You cannot write the history of Black music and entertainment without Quincy Jones. During his 70-year career as a musician, producer and composer, his impact has been felt throughout our culture. According to a statement from his family, Jones died Sunday night at the age of 91, at his home in Bel Air, Calif.
“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,” the Jones family said in a statement to Variety. “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.”
The music and sounds he created shaped modern music for generations. As big as his musical influence is, he also produced popular movies, TV series and Broadway musicals like “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” its dramatic reimagining “Bel Air,” “In the House,” the 1985 film “The Color Purple,” its stage musical adaptation and the 2023 film version.
With such a massive legacy in art and entertainment, there is no shortage of big name artists paying tribute to the one and only Quincy Jones.
Oprah Winfrey honored her “beloved” friend, celebrating his loving spirit, writing in part on Instagram, “My life changed forever for the better after meeting him. I had never experienced, nor have since, anyone who’s heart was so filled with love. He walked around with his heart wide open, and he treated everybody as if they were the most important person he’d ever met. He was the Light. No shadows. He was love lived out loud in human form and he was the first person I ever loved unconditionally.”
Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds remembered his time with Jones on Instagram, writing, “One of the greatest honors of my life was to be his friend. An icon, a legend, but most of all a beautiful spirit. It’s too many stories to share but I will cherish them forever. Rest easy my friend Q.”
Alongside a photo of himself and Quincy, Lionel Richie simply wrote, “Wow, Q - what a great ride!!”
John Legend remembered Jones “reprimanding” him during their first meeting, “because one of my team members wasn’t representing me well during my first year in the public eye.”
“Well after that, we became good friends: we collaborated, we celebrated together all over the world, from Como to Montreux, California to New York,” he wrote on Instagram “He always called me his little brother because I look like his younger brother Richard. He gave me great advice and always had the best stories.”
The “Ordinary People” singer went on to highlight the pure joy of the great composer’s life, adding, “And beyond all his accomplishments, anyone who knows Q will talk about the JOY he brought to every room. He was the life of the party, so charming and full of light. I feel so fortunate to have witnessed it in person. But we’re all so fortunate to live in a world made more beautiful by the music he created. It will be eternally in our hearts. We love you, Q.”
Actor/rapper Ice T showed his gratitude to Jones for making him a Grammy winner, writing on Instagram, “I woke up today to the Terrible news that we lost Quincy Jones. Genius is a [description] loosely used but Rarely deserved. Point blank, Quincy was the MAN. I won my 1st Grammy with Quincy and I live with his Wisdom daily. My condolences go out to his family who I had the honor of meeting. This one Hit me. God bless you KING.”
Destiny’s Child singer Kelly Rowland offered thanks for his immeasurable contributions, writing, “THANK YOU for creating the soundtrack for some of the most extraordinary moments in my life! Thank you for being such a wonderful teacher! Thank you for giving us music that pushes us to want to be better artists & musicians. THANK YOU! You will truly be missed! LOVE YOU @quincyjones ! Sending all my love and prayers to your beautiful Family!!”
Megastar Beyoncé honored his musical legacy on her website, writing, “Rest in Power to the Maestro, Quincy Jones. You have contributed to the best of what we call the soundtrack of our lives. You will be dearly missed.”
Oscar winner Will Smith, who credits Jones with launching his acting career, celebrated the legend’s mentorship, tweeting, “Quincy Jones is the definition of a Mentor, a Father and a Friend. He pointed me toward the greatest parts of myself. He defended me. He nurtured me. He encouraged me. He inspired me. He checked me when he needed to. He let me use his wings until mine were strong enough to fly.”
The estate of late music icon Prince released a statement expressing its condolences, writing on X, “Rest In Peace, Quincy Jones. A towering force in music, Quincy redefined what was possible in sound, and his influence has touched every corner of the industry. Though Prince and Quincy came from different worlds and styles, they shared a relentless drive to break boundaries and reach new creative heights. Following Prince’s passing in 2016, Quincy expressed great admiration for his artistry, describing him as ‘a true, real giant.’ The Prince Estate sends our condolences to Quincy’s family and all who are deeply affected by this loss.”
On Monday’s episode of “The View,” co-host Whoopi Goldberg took a few moments to recognize Quincy’s impact on her life, saying in part, “Songwriter, composer, producer. He worked with everybody – Ray Charles, Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Dinah Washington. Just everybody, he worked with everybody. And he worked as the composer on ‘The Color Purple,’ which is how I met Quincy.”
She celebrated his loyalty, stating, “I had no better friend. He never left, whenever people were flocking away, Q stayed, and he always told me to stand my ground and I always do and always will, because I can.” While acknowledging his long resume of music, Goldberg said, “The last thing I’m going to tell you is he’s such a prolific composer he composed stuff you probably didn’t even know was his, like ‘Soul Bossa Nova,’ which was famously used by Austin Powers. We’re going to go out on that, and we’ll be right back.”
Grammy winner Victoria Monét tweeted multiple broken heart emojis, alongside a caption reading, “to one of my biggest inspirations! Quincy, I love you so much!!! Your legacy will live on forever and ever 😢 Heaven definitely got an upgrade with you.”
“The Color Purple” star Colman Domingo remembered meeting the legend, writing on X, “He asked, where are you from? Philly I replied, his eyes twinkled and he talked about the Uptown Theater. I was so thrilled to meet Mr. American Music himself. I literally kneeled because he was a King. Thank you Mr. Quincy Jones for giving us all the sound.”
Rap legend LL Cool J, who starred in the sitcom “In the House,” expressed his gratitude for Jones’ guidance on Instagram, writing, “You were a father and example at a time when I truly needed a father and example. Mentor. Role model. King. 👑You gave me opportunities and shared wisdom. Music would not be music without you. My condolences to the entire family. I love you. Rest in the sweetest music eternally.”
Filmmaker Reginald Hudlin recalled the 28-time Grammy winner’s Oscars advice and artistic inspiration, tweeting, “Quincy was a giant inspiration for me in so many ways. He was a master craftsman who worked in so many genres of music, as well as a producer in film and television. When I became the second Black person to produce the Oscar broadcast, he (the first) called and gave me wonderful advice. Capturing his friendship with Clarence Avant on film in ‘THE BLACK GODFATHER’ documentary was everything to me. Blessings to his talented, lovely family.”
“Slave Play” creator Jeremy O. Harris highlighted the Maestro’s many ground-breaking firsts, writing in a thread on X, “What couldn’t he do? Quincy Jones, literally born when the limits on how big a black boy could dream were unfathomably high, taught us that the limit does not exist. His contributions to American culture were limitless. First black person nominated for an Oscar for best score. First black person nominated later twice in the same year. The producer of inarguably the biggest albums of the 20th century. An EGOT. Father to some pretty incredibly talented children as well as godfather to musicians around the world. RIP QUINCY. This fucks me up. I wish I had been able to tell him how much he meant to me reading about him when I was a teenager in Virginia. Hearing stories from ppl like Makoto Ozone, a Japanese jazz musician when I was in Tokyo about his mentorship. He was the model for how to live art.”
Actor Colin Salmon (James Bond franchise) celebrated the legendary producer’s longevity, tweeting, “Quincy Jones was a true musical Don, from Ray Charles, Sinatra, Michael Jackson; more recently championing Jacob Collier and beyond. As a kid his major influence for me was the soundtrack to The Italian Job. Yes the Self Preservation Society was penned by him. Thank you Maestro you changed the World. RIP”
Country music superstar and Hootie and the Blowfish singer Darius Rucker mourned our collective loss, writing on X, “We have lost one of the all-time greats. The world will miss Quincy Jones. Rest my friend.”
Roland Martin marked Quincy’s passing, tweeting, “Peace and love to one of the greatest ever. Quincy Jones is now an ancestor.”
Emmy winner Sheryl Lee Ralph celebrated his larger than life legacy and persona, writing on X, “Rest in Peace and Perfect Pitch Quincy Jones! What a life well lived.”
Black entertainment as we know it would not be the same without Quincy Jones. His influence is immeasurable and we can never thank him enough for all the art he gave us.