Quincy Jones, Musical Genius Behind Iconic Classics Spanning Decades, Dies At 91
Musician, composer and producer Quincy Jones poses for a portrait in 1981 in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Bobby Holland / Getty
UPDATED: 6:25 a.m. ET, Nov. 4, 2024
Quincy Jones, the musical genius whose incomparable legacy spans more than seven decades of classic material including and especially his work with Michael Jackson, has died. He was 91.
The Associated Press first reported Jones’ death and cited the artist’s publicist, Arnold Robinson.
No cause of death was immediately reported.
Jones died on Sunday night. No cause of death was reported by Jones’ family, which issued a statement:
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.
Jones’ final social media post on Saturday celebrated his daughter’s birthday.
More from the Associated Press:
Jones rose from running with gangs on the South Side of Chicago to the very heights of show business, becoming one of the first Black executives to thrive in Hollywood and amassing an extraordinary musical catalog that includes some of the richest moments of American rhythm and song. For years, it was unlikely to find a music lover who did not own at least one record with his name on it, or a leader in the entertainment industry and beyond who did not have some connection to him.
Jones, winner of multiple Grammy and Academy Awards, produced some of the most memorable music in history, including Jackson’s Thriller, which has sold about 70 million copies since its release in 1982. It remains the best-selling album of all time.
Read Quincy Jones’ full obituary by clicking here.
Thelma Mothershed Wair, Little Rock Nine Member, Dies At 83
Source: Charles Ommanney / Getty
UPDATED: 11:00 a.m. ET, Oct. 21
Thelma Mothershed Wair, one of the Little Rock Nine, has died at 83.
According to AP, Mothershed Wair died Saturday at a hospital in Little Rock of complications from multiple sclerosis. Her death was confirmed to AP by her sister, Grace Davis.
The Little Rock Nine was a group of nine Black students who integrated Rock Central High School in 1957, which was racially segregated at the time.
Their enrollment angered white Americans who didn’t want to see public schools segregated. This led to what was known as the Little Rock Crisis. The Little Rock Nine were initially prevented from entering the Rock Central High School by Orval Faubus, the Governor of Arkansas.
The Arkansas National Guard was called in to “preserve the peace,” but that wasn’t the case initially.
Gov. Faubus originally ordered the National Guard to prevent the Black students from entering due to claims that there was “imminent danger of tumult, riot and breach of peace” at the integration. But, President Dwight D. Eisenhower intervened, issuing an executive order to support the integration of the school.
Source: Bettmann / Getty
Thelma Mothershed Wair’s sister Grace talked with AP about her memories of her sister’s experience being one of the first Black students in America to integrate with white students.
“I didn’t think anybody was really going to hurt her because, you know, we’ve had racial incidents in Little Rock over the years,” Davis said of her sister. “People would say things that were mean, but they never really hurt anybody.”
Davis also told AP that she often spoke to her sister about the experience.
“I didn’t think anybody was really going to hurt her because, you know, we’ve had racial incidents in Little Rock over the years,” Davis said of her sister. “People would say things that were mean, but they never really hurt anybody.”
Thelma Mothershed Wair leaves behind one son, Scott, two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Her husband died in 2005, and Mothershed Wair moved back to Little Rock, according to Davis. She worked in the East St. Louis, Illinois, school system for ten years as a home economics teacher. She was also a counselor for elementary career education for 18 years before retiring in 1994.
“She was always a fighter,” Davis said of her sister. “She’s been sick her entire life. She was born with a congenital heart defect and was told at an early age that she would never get out of her teens. So as she approached her 16th birthday, I remember Mother talking about how afraid she was because she thought she was going to die. But she did what she wanted to do. She enjoyed life.”
Cissy Houston, Famous Singer And Mother Of Whitney Houston Dies At 91
Source: Shareif Ziyadat / Getty
UPDATED: 5:00 p.m. ET, Oct. 7
Cissy Houston, singer, songwriter, and mother of the late Whitney Houston, has died at the age of 91, according to AP, which was confirmed by her daughter-in-law Pat Houston. Pat told the publication that, Cissy, who was under hospice care in New Jersey for Alzheimer’s disease, died Monday morning surrounded by her family.
“Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We loss the matriarch of our family,” Pat Houston said in a statement. “Mother Cissy has been a strong and towering figure in our lives. A woman of deep faith and conviction, who cared greatly about family, ministry, and community. Her more than seven-decade career in music and entertainment will remain at the forefront of our hearts.”
Cissy Houston was known in the music industry early on in her career for being part of the vocal group the Sweet Inspirations, with Doris Troy and her niece Dee Dee Warrick. The group sang backup from some of the biggest soul singers like Otis Redding and Lou Rawls. They even sang background vocals for Jimi Hendrix.
Houston would become one of the most popular studio session singers, recording more than 600 songs throughout her career, working with a host of artists, including g Chaka Khan, Donny Hathaway, Luther Vandross, Beyoncé, and more.
Source: L. Busacca / Getty
She also has one Grammys for her albums “Face to Face” and “He Leadeth Me.”
Pat Houston and the family also asked for respect as they mourn the loss of Cissy.
“We are touched by your generous support, and your outpouring of love during our profound time of grief,” Houston said on behalf of the family. “We respectfully request our privacy during this difficult time.”
MORE: Rest In Power: Notable Black People Who Died In 2023
Scroll down to keep reading below and to learn more about the other notable Black people who have died this year, in no particular order.
Post a Comment
0 Comments