Will Smith Remembers Late ‘Mentor’ and Fresh Prince Producer Quincy Jones: ‘He Inspired Me’

Jones, who served as an executive producer and composer on the sitcom, died at his home in Los Angeles on Sunday, Nov. 3. He was 91

Quincy Jones and Will Smith on the set of ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ season 1. 

Will Smith is paying tribute to the great Quincy Jones in the wake of his death.

Following the news of Jones’ death at his home in Los Angeles on Sunday, Nov. 3, Smith — who landed his role on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in the ’90s with Jones’ help — reflected on the lasting impact the legendary composer had on his life in a sweet Instagram post.

Describing Jones, who was 91, as “the true definition of a Mentor, a Father and a Friend,” Smith, 56, wrote, “He pointed me toward the greatest parts of myself.

He defended me.

He nurtured me.

He encouraged me.

He inspired me.”

“He checked me when he needed to.

He let me use his wings until mine were strong enough to fly,” Smith said in the post, which featured a black-and-white image of him and Jones on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air set.

Smith has previously explained the surreal first meeting he ever had with Jones in 1989, which is what ultimately led to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air‘s creation.

In a 2018 YouTube video, Smith recalled being invited to a party at Jones’ house where he was handed a script for a failed pilot episode and was made to audition for what would become his starring role in the sitcom with just minutes to prepare.

The show’s title came out of Smith’s rapper name, The Fresh Prince.

Quincy Jones, Will Smith on set of ‘Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’. 

Despite Smith’s pushback (and a few requests to properly audition at a later date), he acquiesced when Jones recommended he “take 10 minutes right now and you could change your life forever.”

“I was like f— it then. I said yes and I let it rip,” Smith recalled.

“And I got to the end and everyone’s clapping.”.

Jones then demanded a lawyer immediately draw up a contract for Smith to star in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Smith recalled a group of lawyers going into a limo and “drawing up the first deal for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”

“We took a picture and we signed the basic deal for The Fresh Prince,” he said.

“And three months later, we were shooting the pilot. And that’s the story of how I became the Prince of Bel-Air.”

Quincy Jones, Will Smith on set of ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’.

In the wake of Jones’ death, his family said in a statement shared with PEOPLE, “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.”

“He is truly one of a kind and we will miss him dearly; we take comfort and immense pride in knowing that the love and joy, that were the essence of his being, was shared with the world through all that he created,” the statement continued.

“Through his music and his boundless love, Quincy Jones’ heart will beat for eternity.”.