Oprah Winfrey says music titan Quincy Jones’ heart was ‘so filled with love’
Stars of The Colour Purple, which was scored and co-produced by Jones, have paid tribute to his talent.
Oprah Winfrey said she has never met anyone whose heart was “so filled with love” as she paid tribute to revered record producer Quincy Jones.
Jones died on Sunday night aged 91 at his home in the Bel-Air area of Los Angeles, California, surrounded by his relatives, his publicist Arnold Robinson said.
US TV show host and actress Winfrey said her life “changed forever for the better” after meeting Jones as he was responsible for her landing her role in the 1985 film adaptation of The Colour Purple, which garnered her an Oscar nomination.
The jazz musician, known for collaborating with music stars including Frank Sinatra and Michael Jackson, wrote the film score and also co-produced the coming-of-age film.
Alongside a photo of them walking with their arms around each other, Winfrey wrote on Instagram: “My beloved Q. The world’s beloved Q. The one and only Quincy Jones “discovered” me for “The Color Purple” movie in 1985. My life changed forever for the better after meeting him.
“I had never experienced, nor have since, anyone who’s heart was so filled with love.
“He walked around with his heart wide open, and he treated everybody as if they were the most important person he’d ever met. He was the Light. No shadows.
“He was love lived out loud in human form and he was the first person I ever loved unconditionally. That’s how we signed all our notes to each other, ‘Unconditionally…'”.
She hailed him as the “mightiest of souls” and said his legacy will be how he “enhanced” every life he touched, adding: “Biggest, fullest, most love-filled life ever. One of one!”
Whoopi Goldberg, who was also in The Colour Purple, wrote in an Instagram story: “I was lucky enough to have him in my life for all these years.
“My heart is breaking for his friends and his extended family who loved and adored him… my condolences.”
Jones co-produced Steven Spielberg’s 1985 adaptation of the Alice Walker novel, and the producer and director worked together again on the 2023 remake.
Colman Domingo, who was in the recent version of the film, said he was “so thrilled to meet Mr American Music”, adding that he “kneeled because he was a King”.
US Grammy-winner Lenny Kravitz said he was “speechless” following the news of his death as what Jones meant to him went “extremely deep”.
“What a life. What an expression of authenticity. What a teacher. I am humbled that I was given the gift of your openness and friendship”, he added alongside a series of photos of them chatting and smiling together posted to Instagram.
US singer Kelly Rowland thanked Jones for being “such a wonderful teacher” and creating the soundtrack to “some of the most extraordinary moments” in her life.
Alongside a photo of them posing together at an event, the Destiny’s Child star added: “Thank you for giving us music that pushes us to want to be better artists & musicians. Thank you! You will truly be missed! Love you @quincyjones”
Fellow music veteran Sir Elton John remembered Jones as someone who had a more “incredible” career in music than anyone else.
He shared a photo with him at the Elton John Aids Foundation Oscar viewing party, and called him a “loyal supporter of this important fundraiser”.
The Rocket Man singer added: “Nobody had a career as incredible as Quincy Jones. He played with the best and he produced the best. What a guy. Loved him.”
Jones also helped to launch and executive produced hit US sitcom The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, starring Will Smith.
Smith wrote on Instagram: “Quincy Jones is the true definition of a mentor, a father and a friend. He pointed me toward the greatest parts of myself. He defended me. He nurtured me.
“He encouraged me. He inspired me. He checked me when he needed to. He let me use his wings until mine were strong enough to fly.”
Jazz pop singer Jamie Cullum, 45, who met Jones several times during the Montreux Jazz Festival, told BBC News that describing Jones as a legend or titan was “one of the cases where it’s entirely justified”.
“It’s amazing to think you’re talking about one person, that amount of achievement, that amount of enthusiasm, and creative explosions throughout his career,” he added.
“Not just in the early part, not just in the middle part, right up until the end of his life, he was still creating, still mentoring young artists, still creating ideas.
“And this was all, at the very bedrock of it, just grounded by this incredible talent and expertise that he honed over many years.”
British actor Sir Michael Caine said in a post to X, formerly Twitter: “My Celestial twin Quincy was a titan in the musical world. He was a wonderful and unique human being, lucky to have known him.”
Chic co-founder Nile Rodgers, who was friends with Jones, shared a video that said “Rest In Power Quincy Jones. The Greatest of All Time”.
Bridgerton producer Shonda Rhimes wrote on Instagram: “A legend, a visionary, a pioneer. RIP to the incomparable Quincy Jones.”
Born on March 14 1933 in Chicago and raised in Seattle, Washington, Jones began studying trumpet while in junior high school and sang in a gospel quartet at the age of 12.
He started arranging and recording for artists including Ray Charles and Dinah Washington by the mid-1950s.
In 1989 he had made waves with his landmark album, Back On The Block, which was named album of the year at the 1990 Grammy Awards.
Earlier this year, Jones was announced as the recipient of an honorary Oscar at the Governors Awards, taking place later this month.
The jazz musician earned a total of seven Oscar nominations for his work on movies that included neo-noir crime film In Cold Blood (1967) and The Colour Purple.
In his lifetime, the music star won an Emmy, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, a Tony and 28 Grammys.
He is one of the few people to have earned non-competitive EGOT status, a winner of an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony, where one of the awards was honorary or non-competitive.
Jones also collaborated with Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington and Tony Bennett, as well as the “King of Pop” Jackson on his albums Off The Wall, Thriller and Bad.
