Quincy Jones Pen’s Sweet Note to Daughter Hours Before Death

Hours before his death, Quincy Jones shared a post on Instagram in honor of his daughter’s birthday.

Jones is one of the most influential figures in music with a career spanning seven decades. Known for his pioneering work on Michael Jackson’s historical Thriller albums, as well as his award-winning film and television scores, Jones’ legacy is widely regarded.

On Monday, his publicist Arnold Robinson confirmed that the legendary music producer died at the age of 91 on Sunday night at his home in Bel Air, Los Angeles, surrounded by family.

Before his death, Jones took to Instagram to share his love for his daughter Matina Jones. “Happy birthday to my Tina Beena @martinafotos1! So proud to be your dad! Big hugs, I love you forever,” he posted next to a picture of the two of them together.

The record producer was married three times and had seven children with five different women. His children are Jolie, 69, Rachel, 59, Martina, 58, Quincy III, 55, Kidada, 50, Rashida, 48, and Kenya, 31.

Newsweek emailed Robinson, Jones’ spokesman, for comment Monday outside normal business hours.

Jolie, the star’s eldest child, lives a life out of the limelight, but has pursued acting; her mother is Jones’ high school sweetheart Jeri Caldwell. The music mogul’s second daughter, Rachel, is a doctor and her mother is Carol Reynolds. Martina, whose mother is former Ford model Ulla Andersson, is also a former model, now a photographer.

Jones and Andersson also shared the music mogul’s only son, Quincy III, who followed in his father’s footsteps and became a music producer. He has worked with artists such as Dr. Dre, Tupac Shakur and Ice Cube.

Together, the actress Peggy Lipton and Jones had their daughters Kidada, who works as a designer for The Walt Disney Company, and Rashida, an actress who has appeared in TV series such as Parks and Recreation and The office and films such as The social network and Inside Out.

His daughter Kenya, who he had with German actress Nastassja Kinski, is a model whose first runway show was for Chanel. She has also appeared in campaigns for Calvin Klein and Stella McCartney.

Jones’ influence spanned decades and genres, and in a heartfelt statement his family reflected on his remarkable life: “Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of the passing of our father and brother Quincy Jones.

“While this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great life he lived, knowing there will never be another like him.”

Jones turned 91 in March and took to his Facebook page to share his thoughts on turning another year older.

“This life that I’ve been blessed to live is not one that I take for granted. As a little black boy growing up on the South Side of Chicago, making it to 91 wasn’t even a dream because it never seemed possible. But as I stand before you today, I am grateful to every person who lent me a shoulder to stand on… From Count Basie to Nadia Boulanger to Joseph Powe to all the people who told me that I was worth another day,” he wrote.

“To all-a-y’awl out there, never underestimate the positive impact you can have on a child’s life, because it just might be the difference between them making it to 19 or 91. Thank you all for the beautiful birthday wishes & I pray that I can continue to pass on what the great ones have given me!

Jones’ music catalog includes some of the most iconic works in American history, having worked on collaborations with legends including Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Ray Charles.

His honors include 28 Grammy Awards, an honorary Academy Award and an Emmy, and he also received a Kennedy Center tribute for his contributions to American culture. Time the magazine also named Jones one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century.