Oprah Winfrey Pays Tribute To Quincy Jones, Says He Changed Her Life

Tributes from stars and fans have followed since Quincy Jones passed away at 91 at his Los Angeles residence. Oprah Winfrey acknowledged the late star’s passing with an Instagram post featuring a throwback photo of herself and Quincy, as well as a lengthy heartfelt note.

Oprah credited a highlight of her career to Quincy, who helped land her a role in 1985’s The Color Purple, which was recreated in 2023. “My life changed forever for the better after meeting him,” Oprah gushed.

Oprah Winfrey praises Quincy Jones after his death

For Oprah, no one has beat Quincy’s level of love and kindness as he treated everyone equally. She recalled taking the photo at his home in Bel Air back in 2001 while visiting for an interview. “This photo is one of my favorite of us,” she admitted

Quincy breathed his last at the same Bel Air home, surrounded by his siblings, children, and other loved ones. Although the cause of his death has yet to be disclosed, Quincy suffered multiple health issues over the course of his career, including diabetes and brain aneurysms.

Quincy Jones attended his memorial service

After one of his brain aneurysms in 1974, Quincy’s family organized a memorial service because he was given a 1% chance to live as the main artery to his brain burst. He had not met Oprah at the time, so his guest list included famous faces of that era like Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, Sarah Vaughan, and others.

Quincy survived the health scare but with a warning to never attempt to play a trumpet again. He attended the ceremony at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, after which his brain was operated on for the second time. Quincy lived for 50 years after his first burial ceremony, impacting the likes of Oprah and Michael Jackson within that period.