It is with heartfelt gratitude that we honor the life and legacy of Quincy Jones, a legendary music icon and humanitarian. Mr. Jones graciously served on LDF’s Board of Directors for more than three decades, during which his leadership, time, and wisdom proved invaluable. A courageous proponent of racial justice, Mr. Jones played a significant role in advancing several of the organization’s initiatives during his tenure while working in the furtherance of civil and human rights. Mr. Jones passed away at 91 years old in Los Angeles, California on November 3, 2024.
“We mourn the loss of Quincy Jones and extend our deepest condolences to his loved ones during this difficult time. A legendary icon and cultural luminary who captured hearts and minds across the globe, Mr. Jones’ international acclaim was complemented by a tireless commitment to philanthropic causes promoting equality, justice, and opportunity for all,” said Janai Nelson, LDF President and Director Counsel in a statement. “We were extremely fortunate to have Mr. Jones as a member of LDF’s Board for more than three decades, where he offered his invaluable perspective and unwavering commitment to advancing our philanthropic and advocacy efforts. Mr. Jones will be sorely missed by those he touched throughout his life, including those who had the honor of working with him at LDF. His legacy will undoubtedly inspire and uplift generations to come. We cherish Mr. Jones’ memory and will continue to work in service of his life’s work to advance equality and justice for all.”
“Quincy Jones was an avid supporter of the important work of LDF,” said Elaine R. Jones, the fourth President and Director-Counsel of LDF. “He and Clarence Avant, the former chair of Motown Records who passed away not long ago, were more like brothers than friends. Clarence served on LDF’s Board for many years and routinely commandeered his brother Quincy to organize a concert, or attend a dinner or other fundraiser in support of LDF. LDF relied on them, and they responded without hesitation. Quincy cared about LDF, its programs, issues, cases, and clients. He knew we could not succeed without resources. And he stepped up to the plate repeatedly and gave us his full support. LDF will always be grateful for him.”
“Quincy Jones was one of the great Americans. His genius changed the world,” said Ted Shaw, the fifth President and Director-Counsel of LDF. “I join LDF Director-Counsel Janai Nelson and my fellow Directors-Counsel in honoring him for his service and commitment to the Legal Defense Fund and to the cause of civil rights—and for a life well lived.”
Quincy Delight Jones Jr. was born on March 14, 1933 in Chicago to his mother, Sara, and to his father, Quincy Delight Jones Sr. Along with his younger brother Lloyd, Mr. Jones grew up at the beginning of his life on the city’s South Side before eventually moving to Bremerton, Washington and spending a short time in Louisville, Kentucky. From a young age, Mr. Jones was no stranger to adversity—yet met the stressors of his early life in a racially segregated society with fierce determination.
Mr. Jones grew up surrounded by music, fondly noting early memories of listening to religious songs in church with his mother and grandmother and to the melodies of his neighbor playing her piano in Chicago. At 11, while living in Seattle, Mr. Jones came across a piano inside a local recreation center and was compelled to reach for its keys. Soon after, he joined his school’s band and choir, where he’d begin to learn several instruments. He also asked Clark Terry, a legendary jazz trumpeter, to give him trumpet lessons. Mr. Jones’ early exposure to music as a child would go on to play a pivotal role in shaping his iconic career.
“Music is my touchstone, because it instilled in me a belief in myself, which is the rarest of gifts, like a hard and brilliant diamond held in the deepest recesses of the heart,” reflected Mr. Jones in his 2001 autobiography Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones.
While still living in Seattle, Mr. Jones met renowned pianist and singer/songwriter Ray Charles in 1947, when they were both teenagers. Both extraordinarily talented and dedicated, they maintained a close friendship, and Mr. Jones cited Mr. Charles as an early inspiration for seriously pursuing music. In 1951, Mr. Jones received a scholarship to attend Seattle University and after one semester earned another scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston, formerly known as the Schillinger House.
His early professional career began in the jazz world as a trumpeter and an arranger touring with Lionel Hampton’s band. In 1953, Mr. Jones moved to New York City, where he worked with a variety of musicians including Count Basie, Clifford Brown, and Dizzy Gillespie, as well as played internationally.
At the same time, Mr. Jones grappled with the stark realities of Jim Crow racism while surrounded by the growing momentum of the civil rights movement. In 1955, Mr. Jones met Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at pioneering baseball player Jackie Robinson’s home, a pivotal moment in his journey to becoming a steadfast advocate for civil rights.
“From then on, my life was never the same,” Mr. Jones reflected about this moment in 2019 on the National Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. “Civil rights work and political involvement was no longer an activity to do on the side. It became an essential part of life and humanity…Dr. King carried a light that has yet to be matched, and it is evident that it’s still burning bright today.”
A year later, Mr. Jones would go on to record his first full-length album as a bandleader, This Is How I Feel About Jazz. In 1958, Mr. Jones signed to Mercury Records, releasing several more albums and subsequently becoming the musical director and Vice President of the label. Gifted with as much creative innovation as exceptional talent, Mr. Jones used music to bridge genres and connect people, publishing compositions spanning from jazz to pop hits. In 1963, he scored his first film, The Pawnbroker, the first of many to come. The same year, Mr. Jones also won his first Grammy Award for his arrangement of Count Basie’s “I Can’t Stop Loving You”. His versatile range of records at the time included publishing Lesley Gore’s #1 hit “It’s My Party” and collaborations he arranged and conducted between Count Basie and Frank Sinatra, including the classic “Sinatra at the Sands.”
In 1964, Mr. Jones moved to Los Angeles with an expansive vision to work in film and television. His magnetic and indomitable presence as a prolific composer, producer, and arranger made tremendous waves in the industry, cementing him as a classic and groundbreaking force in Hollywood. Of the more than fifty scores he composed, his most famous works included In Cold Blood (1967), In the Heat of Night (1967), The Wiz (1978), and The Color Purple (1985). Mr. Jones also composed many television theme songs, including one for the classic show Sanford and Son for his close friend, Redd Foxx. His score for the series Roots won an Emmy Award in 1977. Mr. Jones would also continue to produce studio music, including Aretha Franklin’s 1973 album Hey Now Hey (The Other Side of the Sky). Mr. Jones’ work solidified him as a trailblazing Black artist while also breaking barriers and paving the way for other musical artists to have increased opportunities.
In the early 1970s, Mr. Jones met Michael Jackson while he was the young lead of the Jackson 5. Several years later, the two would meet again when Mr. Jackson starred as the Scarecrow in The Wiz. At the time, Mr. Jones was the music supervisor for the film and had also founded Qwest Productions, his high-powered record label that arranged and produced successful albums for hugely popular artists. The two would work together to produce three of Michael Jackson’s most famed albums, Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), and Bad (1987). The pair soon became cemented as one of the most influential and celebrated duos in music history.
As committed a humanitarian as he was an artist, Mr. Jones used music to bridge connections, raise hope, and incite change. As he eloquently put it in his book 12 Notes, “My hope and prayer is that our individual, creative voices may service to share a glimpse of connectivity with those who need it most.”
To this end, in 1985, Mr. Jones organized the dynamic hit “We Are the World” to raise funds in support of famine relief in Ethiopia, producing, arranging, and conducting a group of more than forty high-powered singers—including Lionel Richie, Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, Tina Turner, and Bruce Springsteen. The song would become an international classic, the industry’s first-ever multiplatinum release, and go on to raise over $60 million in aid for charity.
Of the song’s monumental impact, Mr. Jones wrote in his autobiography “Those forty-six singers came into the studio with one only thing on their minds: to try to make a difference, and they did, and I know God blessed each of them for it…Overall it was one of the most successful and unified outreaches ever in the music world.
Mr. Jones joined LDF’s Board of Directors in 1988, at a time when LDF had the privilege of collaborating with him closely in working to advance racial justice. As a Board member for 36 years, Mr. Jones brought a wealth of experience, knowledge, and wisdom to LDF. A resounding ear and resource throughout his tenure, Mr. Jones provided support for a multitude of LDF’s efforts, from educational access to voting rights. Some of Mr. Jones’ key contributions included his commission of the special song tribute “I’m Gonna Be There” by Siedah Garrett to commemorate LDF’s 50th Anniversary. Mr. Jones also sponsored the 2003 Hank Aaron Humanitarian dinner and served as one of the co-chairs of the event. In 1996, Mr. Jones received LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his invaluable contributions to our society, culture, and world alongside his friend, entertainment giant and longtime Board member Clarence Avant.
Over the course of his life, Mr. Jones advocated for youth, education, economic opportunity, and fighting poverty. Mr. Jones’ expansive portfolio of philanthropic causes included supporting his hometown as a founding member of Operation Push, a Chicago-based civil rights organization established by Reverend Jesse Jackson in the 1970s to fight for economic empowerment and racial equality. In 1995, Mr. Jones successfully lobbied Congress to preserve a tax break to help minority-owned broadcasting companies, including his own Qwest Productions. He also produced the NetAid concerts in 1999, a collaboration with the United Nations spanning across continents to combat poverty.
Mr. Jones was a firm advocate for the preservation and appreciation of Black music and culture. To this end, Mr. Jones was instrumental in forming the Institute for Black American Music (IBAM), which supported the establishment of a national library of African American art and music.
In 2001, Mr. Jones founded the Listen Up! Foundation, which he considered to be one of his largest successes, which helped him “to dedicate the rest of [his] life to kids and education” as he reflected in his autobiography. The foundation supports young people globally by connecting them through culture, education, music, and technology. In its first year, the foundation built more than 100 homes in South Africa. The foundation also sponsors an intercultural exchange between teens in Los Angeles and South Africa, as well as the We Are the Future Project, which was launched to provide hope and support to children in conflict-ridden regions.
Mr. Jones’ many awards and accolades during his lifetime include a record-breaking 28 Grammy Awards, 13 honorary degrees, a Tony Award, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1995, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2001, and the National Medal of Arts in 2011.
Mr. Jones is survived by a host of family, friends, and loved ones, including seven children: Jolie, Rachel, Martina, Quincy III, Kidada, Rashida, and Kenya. While we mourn the tremendous loss of Mr. Jones, we recognize the immeasurable impact and lasting influence of his joy, compassion, and wisdom on the world. Mr. Jones’ life, work, and legacy will continue to inspire and be a source of hope and fuel for us all.
