Quincy Jones

Quincy Delight Jones Jr. did everything. Trumpeter, arranger, composer, producer, record executive, film scorer, television pioneer, magazine founder, humanitarian — he touched nearly every corner of American popular culture across seven decades and left each one better than he found it. He produced the three best-selling albums of all time: Michael Jackson's Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad. He scored over 30 films. He organized "We Are the World." He won 28 Grammy Awards from 80 nominations.

Born in Chicago in 1933 and raised in Seattle, Jones discovered music as a teenager when he broke into a recreation center and found a piano. He studied at Berklee College of Music and toured with Lionel Hampton's band as a teenager before becoming one of the most sought-after arrangers in the business, working with Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, and Ray Charles.

Jones's production of Thriller in 1982 didn't just make Michael Jackson the biggest pop star in the world — it broke down the racial barriers of MTV and radio, proving that a Black artist could dominate every format simultaneously. Beyond music, Jones co-produced The Color Purple, founded Vibe magazine, and spent decades using his influence to champion education and social justice. He joined the ancestors on November 3, 2024, at 91.