‘Every time there was a step change in musical direction, he was involved’
Quincy feels as if he’s been in my life ever since I first got interested in music in the 70s. Every time there was a step change in musical direction, he was involved. I remember buying the Thriller album and playing it non-stop, such was its impact on me. His greatness will live in all the recordings he was involved with, from big bands and Sinatra to the new acts he mentored. Goodbye Q and thank you. You were the soundtrack to my growing up and I’ll never forget you. Andy Mackenzie, 61, creative director in advertising, Ashford, Middlesex
‘Sinatra at the Sands is irreplaceable’
Anyone who can listen to Eyes of Love from Quincy’s 1973 You’ve Got it Bad Girl album and not carry it with him or her for the rest of their life is incapable of love. Summer in the City on the same album is one or two microns behind Eyes. And the album Sinatra at the Sands is irreplaceable. SW Barnes, Arkansas, US
‘He was a welcoming man with no airs’
I worked in hospitality for 12 years and Quincy Jones was a guest of Alex Haley at Club LeConte, a private dining club in Knoxville, Tennessee in 1982. I was Quincy’s floor captain and chatted during the evening; it was my job to make sure his and the other guests’ needs were met during their dining experience. Quincy was unsure about an entree and I introduced him to duckling Chambord. He was a very warm, welcoming man with no airs – very kind and charming. He delighted all at his table despite the presence of his amazing host. Eric Taylor, 75, retired, Mims, Florida, US
‘He had beautiful handwriting and was very gracious’
A wonderfully talented musician, producer and arranger, and a big musical presence in my life from around the mid-70s, after I heard his album You’ve Got it Bad Girl. I met Quincy in 2009 in Cardiff, when he was made a fellow of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. It was also my daughter’s graduation ceremony and she went on to a career in theatre stage management. I thanked him for his music and asked him to sign a graduation programme for my daughter. He had beautiful handwriting and was very gracious to his admirers. A nice memory of a very talented humanitarian. Andrew, North Devon
‘His music is profound, complex, clever, creative and playful’
I named my son after the great Quincy Jones. When we asked our home birth midwife about cool girls and boys’ names, she said she liked ones starting with the letter Q. I immediately said, “Ah, Quincy, like Quincy Jones” and that was it! He is now 17 and quite a musician. For me, Quincy Jones’s name is music. His productions are profound, complex, clever, creative, extremely playful, out of this world, eternal – as are his smile, his twinkly eyes, and the many, many connections he made. An inspiration and joy beyond measure. Brigitte Lauper Tisch, Waiheke Island, New Zealand
‘Very few people are talented in so many genres’
QJ is one of my all-time heroes. There are very few people who can be so talented and at the top of their game in so many genres, including jazz, pop, film scores and TV and film production. He was also incredibly handsome and a lovely soul. There are times when someone famous dies and it really impacts you. QJ’s passing is this time for me. What an amazing human we have lost. Louise, Canada
‘Chump Change was my first window into Quincy’s musical brain’
I named my son Quinn after Quincy Jones. The track Chump Change is for ever tied to the Dutch sports radio show Langs de lijn, as the programme’s jingle. That jingle started being used in 1974 and still is to this day. Chump Change was my first window into Quincy’s musical brain. I also met him at Paisley Park, Prince’s house in Minnesota, shortly after Prince’s passing. We chatted a number of times that night … magical. Cor, Canada
‘He created musical magic’
The first song I ever heard from Q was Turn on the Action from his 1981 The Dude album, which came on the radio when I was 12 years old. Since the song was clearly sung by a woman (Patti Austin as I found out later) I assumed Quincy must be a woman. It wasn’t until I bought the album I realised how wrong I was – but the whole idea of a producer inviting great singers to sing on his albums was new to me. Quincy created musical magic and set the standard by which I measure all other music. Harry, Amsterdam