Quincy Jones, giant of US music, dies aged 91

Quincy Jones, musician and producer who worked with Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra and many others, dies aged 91.

Jones’ publicist, Arnold Robinson, said he “passed away peacefully” on Sunday night at his home in Bel Air.

“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,” the family said in a statement.

Jones was best known as the producer of Michael Jackson’s Thriller album.

Over his career that spanned more than 75 years he won 28 Grammy awards and was named as one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century by Time magazine.

He produced and conducted the recording of the 1985 charity record, We Are The World.

He also composed the soundtrack to more than 50 films and TV programmes including Heat of the Night, The Color Purple and The Italian Job.

Early in his career, Jones worked closely with Frank Sinatra and re-worked Sinatra’s classic Fly Me To The Moon taking it from a waltz to a swing.

One the film The Wiz, Jones found himself working alongside a 19-year-old Michael Jackson.

The pair worked together for decades and Jones produced albums Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad.