Earlier this week, Associated Press reported that Quincy Jones, the multi-talented 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.
Jones’ publicist, Arnold Robinson, says he died Sunday night at his home in the Bel Air section of Los Angeles, surrounded by his family. Jones was to have received an honorary Academy Award later this month.
In a career which began when records were still played on platters turning at 78 rpm, top honors likely go to his productions with Jackson: Off The Wall, Thriller and Bad were albums near-universal in their style and appeal. Jones’ versatility and imagination helped set off the explosive talents of Jackson as he transformed from child star to the “King of Pop.” On such classic tracks as “Billie Jean” and “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” Jones and Jackson fashioned a global soundscape out of disco, funk, rock, pop, R&B and jazz and African chants. For Thriller, some of the most memorable touches originated with Jones, who recruited Eddie Van Halen for a guitar solo on the genre-fusing “Beat It” and brought in Vincent Price for a ghoulish voiceover on the title track.
Thriller sold more than 20 million copies in 1983 alone and has contended with the Eagles’ Greatest Hits 1971-1975 among others as the best-selling album of all time.
Rolling Stone reached out to Toto guitarist, Steve Lukather, who’s career outside Toto reached a peak in 1982 when Quincy Jones asked him to play guitar on Jackson’s Thriller. He wound up cutting parts on “Beat It,” “The Girl Is Mine” and “Human Nature,” which was written by his Toto bandmate Steve Porcaro.
Lukather became one of Jones’ main studio guitarists over the next decade, and they kept in touch long into the 2000s.
Lukather shared his memories of their work together, writing in part: "When I think back to all those sessions with him, I remember just how much he laughed. He would talk about silly shit. Any musician that’s been successful most of his life basically has a 15-year-old sense of humor. And it was just good fun. I always walked away with a big smile on my face. Working with Quincy was always an incredibly positive experience. And we made a lot of cool music together. We experimented too. He wasn’t afraid to let you try something new. He was always like, 'Come on man, what you got?' If it didn’t work out, he’d say, 'That was a good try. Try something else.' And I always wanted to try something new and cool to impress the boss."
Read Steve Lukather's full tribute at Rolling Stone.
