Colman Domingo, Michael Caine Among Stars Paying Tribute to Quincy Jones: “He Was the Model for How to Live Art”
Colman Domingo, Michael Caine, and Victoria Monét were among the prominent Hollywood figures to pay tribute to Quincy Jones following news of his death early on Monday.
Jones died Sunday night at his home in the Bel Air section of Los Angeles, surrounded by his family.
A giant in the music industry, Jones’ phenomenal career spanned more than 60 years. He produced Michael Jackson’s best-selling albums Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad; helmed the historic recording sessions for the 1985 charity single “We Are the World,” the best-selling single of all time; and produced Lesley Gore’s 1963 chart-topping hit “It’s My Party.”
Jones received the Motion Picture Academy’s Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1995, an honorary Oscar in 2024 and the Grammy Legend Award in 1991 and reeled in 28 Grammys from an all-time best 80 nominations.
The Oscar-winning actor Michael Caine, Jones’ long-time friend and “celestial twin” tweeted: “My Celestial twin Quincy was a titan in the musical world. He was a wonderful and unique human being, lucky to have known him.”
Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Victoria Monét tweeted: “💔💔💔💔💔 to one of my biggest inspirations! Quincy, I love you so much!!! Your legacy will live on forever and ever 😢 Heaven definitely got an upgrade with you.”
Actor Colman Domingo tweeted: “He asked, where are you from? Philly I replied, his eyes twinkled and he talked about the Uptown Theater. I was so thrilled to meet Mr. American Music himself. I literally kneeled because he was a King. Thank you Mr. Quincy Jones for giving us all the sound.”
English musician Billy Bragg tweeted: “Quincy Jones produced so much amazing music during his long career, but I never knew he was responsible for the soundtrack of The Italian Job! Here’s a great example of his genius production and arrangement. So long, sir.”
Playwright and actor Jeremy O. Harris tweeted: “What couldn’t he do? Quincy Jones, literally born when the limits on how big a black boy could dream were unfathomably high, taught us that the limit does not exist. His contributions to American culture were limitless. First black person nominated for an Oscar for best score. First black person nominated later twice in the same year. The producer of inarguably the biggest albums of the 20th century. An EGOT. Father to some pretty incredibly talented children as well as godfather to musicians around the world. RIP QUINCY. This fucks me up. I wish I had been able to tell him how much he meant to me reading about him when I was a teenager in Virginia. Hearing stories from ppl like Makoto Ozone a Japanese jazz musician when I was in Tokyo about his mentorship. He was the model for how to live art.”
Jazz critic and music historian Ted Goia tweeted: “RIP Quincy Jones, who leaves us at age 91. No musician of his generation moved so effortlessly and brilliantly between styles and settings—collaborating with everyone from Frank Sinatra to Michael Jackson to Miles Davis. What a remarkable career!”
South African singer and songwriter Lady Zamar tweeted: “quincy jones is one of the most prolific musos of our time, a trailblazer and savant. he produced my favorite album of all time, thriller: such an amazing body of work… a man we now get to celebrate in this sad time.”
Broadcaster Skip Bayless tweeted: “RIP Quincy Jones, star-making genius.”
Dolemite Is My Name screenwriter Larry Karaszewski tweeted: “R.I.P. Quincy Jones. The G.O.A.T. – So many great soundtracks, albums and songs. My son’s middle name is Quincy – he was born the night Q produced the Oscars.”
Actor Colin Salmon tweeted: “Quincy Jones was a true musical Don, from Ray Charles, Sinatra, Michael Jackson; more recently championing Jacob Collier and beyond. As a kid his major influence for me was the soundtrack to The Italian Job. Yes the Self Preservation Society was penned by him. Thank you Maestro you changed the World. RIP”
Hootie and the Blowfish frontman Darius Rucker tweeted: “We have lost one of the all-time greats. The world will miss Quincy Jones. Rest my friend.”
Journalist Roland Martin tweeted: “Peace and love to one of the greatest ever. Quincy Jones is now an ancestor.”
Legendary French singer Line Renaud tweeted: “Quincy, my dear Quincy, you too have joined the stars and this morning my heart is heavy. With you, life swung, it jazzed, you were joy and rhythm, you were a genius!”
Ghanaian-American singer Amaarae tweeted: “I thought Quincy Jones was gonna live forever 💔. What an incredible loss. RIP to the greatest to ever do it! 🕊️”
