Quincy Jones, the musician, arranger, composer and producer whose career bridged jazz, pop, film and television, died on November 3, 2024, at age 91. Best known to many listeners for producing Michael Jackson’s Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad, Jones also shaped recordings across genres, composed more than 35 film scores and championed music education and civil rights.
Who was Quincy Jones?
Jones was born in Chicago on March 14, 1933, and grew up in Seattle. He took up trumpet as a teenager, then developed into an arranger, bandleader, composer and record executive as well as a producer. The National Endowment for the Arts profile traces a career that moved from jazz bands and international touring to record production, film scoring and cultural advocacy. He died at his Bel Air home, surrounded by family, according to the Associated Press.
How Jones’s career moved beyond jazz
Arranger, trumpeter and bandleader
In the early 1950s, Jones worked in New York as a musician and arranger with Count Basie, Tommy Dorsey and Lionel Hampton. Dizzy Gillespie chose him for his big band in 1956 and later asked him to organize and direct music for State Department tours. Jones moved to Paris in 1957, where he studied music theory with Nadia Boulanger and formed a touring jazz orchestra. Looking back in a 2008 NEA interview, he said he was grateful to have witnessed and helped shape “the growth of the only true indigenous American art form, jazz.”
Record executive and film composer
Jones became Mercury Records’ music director in 1960 and its vice president four years later. In 1964, he composed his first film score, for Sidney Lumet’s The Pawnbroker, and then built a film-scoring career in Los Angeles. The NEA says he wrote scores for more than 35 films, among them In Cold Blood, In the Heat of the Night and The Italian Job.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
#1 Best Overall
- Read Before You Buy — No Video Output: These adapters support charging and USB 2.0 data transfer, but cannot transmit video signals. Except for standard USB webcams (which use USB data only), they are not compatible with HDMI/DisplayPort cables, video-capable USB-C hubs, or docking stations with video output.
- Convert USB-A Ports to USB-C: Designed to connect USB-C earphones, cables, flash drives, card readers, and other USB-C accessories to standard USB-A ports. Plug-and-play with no drivers or software required.
- Aluminum Alloy Housing: Built with a sturdy aluminum alloy shell that aids in heat dissipation and protects against daily wear and scratches. Designed to maintain a stable and secure connection.
- Compact & Travel-Friendly: The ultra-compact design allows the adapter to stay plugged into your device without blocking adjacent ports or adding bulk, reducing wear and tear on your original USB ports.
- 12-Month Warranty: Backed by a 12-month manufacturer warranty for peace of mind. Designed to meet strict quality control standards for reliable everyday performance.
His work also included arranging and producing for Frank Sinatra, with credits on It Might as Well Be Swing (1964), Sinatra at the Sands (1966) and L.A. Is My Lady (1984). After recovering from a near-fatal cerebral aneurysm in 1974, Jones focused more on producing albums. He later co-produced The Color Purple with Steven Spielberg and ran Qwest Records.
What albums did Quincy Jones produce?
Jones produced and arranged for artists across styles, but his best-known production partnership was with Michael Jackson. The Television Academy credits Jones and Jackson as producers of these three albums:
Rank #2
- 5-in-1 USB-C Hub: Experience comprehensive connectivity featuring a Power Delivery input, two USB-A 2.0 ports, a USB-A 3.0 port, and an HDMI port. (Note: The USB-C power delivery input port is only for connecting an external wall charger to power your laptop and cannot power peripheral devices.)
- 90W Pass-Through Charging: Achieve optimal charging with 90W pass-through power to your laptop, supported by a total input of 100W, with the hub reserving 10W for operational efficiency. (Note: Wall charger not included.)
- Quick Data Transfers: Accelerate your productivity with rapid data transfers using a high-speed 5Gbps USB 3.0 port and two 480Mbps USB 2.0 ports.
- 4K HDMI Display: Enhance your visual experience with a hub capable of delivering 4K resolution at 30Hz in both mirror and extend modes. Please note that this hub is compatible with MacBook (macOS 12 and newer), Windows 10 and 11, ChromeOS, and laptops equipped with DP Alt Mode and Power Delivery. Note: This device is not compatible with Linux.
- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (5-in-1, 4K HDMI), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
| Album | Year | Jones’s role |
|---|---|---|
| Off the Wall | 1979 | Producer, alongside Michael Jackson |
| Thriller | 1982 | Producer, alongside Michael Jackson |
| Bad | 1987 | Producer, alongside Michael Jackson |
The records joined disco, funk, rock, pop, R&B and jazz in music designed to reach across audience and genre lines. Jones’s contribution was not simply a matter of putting a sound around Jackson: it was a close collaboration involving production choices, performances and a broad musical vocabulary. On Thriller, for example, Jones brought Eddie Van Halen in to play the guitar solo on “Beat It” and Vincent Price to deliver the title track’s spoken passage, the AP reports.
Jones described the producer’s role in a 2016 Library of Congress interview, as quoted by the AP: “The tracks don’t just all of a sudden appear. The producer has to have the skill, experience and ability to guide the vision to completion.”
Rank #3
- Sleek 7-in-1 USB-C Hub: Features an HDMI port, two USB-A 3.0 ports, and a USB-C data port, each providing 5Gbps transfer speeds. It also includes a USB-C PD input port for charging up to 100W and dual SD and TF card slots, all in a compact design.
- Flawless 4K@60Hz Video with HDMI: Delivers exceptional clarity and smoothness with its 4K@60Hz HDMI port, making it ideal for high-definition presentations and entertainment. (Note: Only the HDMI port supports video projection; the USB-C port is for data transfer only.)
- Double Up on Efficiency: The two USB-A 3.0 ports and a USB-C port support a fast 5Gbps data rate, significantly boosting your transfer speeds and improving productivity.
- Fast and Reliable 85W Charging: Offers high-capacity, speedy charging for laptops up to 85W, so you spend less time tethered to an outlet and more time being productive.
- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (7-in-1), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
What was Jones’s role in We Are the World?
In 1985, Jones produced and conducted “We Are the World,” bringing major performers together for a charity single whose proceeds aided famine relief in Africa. The song won the Grammy for Record of the Year at the 1986 ceremony. It showed a different dimension of Jones’s work: coordinating many artists around a shared musical and humanitarian purpose. Lionel Richie called him “the master orchestrator,” according to the AP.
How many Grammys did Quincy Jones win?
Jones won 28 Grammy Awards, according to the Recording Academy, NEA and Television Academy. His honors extended well beyond the Grammys: he received the Grammy Legend Award in 1992, the Recording Academy’s Trustees Award in 1989 and MusiCares Person of the Year in 1996; he was named a 2008 NEA Jazz Master and received the National Medal of Arts in 2010. The Television Academy lists one Emmy win, for Roots.
Rank #4
- Dual Converters, Infinite Potential：Includes 2× USB C male to USB A female adapters and 2× USB A male to USB C female adapters. Perfect for a wide range of uses—tablets with Bluetooth keyboards, expand USB ports on macbook, and more. Two different converters for all your daily needs
- Next-Level 10Gbps & 3A Charging: No more slow 480Mbps, this usb to usb c adapter has a transfer speed of up to 10Gbps, allowing you to do more transferring in less time. This usb adapter fits both USB A and USB C charger, supporting up to 3A fast charging
- Upgraded Exquisite Craftsmanship: With an aluminum alloy housing and metal connector, the usbc to usb adapter is extremely durable and sturdy. Rigorously tested to withstand more than 10,000 times of plugging and unplugging, ensuring long-lasting performance
- Broad Compatible: The usb c to usb adapter widely supports all USB C/ USB A devices like laptops, tablets, cellphones, car chargers, and phone chargers. Such as compatible with MacBook Pro/Air 2023/2022, Thunderbolt 4/3 Devices,Apple MagSafe Watch 9/8/7/SE/Ultra, iPad Pro 2022/2021, Samsung Galaxy S23/S20/S10, and iPhone 17/16/15 Pro. Plug and play
- Please Note: To reach 10Gbps speed, keep the cable under 3.3 ft. For USB A Male to USB C adapters, try flipping the USB C connector. USB C Male to USB A adapters support bidirectional 10Gbps transfer within 3.3 ft
Sources disagree on the total number of Grammy nominations: the NEA and Television Academy list 80, as does the Recording Academy’s November 4, 2024 remembrance, while an Academy retrospective published November 7 gives 81. The available accounts do not explain the difference, so a single settled nomination count cannot be stated.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why Jones’s legacy includes advocacy
Jones’s public life extended into civil rights, arts education and creator compensation. The Recording Academy traces his civil-rights involvement to meeting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1955. Jones supported King’s Operation Breadbasket, served on the board of People United to Save Humanity and co-founded the Institute for Black American Music in 1973. In 1991, he established the Quincy Jones Listen Up Foundation to connect children with education, technology, culture and music.
Best Value
- 5-in-1 Connectivity: Equipped with a 4K HDMI port, a 5 Gbps USB-C data port, two 5 Gbps USB-A ports, and a USB C 100W PD-IN port. Note: The USB C 100W PD-IN port supports only charging and does not support data transfer devices such as headphones or speakers.
- Powerful Pass-Through Charging: Supports up to 85W pass-through charging so you can power up your laptop while you use the hub. Note: Pass-through charging requires a charger (not included). Note: To achieve full power for iPad, we recommend using a 45W wall charger.
- Transfer Files in Seconds: Move files to and from your laptop at speeds of up to 5 Gbps via the USB-C and USB-A data ports. Note: The USB C 5Gbps Data port does not support video output.
- HD Display: Connect to the HDMI port to stream or mirror content to an external monitor in resolutions of up to 4K@30Hz. Note: The USB-C ports do not support video output.
- What You Get: Anker 332 USB-C Hub (5-in-1), welcome guide, our worry-free 18-month warranty, and friendly customer service.
He also argued for stronger arts education in schools. In a 2007 Recording Academy speech, he said: “What I believe is vital now to our country’s soul is that we provide more and more funding for art education in our schools.” He later spoke about the need for fair compensation for songwriters as the music business changed: “The people that write music have to eat, they have to put their kids in school, and they have to take care of their families and so forth, and it is not right, I will never ever accept it.” The Academy also notes his work as honorary chair of the Black Music Collective.
Where to explore Jones’s work
A listener can follow the range of Jones’s career by moving between different kinds of work rather than treating the Jackson albums as the whole story: his early jazz arranging and bandleading, his own 1960s and 1970s albums, his film scores, the Jackson trilogy and the ensemble recording of “We Are the World.” For a documentary perspective, the AP reported that Jones’s daughter Rashida Jones made the 2018 film Quincy; current viewing availability varies by service and region.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
