Tag Archives: died aged 91

Quincy Jones

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On November 3, 2024, Quincy Delight Jones Jr. died aged 91. He was musician (trumpet), music producer, songwriter, composer, arranger, and producer, with career spanned over 70 years. He was named one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century by magazine “Time”.

For his work he received the following awards and honors:

  • Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music (1983)
  • Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement presented by Awards Council member Ray Charles in 1984.
  • Grammy Legend Award in 1992
  • Garfield High School in Seattle named a performing arts center after him.
  • Quincy Jones Elementary School, located in South Central Los Angeles, is named after him.
  • Humanitarian Award at the BET Awards in 2008.
  • John F. Kennedy Center Honors in 2001.
  • National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama on March 2, 2011.
  • Los Angeles Press Club Visionary Award in 2014.
  • Honorary doctorate from the Royal Academy of Music, London, in 2015.
  • Ahmet Ertegun Award in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.
  • In 2021, Jones was inducted into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame as a “foundational inductee”.
  • He won 28 Grammy Awards (third in the list of all-time Grammy award wins).

Quincy Jones was producer of “Thriller” by Michael Jackson (1982), the best sold album in music history (more than 51.3 million copies sold).

As leader, Quincy Jones released 40 albums.  

Duško Gojković 

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On April 5, 2023, Duško Gojković died aged 91. He was musician (trumpet), composer and arranger. Regarded as one of the best jazz trumpet players in the world, he recorded and performed with many famous musicians, including Stan Getz, Chet Baker, Oscar Pettiford, Maynard Ferguson, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Gerry Mulligan, Sonny Rollins, Duke Jordan, Slide Hampton, Rolf Ericson, Kenny Clarke, Francy Boland and Woody Herman. In 1966, he released “Swinging Macedonia”, which is regarded as the definitive album of the Balkan’s jazz music. As leader, Gojković released 32 albums.

Harold Lane David

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On September 1, 2012, Harold Lane David died aged 91. He was lyricist best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach. Together they wrote and composed for Marty Robbins, Dionne Warwick, The Carpenters, Dusty Springfield, B. J. Thomas, Gene Pitney, Tom Jones and Jackie DeShannon. Some of their best known compositions are “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head”, “We Have All the Time in the World”, “This Guy’s in Love with You”, “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again”, “Do You Know the Way to San Jose”, “Walk On By”, “What the World Needs Now Is Love”, “I Say a Little Prayer”, “(There’s) Always Something There to Remind Me”, “One Less Bell to Answer”, “Alfie” and “Anyone Who Had a Heart”. David and Bacharach worked on soundtracks for movies “What’s New Pussycat?”, “Alfie”, “Casino Royale” and “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”. Their compositions “Don’t Make Me Over”, “(They Long to Be) Close to You” and “Walk On By” have been inducted into the “Grammy Hall of Fame”. David contributed lyrics for three James Bond movies, and wrote lyrics for other composers including Morty Nevins, Albert Hammond, Sherman Edwards and Paul Hampton.

Gerald “Jerry” Wexler

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On August 15, 2008, Gerald “Jerry” Wexler died aged 91. He was music journalist and producer, one of the main music industry personalities in the period from the 50s through the 80s. He played significant role in signing and producing many of most famous music acts of that period, including Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Led Zeppelin, Ray Charles, the Allman Brothers, Chris Connor, Wilson Pickett, Dire Straits and Dusty Springfield. Wexler coined the term “Rhythm and Blues” while writing for “Billboard” magazine in the late 1940s. In 1987, Wexler was inducted to the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame”, and in 2017 to the “National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame”.

Wilbur Cobb

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On May 24, 2020, Wilbur James Cobb died aged 91. He was musician (drums), one of the most influential and respected drummers in Jazz music. He has recorded and performed with many musicians including Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Dinah Washington, Pearl Bailey, Clark Terry, Cannonball Adderley, Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Wynton Kelly, Stan Getz, Wes Montgomery, Art Pepper, Gil Evans, Paul Chambers, Kenny Burrell, J. J. Johnson, Sonny Stitt, Nat Adderley, Phil Upchurch, Benny Golson, Hank Jones, Ron Carter, George Coleman, Fathead Newman, Geri Allen, Earl Bostic, Leo Parker, Charlie Rouse, Ernie Royal, Philly Joe Jones, Bobby Timmons, Walter Booker, Jerome Richardson, Joey DeFrancesco, Keter Betts, Jimmy Cleveland, Sam Jones, Red Garland, Joe Henderson, Eddie Gómez, Bill Evans, Jeremy Steig, Richard Wyands, Peter Bernstein, Walter Bishop, Jr., Richie Cole, Nancy Wilson, Ricky Ford, David Amram, Donald Byrd, Kenny Barron and Toshiko Akiyoshi. Cobb recorded 17 albums as a leader.

Bert Weedon

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On April 20, 2012, Herbert Maurice William ‘Bert’ Weedon died aged 91. He was musician (guitar), whose style of playing was popular and influential during the 50s and 60s. Weedon was the first British guitarist to have a hit record in the “UK Singles Chart”, in 1959. His “Play in a Day” guitar guide influenced some of the biggest names in rock and roll such as Eric Clapton, Brian May, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Dave Davies, Keith Richards, Pete Townshend, Tony Iommi and Jimmy Page. For his “services to music”, in 2001, Weedon was awarded an OBE.