Quincy Jones

American record producer and musician

Born: March 14, 1933 · Died: November 3, 2024

Famous Persons

Who was Quincy Jones?

Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (March 14, 1933 – November 3, 2024) was an American record producer, musician, and composer. Born in Chicago, Jones moved to Seattle with his family after World War II, where he attended the city's university. He then attended what is now the Berklee College of Music in Boston. In 1985, Jones produced and conducted the charity song "We Are the World", which raised funds for victims of famine in Ethiopia. Jones came to prominence in the 1950s as a jazz arranger and conductor before producing pop hit records for Lesley Gore in the early 1960s (including "It's My Party") and serving as an arranger and conductor for several collaborations between Frank Sinatra and the jazz artist Count Basie.

Jones Orchestra performing at Kulttuuritalo in Helsinki, 1960

Historical significance

During his seven-decade career, he received dozens of accolades, including 28 Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Tony Award as well as nominations for seven Academy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards. Jones produced three of the most successful albums by Michael Jackson: Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), and Bad (1987).

Sources and further reading

Use the dated article for the day-specific account; use these references to check the event record and explore its wider historical context.

Wikipedia source

Cite this page

MLA

“Quincy Jones.” thisDay, thisday.info/people/quincy-jones/. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

APA

Quincy Jones. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved November 9, 2026, from https://thisday.info/people/quincy-jones/

Chicago

“Quincy Jones.” thisDay. Accessed November 9, 2026. https://thisday.info/people/quincy-jones/.

Found an error? Let us know.