SKIP TO CONTENT

In Memoriam 2024: Quincy Jones (1933–2024) Tribute List

An American record producer, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television mogul, Quincy Jones's prolific career spanned 70 years, winning him 28 Grammys and a Grammy Legend Award. Best known for producing legendary pop star Michael Jackson's most successful albums — Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), and Bad (1987) — Quincy collaborated with numerous top stars, including Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, and Ella Fitzgerald. He also produced and conducted the charity song "We Are the World" for Ethiopian famine victims. Jones was a long-time civil rights activist and a devoted father. He had several hit film scores and soundtracks, just a few being In the Heat of the Night; In Cold Blood; Roots; The Wiz; and The Color Purple. Some of his notable awards include the John F. Kennedy Center Honors, National Medal of Arts, Royal Academy of Music honorary doctorate, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Ahmet Ertegun Award, and Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame. This tribute honors one of Time magazine's most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century.
20 words 185 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Full list of words from this list:

  1. titan
    a person of exceptional importance and reputation
    Quincy Jones, the multitalented music titan whose vast legacy ranged from producing Michael Jackson's historic "Thriller" album to writing prize-winning film and television scores and collaborating with Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and hundreds of other recording artists, has died at 91.
    AP News
  2. legacy
    anything handed down by someone or something in the past
    Quincy Jones, the multitalented music titan whose vast legacy ranged from producing Michael Jackson's historic "Thriller" album to writing prize-winning film and television scores and collaborating with Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and hundreds of other recording artists, has died at 91.
    AP News
  3. score
    a written form of a musical composition
    Quincy Jones, the multitalented music titan whose vast legacy ranged from producing Michael Jackson's historic "Thriller" album to writing prize-winning film and television scores and collaborating with Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and hundreds of other recording artists, has died at 91.
    AP News
  4. vitality
    an energetic style
    But it's "Come Fly With Me" that most perfectly captures the vitality of Jones's new arrangements, especially in the charismatic interplay between Sinatra and the brass section.
    BBC
  5. charismatic
    possessing an extraordinary ability to attract
    But it's "Come Fly With Me" that most perfectly captures the vitality of Jones's new arrangements, especially in the charismatic interplay between Sinatra and the brass section.
    BBC
  6. renowned
    widely known and esteemed
    A renowned jazz and pop musician, Jones was also a prolific cross-genre arranger, conductor, record label executive and civil rights advocate.
    CNN
  7. jazz
    genre of American music that developed in the 20th century
    A renowned jazz and pop musician, Jones was also a prolific cross-genre arranger, conductor, record label executive and civil rights advocate.
    CNN
  8. prolific
    intellectually productive
    A renowned jazz and pop musician, Jones was also a prolific cross-genre arranger, conductor, record label executive and civil rights advocate.
    CNN
  9. executive
    a person responsible for the administration of a business
    A renowned jazz and pop musician, Jones was also a prolific cross-genre arranger, conductor, record label executive and civil rights advocate.
    CNN
  10. advocate
    a person who pleads for a person, cause, or idea
    A renowned jazz and pop musician, Jones was also a prolific cross-genre arranger, conductor, record label executive and civil rights advocate.
    CNN
  11. genre
    a kind of literary or artistic work
    Jones never lost his connection to jazz, the genre that first sparked his career, but he also became a master of fusion, combining elements of jazz, soul, and pop to create a universal sound.
    Mix 93.3
  12. arrangement
    a piece of music that has been adapted for performance
    Marriott credits Jones with making jazz “hip” while pushing musical boundaries, creating work that combined “high IQ” arrangements with infectious rhythm and soul.
    Mix 93.3
  13. trailblazer
    an innovator or pioneer in a field
    Quincy Jones, known affectionately as “Q” by friends like Frank Sinatra, leaves behind a profound legacy, not only as a creator of timeless music but as a trailblazer who inspired countless artists across genres and generations.
    Mix 93.3
  14. unparalleled
    radically distinctive and without equal
    His talent and drive led to an almost unparalleled career in entertainment.
    CNN
  15. production
    presentation for the stage or screen or radio or television
    His production work began to take precedence in the early Sixties, when he helmed the first recordings by an unknown singer named Lesley Gore, who promptly assumed the status of pop icon; he also began garnering Grammy nominations, eventually taking home 28 of the awards (sharing the record at the time for the most Grammys won by a living artist).
    Rolling Stone
  16. nomination
    the condition of having been proposed as a candidate
    His production work began to take precedence in the early Sixties, when he helmed the first recordings by an unknown singer named Lesley Gore, who promptly assumed the status of pop icon; he also began garnering Grammy nominations, eventually taking home 28 of the awards (sharing the record at the time for the most Grammys won by a living artist).
    Rolling Stone
  17. seminal
    influential and providing a basis for later development
    He...even produced films and TV shows that launched some of your favorite actors. He not only changed careers — he changed lives....some of the biggest acts and projects Jones worked on [were], from Michael Jackson's seminal "Thriller" album to "We Are the World" to winning 28 Grammys, an Emmy and a Tony.
    The Hollywood Reporter
  18. compose
    write music
    He toured with Count Basie and Lionel Hampton, arranged records for Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, composed the soundtracks for "Roots" and "In the Heat of the Night," organized President Bill Clinton's first inaugural celebration and oversaw the all-star recording of "We Are the World," the 1985 charity record for famine relief in Africa.
    AP News
  19. charity
    an institution set up to provide help to the needy
    He toured with Count Basie and Lionel Hampton, arranged records for Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, composed the soundtracks for "Roots" and "In the Heat of the Night," organized President Bill Clinton's first inaugural celebration and oversaw the all-star recording of "We Are the World," the 1985 charity record for famine relief in Africa.
    AP News
  20. honorary
    given as an award without the normal duties
    He was given honorary degrees by Harvard, Princeton, Juilliard, the New England Conservatory, the Berklee School of Music and many other institutions, as well as a National Medal of Arts and a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master fellowship.
    The New York Times
Created on Mon Nov 04 20:14:35 EST 2024 (updated Wed Nov 06 10:05:51 EST 2024)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.