Musician had brain aneurysms and diabetes

After an impressive career that spanned decades, music legend Quincy Jones has died.

Jones is known for his work as a record producer, composer, arranger, songwriter and jazz musician and has worked with a variety of famous artists, from Michael Jackson to Frank Sinatra.

While no cause of death was revealed when Jones' death was announced, the musician had publicly battled numerous health issues, from diabetes that left him in a coma to multiple brain aneurysms. Here's what Jones has shared about his health over the years.

Quincy Jones dies at the age of 91

According to a statement from his publicist Arnold Robinson, Jones died on Sunday, November 3, at the age of 91 at his home in the Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, surrounded by his family.

“Tonight it is with full but broken hearts that we share the news of the passing of our father and brother Quincy Jones,” Jones' family said in a statement. “And while this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great life he led and know there will never be another like him.”

The Jones family did not release a cause of death.

Quincy Jones almost died from brain aneurysms

Jones suffered two consecutive brain aneurysms in 1974, when he was 41 years old.

According to the Mayo Clinic, a brain aneurysm is a “bulge or ballooning in a blood vessel in the brain.” Brain aneurysms can be fatal if they rupture or leak.

In 2018, Jones shared details of the health crisis on Facebook, saying it felt like “a shotgun went off in my head.”

“During a 7.5-hour operation, my doctors discovered a second aneurysm that was about to explode, requiring them to order a second operation. During that time, things weren't looking too promising, so my friends planned a memorial service for me. “The Shrine in LA and I basically attended my own funeral,” he wrote.

After the surgeries, doctors gave Jones a one in 100 chance of survival and told him he should never play the trumpet again because the force with which he blows into the instrument could cause metal implants in his brain to dislodge, preventing future ones Prevent aneurysms.

“If I had sat around feeling sorry for myself, I would never have done 'Thriller,' 'We Are the World,' 'The Color Purple,' or anything else that happened after 1974,” he wrote.

When Jones spoke to GQ about his brain aneurysms, he said it was hard to stay away from his love of the trumpet. When the musician was on tour in Japan after his surgeries, he played the instrument and felt a headache. He soon learned that the clamp on the blood vessel in his brain had come loose.

“I couldn’t get away with it, man,” he told GQ, adding that he stayed away from the trumpet after that.

During an old interview featured in his 2018 Netflix documentary “Quincy,” Jones reflected on his renewed perspective on the fragility of life following his aneurysms.

“It's nature's way of getting your attention, of living your life, you know, really living it,” he said.

In the voiceover, the musician said: “You realize the true nature of time and tell your friends you love them now – not tomorrow or next week – and let them feel your love.”

Describing the recovery process in an old interview included in the documentary, Jones said he had to undergo therapy to be able to write again and had experienced “memory lapses.”

Quincy Jones had diabetes and fell into a diabetic coma

In 2015, Jones fell into a diabetic coma, which the Mayo Clinic defines as a “life-threatening disorder that results in loss of consciousness.” It is usually caused by dangerously high or low blood sugar levels.

Jones, who suffered from type 2 diabetes, spoke out about the health crisis in a 2019 Facebook post.

“By the grace of God I got through it, but not without having to make some MAJOR adjustments. After dreaming up people like Ray Charles and Frank Sinatra, I had enough alcohol to last me several lifetimes and the doctors told me that was the case. “I have to stop this!! After replacing drinking with eating sugar-free popsicles, I lost 50 pounds and felt 37 again,” he wrote.

His Netflix documentary shows Jones speaking to doctors after waking from his diabetic coma. Doctors explained that when he was admitted to the hospital, he had difficulty breathing, a high fever and extremely high sugar levels. They also told the star that he drinks too much alcohol.

After four days in a diabetic coma, Jones began the recovery process. Speaking to his daughter two months later, Jones called the experience a “wake-up call” and said his family's support helped him “get s— together quick.”

“After the surgery and the hospital stay and everything, my mind went somewhere else, darling. And you think about things you never even thought about before,” he said.

He stopped drinking alcohol

As part of his recovery from his diabetic coma, Jones decided to manage his drinking for health reasons.

“I'm not going out, not yet. When I go out, I'm ready,” he said in the Netflix documentary, adding that vodka has always been one of his favorite drinks.

In an interview with GQ in 2018, Jones said he stopped drinking altogether in 2016 due to his diabetes.

“It's the best thing I've ever done. My head is so clear now, you know. And curiosity is at an all-time high,” he told the magazine.

Jones added that he wished he had stopped drinking sooner.

“I came up with Ray Charles and Frank Sinatra, man. I had no chance. Seven double Jack Daniels per hour. Get out of here. Ray Charles, Frank – these guys could party,” he said.

He was hospitalized with a blood clot

When he was 82, Jones was hospitalized with a blood clot after he experienced heart pain and shortness of breath.

At a subsequent doctor's appointment, featured in his Netflix documentary, Jones was told that he had been “close” and had avoided “sudden death.”

When Jones said he had some trips planned in the coming weeks, the doctor warned him that he needed to be careful when traveling in his current condition.

“I also want to start training,” Jones said.

The doctor said he believed there was a 90% chance Jones would leave the hospital in a wheelchair.

“Absolutely not. I’m a helper and a survivor,” Jones told his doctor.