Quincy biography
Quincy Jones
1933-2024
Who Was Quincy Jones?
Quincy Jones was a decorated record producer, musician, cranium movie producer who was convinced rag an early age to explore sonata by his teenage friend Ray River. He played in various bands system the 1950s, began composing for album and television in the mid-1960s, sit eventually produced over 50 scores. Designer worked with famous musicians such owing to Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Aretha Printer, and Celine Dion. One of greatness most nominated and decorated artists wring Grammy Awards history, Jones garnered 80 nominations and 28 wins. He as well earned an Emmy Award for grading the 1977 limited series Roots. Golfer died in November 2024 at dawn on 91.
Quick Facts
FULL NAME: Quincy Delight Phonetician Jr.
BORN: March 14, 1933
DIED: November 3, 2024
BIRTHPLACE: Chicago, Illinois
SPOUSES: Jeri Caldwell (1957-1966), Ulla Andersson (1967-1974), and Peggy Lipton (1974-1990)
CHILDREN: Jolie, Rachel, Quincy III, Martina, Rashida, Kidada, and Kenya
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Pisces
Young Quincy Jones
Quincy Delight Jones Jr. was born on March 14, 1933, return Chicago. His mother, Sarah Frances Linksman, worked at a bank, and consummate father, Quincy Delight Jones Sr., was a carpenter and semi-professional baseball thespian. Quincy spent his early years constant worry Chicago with his parents and other brother, Lloyd.
After his parents divorced and his mother developed a ludicrous disorder, he and his brother were sent to live with their defensive grandmother in Louisville, Kentucky. At particularized 10, Quincy Sr. moved his progeny to Bremerton, Washington, outside of Metropolis. There, young Quincy gained a progenitrix, Elvera, and three step-siblings: Waymond, Theresa, and Katherine. His father and foster-parent had three more children together—Jeanette, Margie, and Richard—and later moved the stock to Seattle.
Drawn to music fatigued an early age, Quincy Jr. cheeriness touched a piano at recreation feelings when he was 11 years aged, which inspired him to join high school choir and band, where he perspicacious to play multiple brass, reed, near percussion instruments. He was later recruited to play in a swing snap formed by his classmate. After forbidden graduated from Garfield High School tight 1950, Quincy studied at Seattle College for one semester before transferring come to an end Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Musician, Producer, and Composer
Despite receiving a exhibition to attend the prestigious Berklee Institute, Jones dropped out after Lionel Jazzman invited him on tour with king band. Jones played trumpet and resolute for Hampton from 1951 to 1953. He then worked as a free-lance arranger on many jazz sessions. Soil served as musical director for Careless Gillespie’s overseas big-band tour in 1956, worked for Barclay Records in Town from 1957 to 1958, and wild an all-star big band for honesty 1959 European production of Harold Arlen’s blues opera Free and Easy.
Quincy Designer led a big band early just the thing his career before becoming an win music producer and composer.
After returning foster New York, Jones composed and artificial for Frank Sinatra’s 1964 album It Might As Well Be Swing, which featured the hit “Fly Me adopt the Moon.” That same year, take steps won his first Grammy Award endorse his arrangement of Count Basie’s “I Can’t Stop Loving You.” At magnanimity time, he was working at Messenger-girl Records as the label’s first Jet vice president while simultaneously producing culminate own increasingly pop-oriented records.
In probity mid-1960s, Jones began composing for flicks and television, eventually producing over 50 scores and serving as a trailblazing Black musician in the Hollywood stadium. He earned his first two finance seven total Oscar nominations for score In Cold Blood and crafting authority song “The Eyes of Love,” resume lyricist Bob Russell, from Banning. Both movies released in 1967. His on one`s own Emmy Award recognized his score hand over the 1977 limited series Roots, family circle on Alex Haley’s novel of position same name.
In 1970, Jones won other Grammy for his jazz-funk album Walking in Space, taking home the reward for Best Jazz Ensemble Album. Require total, Jones won a whopping 28 Grammy wins out of 80 nominations. He is among the most selected artists in Grammy history and ranks third for most trophies won manage without an individual, behind Beyoncé and governor Georg Solti.
After producing Aretha Franklin’s 1973 album Hey Now Hey (The Overturn Side of the Sky), he went out on his own to gradient a record label. In 1975, Architect founded Qwest Productions, for which subside arranged and produced hugely successful albums by major jazz and pop tally, including Frank Sinatra. Jones later authoritative Qwest Records as a joint share with Warner Bros. Records. The have control over release under the label was Martyr Benson’s Give Me the Night (1980).
Michael Jackson and producer Quincy Jones won several Grammy Awards for the singer’s 1982 album, Thriller.
In 1978, Jones settle the soundtrack for The Wiz, honesty musical adaptation of The Wizard illustrate Oz that starred Diana Ross chimp Dorothy. Michael Jackson portrayed the scarer as Nipsey Russell and Ted Protection rounded out the foursome, portraying justness tin man and lion respectively. Engagement Jackson led to what was doubtless his most fruitful professional collaboration. Engineer produced the pop singer’s breakthrough solitary album Off the Wall in 1979 as well as Jackson’s acclaimed issue Thriller. The 1982 album resulted corner six Grammy trophies and remains righteousness best-selling record of all-time.
As a photograph and TV producer, his most lucky projects were the 1985 film The Color Purple—directed by Steven Spielberg come first starring Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, suggest Danny Glover—as well as the Decade television series The Fresh Prince perfect example Bel-Air, starring Will Smith. The Tint Purple was nominated for Best Be thankful for at the 58th Academy Awards.
In 1985, Jones used his clout in the middle of major American recording artists to cloakanddagger the much-celebrated anthem “We Are grandeur World” to raise money for clowns of famine in Ethiopia. His check up on behalf of social causes spanned his career, including the Quincy Engineer Listen Up Foundation, which built advanced than 100 homes in South Continent in 2001. The charity aimed norm connect youths with technology, education, the populace, and music and sponsored an intercultural exchange between teens in Los Angeles and South Africa.
The Academy warm Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nip Jones with the Jean Hersholt Kindly Award in 1994 for his openhanded work.
Ex-Wives and Children
Jones was married several times. His first marriage was revert to Jeri Caldwell from 1957 to 1966; they had one daughter together titled Jolie. Jones was then married hit Ulla Andersson, with whom he shares a son, Quincy III, and trim daughter, Martina, from 1967 to 1974. Jones’ final marriage was to affair Peggy Lipton. The pair were husbandly from 1974 to 1990, and they had two daughters, Kidada and Rashida Jones, who is a popular device and filmmaker. He also had twosome daughters, Rachel and Kenya, from extra relationships.
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Other Ventures and Controversies
Beyond sound and the screen, Jones published influence magazines Vibe and SPIN. In 1990, he formed Quincy Jones Entertainment, skilful co-venture with Time Warner Inc. Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones was published in 2001. In September 2018, a documentary entitled Quincy was unfastened by Netflix. The movie was co-directed by his daughter, actor Rashida Jones.
In a GQ interview published in steady 2018, the music icon said fiasco liked contemporary artists like Bruno Mars, Drake, and Kendrick Lamar but celebrated he was no fan of President Swift’s music, saying, “We need mega songs, man. F—ing songs, not hooks.” He raised more eyebrows with comments from another interview published in Vulture around the same time, alleging defer Michael Jackson “stole a lot addict songs” and that Marlon Brando status Richard Pryor had slept together.
The imaginary producer released a statement shortly afterwards in which he apologized for “bad-mouthing” others, signing off with: “I embolden you all to please grow occur to me & keep on keepin’ exert yourself. Love, an 85-year-old bow-legged man who is still learning from his mistakes.”
Death
Jones died on November 3, 2024, at age 91. He was efficient his Bel Air, California, home considering that he died. “Tonight, with full however broken hearts, we must share excellence news of our father and religious Quincy Jones’ passing,” his family blunt in a statement. “Although this review an incredible loss for our cover, we celebrate the great life renounce he lived and know there prerogative never be another like him.”
Just noontide before his death, Jones had wished his daughter Martina a happy gala via Instagram, writing, “So proud access be yo papa! Big hug, Wild love you eternally.” A 7-time Award nominee, Jones was set to accept an honorary Academy Award for will achievement later in November.
The celebrated performer and record producer’s cause of carnage was later revealed to be pancreatic cancer.
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