Quincy Jones: From Thriller and Frank Sinatra, to classic film and TV themes – his top collaborations
Quincy Jones, one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century, was a titan of the music industry who worked with many of the world’s biggest stars.
He produced and collaborated with hundreds of recording artists during his seven-decade career, and kept company with presidents and foreign leaders, movie stars and musicians, philanthropists and business leaders.
Jones gets his place on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2018. Pic: Reuters
His genius was recognised with 28 Grammys and an Oscar.
Following his death aged 91, we have a look at some of his most notable collaborations.
Michael Jackson
Jones helped turn Michael Jackson from a child star into the King of Pop – producing his record-breaking Thriller album, as well as Off The Wall and Bad.
Near-universal in their style and appeal, classic tracks including Billie Jean and Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough still get frequent radio plays four decades after their release.
Jones and Jackson worked together for decades, with Thriller selling more than 20 million copies in 1983 alone, becoming one of the best-selling albums of all time.
Michael Jackson with Quincy Jones in 1984. Pic: AP Photo/Doug Pizac/Saxon
Frank Sinatra
Crooner Frank Sinatra was so close to Jones – who he nicknamed “Q” – he left him his ring, bearing his family crest, after his death.
Jones’s version of Sinatra’s ageless track Fly Me To The Moon – set to a punchy, swinging rhythm and soulful flute – has become the most well-known version of the song.
It’s so popular that it was played on the moon during the 1968 moon landing, according to astronaut Buzz Aldrin.
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Ray Charles
As a teenager, Jones – who had learned how to play the trumpet – became friends with a young Ray Charles.
Jones cited the blind musician’s ability to overcome adversity as one of his inspirations to succeed in the music business. They went on to become life-long friends.
Jones produced most of Charles’s 1961 album Genius + Soul = Jazz, and composed his hit In The Heat Of The Night.
(L-R) Ray Charles and Jones in 2004. Pic: AP/Mark J Terrill
Lionel Richie
In 1985, along with Lionel Richie, Jones organised We Are The World – a record to raise money for fighting famine in Ethiopia – and one of the biggest hit songs of its time.
The all-star chorus featured Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Diana Ross, Bruce Springsteen and Smokey Robinson.
Jones – who Richie dubbed “the master orchestrator” – set the tone for the recording session with a sign that said: “Leave your ego at the door.”
(L-R) Dionne Warwick, Stevie Wonder, Jones, Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie in 1986. Pic: AP
From Austin Powers to The Fresh Prince
Jones composed soundtracks for more than 50 films and TV programmes.
His film scores included In The Heat Of The Night, The Color Purple and The Italian Job.
Jones with his daughter Rashida Jones and Will Smith in 2007. Pic: Reuters
His TV theme music spanned shows including Sanford And Son, Ironside and an early version of the catchy theme to The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air.
And special mention has to go to the endlessly catchy Soul Bossa Nova – composed and first performed by Jones in 1962. It has gone on to feature in numerous TV shows and movies – most recognisably as the Austin Powers theme tune.
Former US president Joe Biden has prostate cancer, his office has said.
The statement said Mr Biden, who left the White House in January, is reviewing options for treatment with his physicians.
It read: “Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms.
“On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterised by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone.
“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management.
“The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.”
File pic: Reuters
According to Cancer Research UK, a Gleason score of 9 means the cancerous cells “look very abnormal” and the disease is “likely to grow quickly”.
A source familiar with Mr Biden and his family’s thinking has told Sky’s US partner network, NBC News, that the former president is considering “multiple treatment options” – including hormone treatment for the cancer.
They added he is at his home in Wilmington, Delaware, and that as of now, it is unclear where the former president will be treated.
Mr Biden, 82, was the oldest person to ever serve as president, with concerns about his health raised regularly during his campaign for re-election last year.
After a poor debate against Donald Trump in June, he withdrew from the 2024 election and endorsed his vice president Kamala Harris.
In February 2023, he had a skin lesion removed from his chest that was a basal cell carcinoma, a common form of skin cancer.
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A Mexican navy ship has hit the Brooklyn Bridge during a promotional tour in New York City.
The New York Fire Department said authorities were responding to injuries but had no details about how many people might have been hurt or whether they were on the vessel or on the bridge.
Sky’s US partner network NBC News reports that at least three people were seriously injured in the incident.
The Mexican navy said in a post on X that the Cuauhtemoc, an academy training vessel, was damaged in the accident, which has prevented it from continuing its voyage.
Eyewitness video of the collision posted online showed the mast of the ship, which was flying a large Mexican flag, scraping the underneath of the bridge.
Pic: AP
The vessel then drifted toward the edge of the river as onlookers scrambled away from shore.
The Mexican navy said the status of personnel and material was under review by naval and local authorities, which were providing assistance.
The Cuauhtemoc is about 297ft long and 40ft wide, according to the Mexican navy. It sailed for the first time in 1982.
Pic: AP
Each year, it sets out at the end of classes at the naval military school to finish cadets’ training.
It left the Mexican port of Acapulco, on the Pacific coast, on 6 April with 277 people onboard, the navy said at the time.
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One person has died in a bomb explosion near a reproductive health clinic in California, authorities have said.
The incident took place in Palm Springs, a city two hours east of Los Angeles, and is being investigated as a possible car explosion.
The city’s mayor Ron DeHarte said one person died in the blast, adding that the bomb was “either in or near” a vehicle. The deceased’s identity is not known, Palm Springs police said.
Dr Maher Abdallah, who runs the American Reproductive Centers clinic, told the Associated Press his facility was damaged but all staff were safe and accounted for.
The explosion damaged the office space where the practice conducts patient consultations, but the IVF lab and stored embryos were unharmed, he added.
“I really have no clue what happened,” he said. “Thank God today happened to be a day that we have no patients.”
Debris covers the ground after the explosion. Pic: ABC7 Los Angeles/AP
In a statement posted on Facebook the clinic said it was “heartbroken” to learn someone died in the explosion and added: “Our deepest condolences go out to the individuals and families affected.”
It continued: “Our mission has always been to help build families, and in times like these, we are reminded of just how fragile and precious life is.
“In the face of this tragedy, we remain committed to creating hope – because we believe that healing begins with community, compassion, and care.
The clinic will be fully operational on Monday, it added.
“This moment has shaken us – but it has not stopped us. We will continue to serve with strength, love, and the hope that brings new life into the world,” the statement concluded.
Pic: ABC7 Los Angeles/AP
The Palm Springs city government said in a post on Facebook that the explosion happened on North Indian Canyon Drive, near East Tachevah Drive, before 11am local time (6pm GMT).
A burned-out car can be seen in a parking lot behind the building in aerial footage.
The blast caved in the clinic’s roof and blew debris across four lanes of the road.
Another person said he was inside a cannabis dispensary nearby when he felt a massive explosion.
Nima Tabrizi said: “The building just shook, and we go outside and there’s massive cloud smoke.”
Investigators from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are travelling to the scene to help assess what happened.
California governor Gavin Newsom has been briefed on the explosion, his press office said.
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