The US star's publicist claimed he died on the evening of Sunday at his residence in Bel Air, Los Angeles, accompanied by his family.
Jones leaves a rich legacy that includes producing Michael Jackson's seminal "Thriller" album and penning award-winning television and movies scores.
Jones, who was born in Chicago in 1933, claimed that the first music he could recall was the hymns that his mom sang around the home. He ascended from gangs on Chicago's South Side to the heights of the entertainment industry, establishing the among the initially Black executives to succeed in Hollywood.