To many, he was best known for his collaborations with Jackson, starting with the album Off the Wall, released in 1979.
The pair followed this up with a chart-topping sequel, Thriller, in 1982, for which Jones took an album of the year Grammy Award, and record of the year for Billie Jean.
The album remains the best-selling album of all time with worldwide sales of about 110 million.
His list of honours includes 28 Grammys, two honorary Academy Awards and an Emmy for his part in producing Roots.
Jones also received awards from across the world, including France’s Legion d’Honneur and the Rudolph Valentino Award from Italy.
The legendary producer also became the first African-American to write the score for a major motion picture, The Pawnbroker, in 1964. Across his career, he received seven Oscar nominations for best original score and song.