Entertainment
Multiple Award Winning Producer, Composer, Quincy Jones Dies at 91
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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.
“Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing,” the family said in a statement. “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.”
Jones rose from running with gangs on the South Side of Chicago to the very heights of show business, becoming one of the first Black executives to thrive in Hollywood and amassing an extraordinary musical catalog that includes some of the richest moments of American rhythm and song. For years, it was unlikely to find a music lover who did not own at least one record with his name on it, or a leader in the entertainment industry and beyond who did not have some connection to him.
Jones kept company with presidents and foreign leaders, movie stars and musicians, philanthropists and business leaders. 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.
Lionel Richie, who co-wrote “We Are the World” and was among the featured singers, would call Jones “the master orchestrator.”
In a career which began when records were still played on vinyl 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.
“If an album doesn’t do well, everyone says ‘it was the producers fault’; so if it does well, it should be your ‘fault,’ too,” Jones said in an interview with the Library of Congress in 2016. “The tracks don’t just all of a sudden appear. The producer has to have the skill, experience and ability to guide the vision to completion.”
The list of his honors and awards fills 18 pages in his 2001 autobiography “Q”, including 27 Grammys at the time (now 28), an honorary Academy Award (now two) and an Emmy for “Roots.” He also received France’s Legion d’Honneur, the Rudolph Valentino Award from the Republic of Italy and a Kennedy Center tribute for his contributions to American culture. He was the subject of a 1990 documentary, “Listen Up: The Lives of Quincy Jones” and a 2018 film by daughter Rashida Jones. His memoir made him a best-selling author.
Born in Chicago in 1933, Jones would cite the hymns his mother sang around the house as the first music he could remember. But he looked back sadly on his childhood, once telling Oprah Winfrey that “There are two kinds of people: those who have nurturing parents or caretakers, and those who don’t. Nothing’s in between.” Jones’ mother suffered from emotional problems and was eventually institutionalized, a loss that made the world seem “senseless” for Quincy. He spent much of his time in Chicago on the streets, with gangs, stealing and fighting.
“They nailed my hand to a fence with a switchblade, man,” he told the AP in 2018, showing a scar from his childhood.
Music saved him. As a boy, he learned that a Chicago neighbor owned a piano and he soon played it constantly himself. His father moved to Washington state when Quincy was 10 and his world changed at a neighborhood recreation center. Jones and some friends had broken into the kitchen and helped themselves to lemon meringue pie when Jones noticed a small room nearby with a stage. On the stage was a piano.
“I went up there, paused, stared, and then tinkled on it for a moment,” he wrote in his autobiography. “That’s where I began to find peace. I was 11. I knew this was it for me. Forever.”
Source: APnews
A reunion of music royalty is in the offing as two of Nigeria’s most celebrated music legends, Evangelist Ebenezer Obey-Fabiyi and King Sunny Ade, are set to come together again as part of activities marking the 80th birthday of the KSA.
Obey is expected to lead a galaxy of veteran musicians, including Fuji musicians, Kollington Ayinla and Abass Akande Obesere, as well as other prominent personalities, to celebrate King Sunny Ade at an event in Lagos.
The celebration, tagged, “Celebrating KSA @ 80,” is scheduled to hold on September 20 at Platinum Lounge Social Club, Abule Egba, Lagos.
The gathering is expected to provide a reunion of some of the biggest names from Nigeria’s golden era of music, with the presence of Obey and Sunny Ade particularly giving the celebration a historic dimension.
For decades, Obey and Sunny Ade have remained towering figures in Nigerian music, with both legends playing roles in taking indigenous Nigerian sounds to national and international audiences.
Their reunion at KSA’s birthday celebration is expected to rekindle memories of an era when their distinctive musical styles dominated the Nigerian music scene and inspired generations of artistes.
While Obey established himself as one of the foremost figures in juju music with his unique blend of traditional sounds, social commentary and inspirational themes, Sunny Ade rose to become one of the genre’s most influential global ambassadors.
The celebration, organised by one of KSA’s sons, Biodun Adeniyi Adegeye, otherwise known as PSA1, will also feature other names in the Nigerian music industry including Wale Thompson, Mega 99, Baba Ajasco, Ajobiewe, among others. They are expected to add their own touch to what promises to be a memorable gathering of musical giants.
Beyond the music, the event is expected to celebrate Sunny Ade’s journey, longevity and immense contribution to the Nigerian entertainment industry.
KSA has enjoyed a career spanning several decades, during which he transformed juju music into a globally recognised Nigerian musical export.
Big Brother Naija Season 11 housemates Abi and Araga has been evicted from the reality TV show, becoming the latest housemates to leave the ‘Show Ya Sef’ edition.
Abi and Araga’s eviction was announced during the live eviction show on Sunday as the competition enters another stage.
Their exit comes after the previous eviction round saw Gerard sent out of the competition.
Before Gerard, the show had witnessed the evictions of Martins, Mercedes, Kamsy, Cassi, Sultex and Goddessa, while Neche voluntarily left the competition.
The competition also recorded a major development during the week when Nomy was disqualified from the show.
With Abi and Araga’s eviction and Nomy’s disqualification, the ‘Show Ya Sef’ house is now left with 14 housemates battling for the grand prize as the season progresses towards its final stages.
The ‘Show Ya Sef’ edition premiered on July 26, 2026, with 24 housemates competing for a ₦160 million grand prize.
Country music icon, Dolly Parton, has died at the age of 80, according to multiple reports, including The Independent, The Guardian and Sky News.
Parton’s death was reportedly announced by her nephew, Bryan Seaver, on Instagram on Tuesday.
“I have imagined the heaviness of this moment but haven’t truly felt it until now.
“It is an honour, an honour that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness,” Seaver said.
Parton, who rose from humble beginnings in Tennessee to become one of country music’s most celebrated singer-songwriters, had a career spanning more than six decades.
She sold more than 100 million records globally and became known as the “Queen of Country”, with hits including “Jolene”, “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You”.
Parton wrote more than 3,000 songs and won 11 Grammy Awards. She was also a successful actor, appearing in films including 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Joyful Noise.
Born on January 19, 1946, in a two-room log cabin on the banks of the Little Pigeon River in Tennessee, Parton was the fourth of 12 children.
Her father was an illiterate sharecropper who later worked his way up to owning a small tobacco farm. Parton described her family as “dirt poor” but credited her mother with passing on her love and knowledge of traditional folk ballads and her father for his work ethic.
Parton began performing as a child. By the age of 13, she had appeared on local radio and television in East Tennessee, performed at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and recorded her first single, “Puppy Love”.
After graduating from high school in 1964, she moved to Nashville the following day and began establishing herself as a songwriter.
She released her debut album, Hello, I’m Dolly, in 1967, the same year she joined the weekly television programme The Porter Wagoner Show. Wagoner, an established country star, mentored Parton, and the pair released a series of successful albums as a duo.
In 1973, Parton decided to concentrate on her solo career and wrote “I Will Always Love You” about their professional separation. The song became a hit for Parton and was later famously recorded by Whitney Houston for the 1992 film The Bodyguard.
Parton also wrote “Jolene”, one of her signature songs, around the same period. Both songs were included on her 1974 album Jolene, which helped introduce her to a wider audience beyond country music.
Her 1977 album, Here You Come Again, became her first to sell a million copies and earned her first Grammy Award after almost a decade of nominations.
In 1980, Parton made her acting debut alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in the workplace comedy 9 to 5. She also wrote and performed the film’s theme song, which became a number one hit and earned an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song.
The film’s success helped launch Parton’s acting career, with roles in films including The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982), Steel Magnolias (1989) and Joyful Noise (2012).
Parton also built a business empire that included television specials, food products and Dollywood, the Tennessee theme park she acquired an interest in and renamed in 1986.
Beyond music and acting, she was known for her philanthropy, particularly through the Dollywood Foundation’s Imagination Library, which promotes childhood literacy.
She also supported medical research, disaster relief and other charitable causes, including donating $1 million towards COVID-19 vaccine research.
In 2022, she was awarded the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy.
“I just give from my heart. I never know what I’m going to do or why I’m gonna do it. I just see a need and if I can fill it, then I will,” she said at the time.
Parton’s health concerns became public in September 2025 when she postponed her Las Vegas residency. In recent weeks, she had also withdrawn from public appearances amid ongoing health issues.
Parton’s death comes months after the death of her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, who died in March 2025 at the age of 82.
The couple married in 1966.
