Quincy Jones’ Health Journey Before He Died at 91: From Surviving a Brain Aneurysm to Diabetes

In the years leading up to his passing, Quincy Jones often reflected on the close calls he had with death earlier in life. He openly discussed these frightening moments, even describing one particularly intense experience as “scary.”

Jones, the legendary producer behind Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and a collaborator with icons like Frank Sinatra and Ray Charles, passed away on November 3, 2024, at age 91. He was surrounded by his loved ones.

Renowned for his talents as a producer, composer, and jazz musician, Jones’s impact spanned music, film, and television. His family expressed both sorrow and gratitude, saying, “[…] Although this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great life that he lived and know there will never be another like him.”

While the cause of death wasn’t disclosed, the celebrity, who leaves behind seven children, had previously spoken openly about his health struggles.

In a candid 2018 interview, Jones looked back on a harrowing near-death experience from 1974 when he was just 41. One ordinary day, a sudden, intense pain struck his head, and he collapsed, soon discovering he had suffered a brain aneurysm.

“It was scary. Like somebody blew my brains out. The main artery to your brain explodes, you know,” the Chicago native recalled. The Mayo Clinic describes a brain aneurysm as a bulging or ballooning blood vessel in the brain, resembling a berry on a stem.

For Jones, the crisis didn’t end with the first surgery—doctors discovered a second aneurysm poised to rupture, requiring another operation once he was strong enough. His odds were daunting, with only a one-in-a-hundred chance of survival.

In a heartfelt Facebook post, the jazz musician shared more details of this ordeal. He recounted how his friends, fearing he might not survive, organized a memorial service for him at The Shrine in Los Angeles, a gathering he ended up attending.

“Everyone was there…Sidney Poitier, Sarah Vaughan, you name it. It was special to see so many people there to celebrate what would’ve been my 41 years of life,” Jones remembered.

The Grammy Award winner’s life was marked by several close brushes with death, each of which left a lasting impact. He described yet another ordeal in 2019 on his Facebook page, this time recalling a diabetic coma he suffered years prior.

“In 2015, I went into a diabetic coma & took what should’ve been my last breath,” he shared. “By the grace of God I made it through, but not without having to make some MAJOR adjustments.”

Jones, known for his lifestyle alongside Charles and Sinatra, once remarked, “I had enough alcohol to last multiple lifetimes, & the doctors told me I had to call it quits!” Committed to making a change, he gave up drinking and turned to sugar-free popsicles. The shift led him to lose 50 pounds.

Jones reflected on the challenge of quitting by recalling a fall down five flights of stairs, which he saw as all the motivation he needed to make a change. He expressed confidence in his willpower, asserting that he could quit anything—from cigarettes to alcohol—with sheer determination.

After going into a diabetic coma for four days, the songwriter faced another health crisis the following year when he was hospitalized for a blood clot.