Celine Dion has paid tribute to iconic producer/arranger/composer and bandleader Quincy Jones, following his death Sunday at age 91.
“I am heartbroken to learn of the passing of my friend, the one and only musical genius, Quincy Jones,” Dion wrote on her official social media accounts. “Quincy touched my world as both a cherished mentor and as also as someone I looked up to for his deep impact on virtually every form of American music. I was privileged to work with Quincy, it was a dream come true. In our sessions, his musical intuition was nothing short of profound – he helped me capture “a little piece of heaven.” Quincy always knew exactly what each song needed.
“In addition to his kindness and countless achievements, I also admired him for his philanthropic work which benefited the arts, global famine and underprivileged youth. His reach truly extends to all corners of the globe! Quincy once said, ‘Music is the soul of the universe. It connects us all on a level that words alone cannot reach. ‘May his wisdom and joy remain with us always. – Celine xx…”
Dion also shared a few photos of herself working on projects with Jones, including a pic of the two music titans from February 2010, when Dion took part in the recording session for “We Are the World 25 for Haiti,” to benefit the island nation in the wake of a devastating earthquake. The session was held at the Jim Henson Studios in Hollywood.
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Another photo the singer shared featured Dion with Jones and Humberto Gatica from a Los Angeles recording session in 2006, when Dion recorded the song “I Knew I Loved You,” the theme song from Once Upon a Time in America.
Jones was a 28-time Grammy Award winner (and 80-time nominee), known for his work in producing and arranging on timeless albums, including Michael Jackson’s 1979 album Off The Wall, 1982’s Thriller, and 1987’s Bad. He also guided the recording sessions for the all-star charity single “We Are the World” in 1985; the song rose to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and featured artists including Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Billy Joel, Diana Ross, Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner and Kenny Rogers.
Prior to his pop prominence, Jones worked with Frank Sinatra beginning in 1958. He worked on Sinatra’s 1964 album It Might As Well Be Swing, with the Count Basie Orchestra. That project included Sinatra’s rendition of “Fly Me to the Moon.”
But Jones’ influence and work expanded far beyond solely working with music artists. He also acquired the rights to the novel The Color Purple, casting Oprah Winfrey in the book’s 1985 film adaptation. Jones scored Sidney Lumet’s 1964 film The Pawnbroker, and soon composed the music for the 1967 films In the Heat of the Night and In Cold Blood. He composed the theme songs for series including Sanford and Son, The Bill Cosby Show (1969-1971), and Ironside. In 1977, he won a Primetime Emmy Award for outstanding music composition for a series for his work on Roots: Part 1. Jones was also an executive producer on series including The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (starring Will Smith) and LL Cool J’s In the House. Jones also founded the hip-hop magazine Vibe.
