Quincy Jones remembered by entertainment industry heavyweights ...

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Quincy Jones

Quincy Jones is being mourned and celebrated by the entertainment industry with many paying tribute to a man whose career encompassed a multitude of roles.

The American composer, record producer, film and television producer, arranger, conductor, instrumentalist, record company executive, magazine founder, artist and humanitarian has died. He was 91.

Media mogul Oprah Winfrey, who worked with Jones when he was a film producer on the 1985 film The Color Purple as well as the 2023 reboot, posted her "favourite photo" of the two of them to Instagram with a caption stating "I had never experienced, nor have since, anyone who's [sic] heart was so filled with love".

Jones reached EGOT status — he was part of an exclusive club of artists to have received an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony.

Fellow EGOT Elton John said on Instagram: "Nobody had a career as incredible as Quincy Jones. He played with the best and he produced the best."

Singer The Weeknd posted a photo to X of the two of them together, later sharing the foreword he wrote for Jones's 2022 book 12 Notes: On Life and Creativity saying: "My fans know how important Quincy was to the fabric of my music. I was given the opportunity to write a foreword to his book and tried to capture what he meant to me as a human."

Jones's iconic productions included The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. He was an executive producer and composer for the show and was an EP on 2022's Bel Air. Star Will Smith said Jones was "the true definition of a Mentor, a Father and a Friend".

Others who have paid tribute include Barack Obama, Morgan Freeman, Shonda Rhimes, Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kelly Rowland, Clint Eastwood, Jamie Foxx, Gladys Knight, LL Cool J and Ice T.

Jones's body of work crossed genres and mediums

Jones was a master at inventing musical hybrids, fusing pop, soul, hip-hop, jazz, classical, African and Brazilian music across mediums that included music, movies and television. 

He won 28 Grammys and was nominated 80 times. 

The list of artists he worked with is long and includes Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, Ray Charles, and Aretha Franklin.

Here are a few of the hits he produced.

Michael Jackson, Billie Jean

Jones produced the Michael Jackson albums Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad and many of the classic Jackson hits we know today such as Thriller, Wanna Be Startin' Somethin', Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough, Dirty Diana, Bad, The Way You Make Me Feel, The Girl Is Mine with Paul McCartney, Man In the Mirror, Rock With You, Beat It, and Billie Jean, which spent seven weeks at number one on the Billboard charts in 1983. 

Jones and Jackson connected when they worked together on the 1978 film The Wiz, which re-imagined The Wizard of Oz with an all-Black cast.

Frank Sinatra, Fly Me to the Moon

Written by Bart Howard in 1954, Fly Me to the Moon was first recorded by Kaye Ballard.

By the time Frank Sinatra covered the song in 1964, it's estimated more than 100 other versions had been recorded.

Jones arranged Sinatra's version which was on the album It Might as Well Be Swing, accompanied by Count Basie.

USA for Africa, We Are the World

Lionel Richie approached Jones in 1985 suggesting an all-star African famine relief concert. 

Jones suggested a record instead. 

The result is We Are the World which involved a host of artists such as Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Cyndi Lauper, Tina Turner and Diana Ross.

It's My Party, Lesley Gore

Jones produced Lesley Gore's It's My Party from her 1963 debut studio album I'll Cry If I Want To.

Quincy Jones, Soul Bossa Nova

Jones's Soul Bossa Nova was used as the theme song for the 1997 film Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.

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