Paul McCartney pays heartfelt tribute to music legend Quincy Jones
Following the tragic passing of iconic music producer Quincy Jones, former beatle Paul McCartney has released a statement paying his respects to the icon.
The announcement of the acclaimed producer’s passing came from his publicist, Arnold Robinson, who shared that he was surrounded by his closest family members. Although his family feels the weight of an immense loss, they are grateful for his long, fulfilling life, knowing he will be irreplaceable.
In a statement released on Instagram, McCartney said he was honoured to have the opportunity to work with Jones. He said: “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.”
Adding: “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. 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: “His long career stretches back to the early days when he was a trumpet player, then a band leader, then a producer of many great records. 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.
“We send our love and sympathies to his family and all his many friends”.
Jones is most often remembered as Michael Jackson’s longtime collaborator, including the albums Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad. McCartney had previously collaborated with Jones during his numerous duets with fellow music superstars, including the duet ‘The Girl is Mine’.
Before working with Jackson, Jones had collaborated with some of the most revered musicians in the business, including joining Ray Charles’ band when he was 14. From there, he started his production career, which included work with everyone from Ella Fitzgerald to Frank Sinatra to Sammy Davis Jr.
Over the years, Jones has accumulated 28 different Grammy Awards for his work and has also received a Grammy Award and an Emmy Award.
While there has been no word about the cause of death, Jones has been known for having numerous health problems throughout his life. In 1974, Jones suffered a brain aneurysm, only to begin to tour again after two successful surgeries. Whenever McCartney was in the Los Angeles area, he went out of his way to see Jones when he could.
However, McCartney is far from the only one to pay tribute to the music icon. Upon hearing of the news of his passing, many musicians have also shared their thoughts on Jones’s superb talent, with Tom Jones remarking that he will always look back on the producer with “respect and admiration”.
Jones is survived by seven children over his three marriages.
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