Sir Paul McCartney remembers ‘private moments’ with Quincy Jones after passing away at age 91

At the age of 91, Quincy Jones, a composer and music producer who collaborated with Michael Jackson, Ray Charles, and Frank Sinatra, passed away.

Throughout his 70-year career, the legend—who is regarded as one of the greatest brains in music and television history—has produced Jackson’s Thriller album in 1982, among many other credits.

With 80 Grammys to his name and 28 victories, Jones was nominated for the most Grammys of all time, behind Beyoncé and Jay-Z.

In a 2018 interview he famously dubbed The Beatles ‘the worst musicians in the world’ – after which he phoned Paul McCartney to apologise.

It’s clear the icon didn’t hold this against him, as Sir Paul McCartney is among one of many stars to pay tribute to Jones in the wake of his death, writing: ‘Dear Quincy Jones has passed and left those of us who knew him feeling sad. He was supremely talented, and I felt privileged to have known him for many years. He was friends with George Martin, the Beatles’ producer and, between the two of them, produced some very fine music.

‘Quincy or ‘Quince’ or ‘Q’, as he was known, always had a twinkle in his eye and had a very positive, loving spirit which infected everyone who knew him. His work with Michael Jackson is, of course, legendary and he had so many other strings to his musical bow.’

He continued: ‘My main recollections of him were always the private moments that we shared, and I will never stop thanking Nancy for always arranging to visit him when we were in Los Angeles. These visits were fun and inspiring,” McCartney continued.

‘But it is as a friend I would like to remember him. We always had fun in his presence and his legend will continue through the years, but it is those private moments we were lucky enough to have with the great man that I will always remember fondly.’

Jones’s publicist, Arnold Robinson, confirmed he had died at his Bel Air home on Sunday surrounded by his family.

In a statement, his family – which includes his daughter, Parks and Recreation actress Rashida Jones – said: ‘Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing.’

‘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,’ they added.

Jones became one of the first Black executives to make it in Hollywood, and he was behind many of the greatest hits of his era, including Billie Jean, Thriller, and Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough by Jackson.

While he also produced for Aretha Franklin, Donna Summer and Sinatra, Jones also made his mark as a successful composer, having scored dozens of films including The Italian Job starring Sir Michael Caine and The Colour Purple.

He also founded the TV and film production company in 1990, which would go on to create Fresh Prince of Bel Air, the hit sitcom starring Will Smith, and he was still innovating in his 80s as he launched Qwest TV in 2017, an on-demand music TV service.

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Will Smith has now paid tribute to the star, writing: ‘Quincy Jones is the true definition of a Mentor, a Father and a Friend. He pointed me toward the greatest parts of myself. He defended me. He nurtured me. He encouraged me. He inspired me. He checked me when he needed to. He let me use his wings until mine were strong enough to fly.’

The music world are now paying tribute, as rapper and actor Quincy – named after Jones – took to social media with a picture of them together and wrote: ‘Named after the legendary Quincy Jones, a man who was not only a monumental influence in my life but someone I called family.

‘His gift to the world was beyond music; it was love, joy, and a spirit that brought people together & timeless memories that will forever live on. My parents knew what were doing naming me after you.

‘A name that carries the legacy of a king who blessed millions with his magic – Quincy, you were truly one of a kind. Rest in heaven Godfather. I love you.’

Will Smith posted a photo from their time on the Fresh Prince set, writing: ‘Quincy Jones is the true definition of a Mentor, a Father and a Friend.

‘He pointed me toward the greatest parts of myself. He defended me. He nurtured me. He encouraged me. He inspired me. He checked me when he needed to. He let me use his wings until mine were strong enough to fly.’

Sir Michael Caine also paid tribute, writing on X: ‘My Celestial twin Quincy was a titan in the musical world. He was a wonderful and unique human being, lucky to have known him.’

LL Cool J followed suit, penning: ‘You were a father and example at a time when I truly needed a father and example. Mentor. Role model. King. You gave me opportunities and shared wisdom.

‘Music would not be music without you. My condolences to the entire family. I love you. Rest in the sweetest music eternally.’

Singer Michelle Gayle said: ‘There will never be another like Quincy Jones. The depth of his classical and technical ability equally matched with the soul and connection to music on a spiritual level, blessed us and will continue to bless us forever. Rest well, King.’

DJ David Guetta described Jones as a ‘legend’ and recalled meeting him at the Grammys.

On Instagram, he said: ‘Thank you, Quincy, for all you’ve given us. Your legacy will continue to inspire generations of artists to come.’

US actor Colman Domingo said he was ‘so thrilled to meet Mr American Music’ in a post to his social media, and added that he ‘kneeled because he was a King’.

A post to Bafta’s X page said: ‘Alongside an illustrious career in popular music, Jones also composed a huge number of film soundtracks including The Italian Job and turned his hand to producing for screen with The Colour Purple and The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.’

Sheryl Lee Ralph posted: ‘Rest in Peace and Perfect Pitch Quincy Jones! What a life well lived.’

When asked whether the words ‘legend’ or ‘titan’ would be overblown in describing the star, singer Jamie Cullum told BBC News: ‘This is one of the cases where it’s entirely justified.

‘It’s amazing to think you’re talking about one person, that amount of achievement, that amount of enthusiasm, and creative explosions throughout his career.

‘Not just in the early part, not just in the middle part, right up until the end of his life, he was still creating, still mentoring young artists, still creating ideas.

‘And this was all, at the very bedrock of it, just grounded by this incredible talent and expertise that he honed over many years.’

Born on March 14, 1933 in Chicago to a bank executive and his carpenter father, Jones found music at school, where he met fellow legend Ray Charles, who he would become great friends with.

In 2023, Jones said Charles was the ‘best friend I could’ve ever dreamed of having’.

He also said the Hit The Road Jack hitmaker taught him the most important lesson about music he would ever learn.

‘Seeing Ray’s outlook made me realise that it’s only when we stop confining ourselves to the restrictions that categories place on our creativity, that we can fully unlock the power of music in its purest form,’ he wrote.

Jones previously quoted his father’s motto, which encapsulated his work ethic: ‘Once a task is just begun, never leave until it’s done. Be the labour great or small, do it well or not at all.’

However, Jones’ childhood was a lonely one, from which music saved him.

Speaking in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Jones reflected that during his childhood he didn’t ‘remember feeling love’.

‘I was with my brother, Lloyd, a lot because my father, whom I loved more than anyone in the world, worked so hard as a carpenter. When he was with us, I felt love from him, but he was just busy – like I was when my kids were growing up,’ he said.

His mother suffered with mental illness, and was later institutionalised and put in a straightjacket – something Jones blocked from his memories until working on his 1990 documentary about his life.

Chatting to Oprah, Jones recalled how he went back to his childhood home and retrieved the memory.

‘I was hoping our house had become a supermarket, but it was the same, with the same paint my father had put on it,’ he said.

‘That day I saw my friend Lucy, who had been our next-door neighbour and was a young girl when I’d last seen her. She was 63 and in a wheelchair.

‘When we went into my old house, Lucy said, “When you go upstairs, you’ll see where they took your mother and put her in the straitjacket.”

‘She thought I remembered that – but I didn’t. They say trauma is frozen, and when Lucy said that, it was as if someone slapped me on the head.’

Alongside Jackson, Lionel Richie – who dubbed Jones the ‘master orchestrator’ – and producer Michael Omartian, Jones also created charity single We Are the World, to raise funds for the famine relief in Ethiopia in 1985.

When Jackson died in 2009, Jones said he’d lost ‘a little brother’ and that part of his ‘soul had gone with him’.

Having worked with Jackson for decades, producing his best work, Jones said in a 2016 interview with Library of Congress: ‘If an album doesn’t do well, everyone says “it was the producers fault”; so if it does well, it should be your “fault” too.’

He added: ‘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.’

The music titan almost died twice, when he was almost killed by Charles Manson’s cult in 1969, having planned to be at Sharon Tate’s house the night of the murders there, but he forgot about the appointment.

He also survived a brain aneurysm in 1974.

Jones was a father to seven children: Jolie, 69, Rachel, 59, Martina, 58, Quincy III, 55, Kidada, 50, Rashida, 48, and Kenya, 31.

His last social media post came just yesterday, in which he wished his daughter Martina a happy 58th birthday.

Posting a picture of the pair smiling together, he wrote: ‘Happy Birthday to my Tina Beena @martinafotos1!! So proud to be yo papa! Big hug, I love you eternally.’

He was married three times: to childhood sweetheart Jeri Caldwell from 1957 to 1966; Swedish actress Ulla Andersson from 1967 to 1974; and Twin Peaks actress Peggy Lipton from 1974 to 1990.

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