Quincy Jones, a longtime music industry powerhouse and hitmaking producer of multi-platinum albums, including Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” the best-selling album of all time, died on Sunday. He was 91.
His death was announced by his publicist, Arnold Robinson, who said Jones died at his home in Bel Air, California. Jones was surrounded by his family, including his children and siblings, at the time of his death, the announcement said.
Quincy Jones arrives at the 2018 Governors Awards in Hollywood, California, on Nov. 18, 2018.
Mario Anzuoni/Reuters
“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 family said in a statement.
During his decades-long career, Jones was nominated for 80 Grammy Awards, of which he won 28. He was the all-time most-nominated composer and producer, his publicist said on Monday.
His was a career punctuated often by chart-topping hits, many of which were also critical successes. He produced albums for Michael Jackson, including “Off the Wall,” “Bad” and “Thriller,” which ranks as the best-selling album of all time.
Music producer Quincy Jones poses for a portrait to promote his documentary “Quincy” during the Toronto Film Festival on Sept. 7, 2018, in Toronto.
Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
Quincy was a seasoned producer by the time “Thriller” came out in 1982. He had won his first Grammy in 1963 for an arrangement of “I Can’t Stop Loving You” by Count Basie.
He then partnered with Frank Sinatra for “Sinatra at the Sands,” an album that included “Fly Me to the Moon.” Jones’ publicist noted on Monday that that version of the song was the “the first recording played by astronaut Buzz Aldrin when he landed upon the moon’s surface in 1969.”
He also produced and conducted “We Are the World,” which brought together pop luminaries of all ages and became the best-selling single of all time.
Jones’ family said on Monday that Jones was “truly one of a kind,” adding that “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.”
They added, “Through his music and his boundless love, Quincy Jones’ heart will beat for eternity.”
ABC News’ Andrew Evans contributed to this report.
