestral elements into many of his most iconic productions.
Beyond jazz, Quincy Jones was among the first Black composers to conduct and arrange for major symphony orchestras, including his role with the “Soul Bossa Nova” arrangement, which blended classical and jazz instrumentation in a way few had attempted.
His work spanned numerous genres, culminating in his groundbreaking production of Michael Jackson’s Thriller, one of the best-selling albums ever.
Yet, Jones always credited his classical studies as pivotal in his understanding of arrangement and harmony, showing the versatility and timelessness of classical training.
He is survived by his daughters, actress Rashida Jones, Jolie Jones Levine, Rachel Jones, Martina Jones, Kidada Jones and Kenya Kinski-Jones; son Quincy Jones III; brother Richard Jones and sisters Theresa Frank and Margie Jay.