Quincy Jones' Death: Celebrities And Media Figures React

Nov 05, 2024

It is never easy to cope with the loss of music legends, especially one who created the blueprint for nearly all popular music scenes fans enjoy today. Quincy Jones passed away over the weekend at 91 years old and the entertainment landscape is doing its best to process it.

Jones is best known for his work alongside Michael Jackson, helping him to conceive three of his massive albums: 1979’s Off The Wall, 1982’s Thriller, and 1987’s Bad. Of course, Thriller was and is the biggest-selling album of all time, with over 120 million copies sold worldwide. Beyond that, the Chicago-born legend also lent his genius to Frank Sinatra, Paul Simon, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Lesley Gore, and more.

If you want to talk versatility, look no further than the 80-time Grammy nominee and 28-time Grammy winner who branched out into scoring films, such as In Cold Blood, In The Heat Of The Night, The Italian Job, and The Color Purple. Needless to say, he has a foothold on so many cultural touchpoints that it only makes sense for so many celebrities and media members to come forward with their love and tributes for Jones. Read some of them below.

“I woke up today to the Terrible news that we lost Quincy Jones,” Ice T wrote on X. “Genius is a [description] loosely used but Rarely deserved. Point blank, Quincy was the MAN. I won my 1st Grammy with Quincy and I live with his Wisdom daily. My condolences go out to his family who I had the honor of meeting. This one Hit me. God bless you KING.”

T appeared on Jones’ 1989 album Back On The Block which won the 1991 Grammy for Album Of The Year.

“Thank you Dear Friend, For sharing you, your gifts, your light and your life with all of us,” Knight wrote on Threads. “Rest Well.”

“You were a father and example at a time when I truly needed a father and example,” LL Cool J wrote on Instagram. “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. #ripquincyjones one of one.”

“My deepest condolences to family and friends of the great Quincy Jones,” Uggams wrote on Threads. “His works made up the soundtrack of our lives for decades. May he rest in heavenly peace.”

“Wow, Q – what a great ride!!” Richie wrote on X, captioning a photo of the two of them. “With love always.”

“To one of my biggest inspirations! Quincy I love you so much!!!” Monet wrote on X. “Your legacy will live on forever and ever […] Heaven definitely got an upgrade with you.”

“Quincy Jones was a true giant of music. Whether it was jazz, pop, r&b or rock, no genre of music escaped his genius,” Davis told Billboard. “Among the greats he collaborated with were Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Miles Davis, Count Basie, Ray Charles and Lesley Gore. Say ‘We Are The World’ and say ‘The Color Purple’ and you’ll understand the range of his music. He was the ultimate music renaissance man and a true inspiration to all of us in music.

“Rest in Peace and Perfect Pitch Quincy Jones!” Ralph wrote on X. “What a life well lived.”

Rob Markman, veteran journalist, former VIBE writer, and consistent presence in digital media, took the opportunity to educate viewers on many of Quincy Jones‘ contributions and achievements throughout his career. He packed a lot into the 90-second video but acknowledged that even his impressive recounting of the late producer’s work was not enough to capture what he has done truly.

“It’s still impossible to measure the ways that Quincy Jones inspired and impacted us all,” he said in a video on X. “There’s no stat for that. There will never be another. My love goes out to his family, his dear friends, and collaborators. May he rest in peace.”

“In addition to being one of the best producers in the history of American music, [Quincy Jones] is the founder of VIBE magazine. [He] launched VIBE because it was the change he wanted to see,” Smith wrote in an extended thread on X. “He wanted glorious and rigorous storytelling. He wanted depth of design and imagery. He wanted Hip-Hop and the history of American Blackness that informed it to receive the credit it is due.

“Always surrounded by genius teams, and predecessors, and successors, I was music editor, cover story warrior, and the first Black person and first woman to serve as VIBE’s editor-in-chief — so I am blessed to have known Quincy Jones. As an artist yes, but also as a negotiator, a conversationalist, a charmer. Quincy Jones is a person I often reported to, a person who encouraged me (without sentiment).

“He was a networker, a knower of his worth, and a valiant enforcer of the true value of Black music and culture. I’m lost this morning. And at a loss. Rest in everlasting peace, Quincy Jones — from me and your grateful VIBE family.”

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