How Quincy Jones died fighting Michael Jackson’s ‘ungrateful’ family over unpaid royalties

The entertainment industry lost a legend on November 3, 2024, following the death of music producer Quincy Jones on the age of 91.

Jones worked with many musicians throughout his profession, including Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Charles, and influenced the careers of Frank Sinatra and Aretha Franklin. He also produced the late Michael Jackson’s classic albums “Off the Wall,” “Thriller” and “Bad.”

Before his death, Jones was reportedly embroiled in a $30 million legal dispute with Michael Jackson’s estate over his share of royalties. RadarOnline.

After MJ’s death in 2009, the Jackson Estate allegedly negotiated with Sony Entertainment for a bigger share of the profits from his music, which might have resulted in Jones being excluded from the deal.

Jones was offered a $3 million settlement, significantly lower than the $30 million the Chicago-born composer claimed he was owed.

“Quincy thinks the Jacksons cheated him and he’ll pay them for it. He deserves higher treatment from those ungrateful Jacksons!” – the source said in 2013.

The insider also claimed that Jones saw himself because the “genius” behind Michael’s skilled success and the “Thriller” album, which made him thousands and thousands as a “superstar.”

Jones filed a breach of contract lawsuit against the Jackson Estate in 2013 after allegedly being “frustrated” with the matter for years. The grievance also names Sony Music Entertainment and Epic Records.

In 2017, a jury in Los Angeles awarded the “Secret Garden” composer $9.42 million in damages for using Jones-produced songs in Michael Jackson’s concert film “This Is It” and two Cirque du Soleil shows.

The subject of the civil case were two contracts signed by Jackson and Jones in 1978 and 1985. “Off the Wall” was released in 1979 and “Thriller” in 1982.

High-profile interview from 2018 Vulture Jones said: “I hate to enter this publicly, but Michael stole numerous stuff. He stole numerous songs.

However, in 2020, California’s Second Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the 2017 decision because the unique trial judge allowed the jury to misinterpret Jones’ contract.

The appeals court found that the jury improperly awarded Jones money from royalties and remixes of Jackson’s master recordings. After the appeals court ruling, Jones received only $2.6 million of the initial $9.42 million.

“While we disagree with portions of the Court’s decision and are evaluating our options moving forward, we are pleased that the Court affirmed the jury’s decision that MJJP did not pay Quincy Jones more than the $2.5 million it owed him,” the lawyer said Quincy, J. According to the then Michael Hennigan Related press.

Jackson family attorney Howard Weitzman said: “Quincy Jones was the last person we thought would attempt to benefit from Michael Jackson by filing a lawsuit three years after his death, asking for tens of thousands and thousands of dollars to which he was not entitled. “

Before Off The Wall, Jones and Jackson co-created the 1978 film The Wiz. Jones helped create the songs for the Sidney Lumet-directed musical by which Jackson played the Scarecrow.

“He knew how to do his homework, whether it was Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly or whoever, James Brown. He also copied a little bit of Elvis,” Jones said Hollywood reporter in 2021 about being around Jackson on the set of “The Wiz.”

Four years after the discharge of “The Wiz”, “Thriller” was released, which spent 37 weeks at the highest of the Billboard 200 album chart. Jackson’s sixth studio album won eight trophies on the twenty sixth Annual Grammy Awards in 1984, including Album of the Year.

What’s more, the Epic Records-backed masterpiece has been certified 34x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, making MJ’s sixth studio album one in all the best-selling albums in U.S. history.

The world was mourned when it learned that Jackson died on June 25, 2009 on the age of fifty. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiners and Coroners ruled his death a homicide.

Conrad Murray, Jackson’s personal physician, was convicted of manslaughter in November 2011. Murray administered a lethal dose of propofol to the 13-time Grammy winner, causing his death.

“Michael Jackson was a special form of artist. In some ways he was a man-child, a beyond skilled and dedicated man,” Jones wrote of MJ in a 2009 eulogy published in The New York Times. Los Angeles Times.

Jones also added: “There shall be so much written about what happened in Michael’s life, but to me it’s all just noise. I promise that in 50, 75, 100 years we’ll remember music.

As of this writing, Jones’ reason for death has not been publicly released. The music industry icon suffered two brain aneurysms in 1974, on the age of 41.

Jones also struggled with type 2 diabetes and in 2015 fell right into a diabetic coma. Facebook“By the grace of God I was able to do it, but not without having to make BIG adjustments.”