Rashida Jones just dropped a touching tribute to her father, Quincy Jones—yes, THE Quincy Jones, music legend extraordinaire—who passed away this past Sunday. It was a loss that hit her hard and in that classic Rashida way, she took to Instagram to share a story that’ll warm even the iciest of hearts.
She kicked things off with a little nugget about her dad’s unique routine. Apparently, Quincy was all about those “jazz hours”—like, the man was the original “night owl.” Imagine a high schooler who already knew he’d be composing hit after hit, so he just decided, “Sleep? Nah, I’m good.” Rashida reminisced about those nights when she’d wander around the house at ungodly hours like a tiny detective, looking for her dad. And where would she find him? Oh, just casually scribbling music notes on sheet music like it’s 1920. And being the cool dad he was, he didn’t say, “Go back to bed, kid.” Instead, he’d scoop her up in one arm, keep composing with the other, and give her all the snuggles she could handle. Clearly, baby Rashida had VIP access to “Jazz Club Quincy.”
Then she hit us with the big stuff: “He was a giant. An icon. A culture shifter. A genius.” I mean, she’s not wrong. The man’s influence is basically woven into the soundtrack of the last five decades. But the kicker? All that music, all those awards, all that jaw-dropping talent was just a side effect of how much he loved people. According to Rashida, Quincy Jones wasn’t just out here making hits—he was out here making people feel loved, seen, and like their lives had a soundtrack too.
Rashida ended with the kind of heartfelt words that make you reach for tissues, even if you’re a robot: “Daddy, it is an honor to be your daughter.” I mean, cue the waterworks. She talked about missing his bear hugs, his kiss-your-face-off affection, and his fatherly advice, as if to say, “No big deal, I just had Quincy Freaking Jones as my dad.”
So, from all of us, massive hugs to Rashida and the Jones family. Quincy might have left this stage, but with that legacy? He’ll be playing encore after encore forever. 🎶