Oprah Winfrey is mourning the loss of Quincy Jones, whom she “loved unconditionally.”

“My beloved Q. The world’s beloved Q,” Winfrey, 70, began a moving tribute on Instagram to Jones, who died on Sunday, November 3 at the age of 91.

The star shared a throwback photo of the two walking out with their arms around each other, noting that it was Jones who “discovered” her for her breakout role in the 1985 film. The color purple. “My life changed forever for the better after I met him,” she wrote.

“I had never experienced, nor have I experienced since, anyone whose heart was so full of love,” Winfrey’s caption continued. “He walked around with his heart wide open and treated everyone like he was the most important person he had ever met. He was the Light. No shadows.”

She called the Grammy-winning legend “love lived out loud in human form,” adding that he was “the first person I ever loved unconditionally.” This is how we signed all our notes together: ‘Unconditional…’”

The “favorite” photo of the smiling duo, Winfrey explained, was taken at his home in Bel Air in 2001 to interview him about his prolific career, the family that completed him and the life he had ahead of him.

She concluded the heartfelt message: “He was the Most Powerful Soul. His life strengthened mine and every life he touched. That will be his global legacy. The greatest, fullest, most loving life ever. One of one!”

Never miss a story: Sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

On The Oprah Winfrey Show and in interviews Jones, a producer and scorer of director Steven Spielberg’s big-screen adaptation of Alice Walker’s novel The color purpleconfirmed that he went ahead with casting Winfrey after catching a glimpse of her when she was a television news anchor in Chicago. Winfrey, a fan of the novel, went on to earn an Oscar nomination for her on-screen debut as Sofia.

Tributes were paid by other celebrities following Jones’ death The color purple star Whoopi Goldberg. “I was lucky to have him in my life all these years,” the 68-year-old actress wrote. “My heart breaks for his friends and his extended family who loved and adored him…my condolences.”

On The view On Monday, November 4, Goldberg became emotional when she brought up the loss of her friend. “I can’t even explain what’s happening in my head right now,” she said on the live talk show. “I didn’t have a better friend – he never left, when other people left, Q stayed, and he always told me to stick to my guns,” she continued. “I do and it always will.”

For The color purpleJones received three of his seven Oscar nominations: for Best Picture, Original Song and Score. The winner of the Academy’s Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1995, he will receive another honorary Oscar at the upcoming Governors Awards.