UPDATE TO BELOW STORY....ROCKERS REACT TO THE DEATH OF QUINCY JONES...
Quincy Jones, a titan in the world of music as both a producer and musician, died Nov. 3 at the age of 91. As news of his passing became public, many of rock's biggest names took to social media to pay their respects.
In a heartfelt post to Instagram, Paul McCartney remembered Jones as a “great man,” while praising his incredible career.
Read More: Quincy Jones Dies: Rockers React
ALSO......
Eddie Van Halen considered hanging up when producer Quincy Jones called to ask if he'd perform the now-famous solo on Michael Jackson's "Beat It."
Assuming that it was all a prank, Van Halen unknowingly unloaded on the music legend. "What do you want you f---ing so-and-so!," he recalled yelling into the phone during a 2012 CNN interview. "What the hell do you want?" When Jones explained who he was, Van Halen quickly apologized, although he confessed that he still had his doubts.
Read More: Eddie Van Halen Almost Hung Up on Quincy Jones' 'Beat It' Call
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Quincy Jones, one of the most accomplished and influential figures in the music world for more than 50 years, died last night surrounded by family. He was 91 years old.
His family released a statement (quote) "Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing. 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.”
- Born on March 14th, 1933 in Chicago, Illinois
- Music career which spanned over 50 years
- Nominated for 79 Grammys and won 27 of them for his work as a bandleader, composer and arranger
- Worked with multiple stars in the 50s and 60s including Frank Sinatra, Count Basie and Duke Ellington
- Also collaborated with Michael Jackson on the biggest-selling album of all time, Thriller
- One of the founders of The Institute For Black American Music
- Civil Rights activist and supporter of Martin Luther King Junior
- Jones was married three times and leaves behind seven children, including music producer Quincy Jones the Third and actresses Rashida and Kidada Jones
Jones’ career spanned five decades, and his work as a bandleader, composer and arranger would earn him a record 27 Grammys (out of 79 nominations). Over the course of his career, Jones worked with everyone from Tamia to Frank Sinatra.
Quincy Delight Jones Junior was born in Chicago on March 14th, 1933. In 1951, a scholarship to the Schillinger House (now Berklee College of Music) in Boston put him on the road to a professional career. He would go on to play trumpet with Lionel Hampton and Dizzy Gillespie, and arrange songs for the likes of Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, Count Basie and Duke Ellington.
Jones enjoyed continued success in the 1960s, notably with 1962’s "Soul Bossa Nova.” The song was used as a theme for various projects, including the Mike Myers comedy Austin Powers.
In the ‘70s, Jones scored television show themes such as Sanford and Son and the soundtrack for the big screen film The Wiz, starring Diana Ross and Michael Jackson. He and the future King of Pop subsequently went to work on what would prove to be Jackson’s breakthrough solo album, Off The Wall. Their next collaboration, Jackson’s Thriller, would go down in music history as the biggest-selling album of all time.
In the ‘80s, Jones also created hits for James Ingram, Patti Austin and a host of others. He also scored more films, notably Stephen Spielberg’s The Color Purple. He continued making music into the 1990s and had major hits with his albums including Secret Garden and Q’s Juke Joint.
Jones was also an activist, beginning in the 1960s with his support of Martin Luther King Junior and as one of the founders of the Institute for Black American Music. He also founded the Quincy Jones Listen Up Foundation, a nonprofit that connects kids with technology, education, culture and music.
Jones was married three times and leaves behind seven children, including music producer Quincy Jones the Third and actresses Rashida and Kidada Jones.