As friends, family and fans of music icon Quincy Jones continue to deal with the heartbreaking news of his death, a little known story of how he cheated death 50 years ago has now resurfaced.
Speaking in an interview with GQ back in 2018, Jones told the outlet about how he suffered the first of two brain aneurysms back in 1974 where he was given a 1 percent chance of living. It took medical professionals nearly eight hours to complete brain surgery, but their attempts seemed more futile once they discovered he had a second brain aneurysm.
“It was scary,” Jones said at the time. “Like somebody blew my brains out. The main artery to your brain explodes, you know.”
Upon hearing that news, Jones’ famous friends decided to prepare a memorial service for him with artists like Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, Richard Pryor and others set to pay tribute to the musical legend. But, in a fortunate turn of events, Jones survived the second aneurysm and, ironically enough, wound up attending his own memorial service live and in the flesh.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in 2008 about the crazy moment in time, Jones recalled:
The doctor said, ‘The good news is you lived through the first one, but you have another, and we have to go back in in two months.’ He said I could go to the concert, but I couldn’t get excited. How do I not get excited looking at Ray Charles and Marvin Gaye and Billy Eckstine and Cannonball Adderley? It was at the Shrine, and the neurologist sat there with me to make sure I didn’t get into trouble.
Along with his laundry list of accolades and accomplishments, it looks like we need to add “successfully cheated death” to it as well.
As previously reported by The Root, Jones passed away at age 91 in his Bel-Ar, Calif. home on Nov.3. He was surrounded by his siblings, children and other family members.