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Quincy Jones

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Quincy Jones on the cover of Back on the Block (1989).
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Quincy Jones on the cover of Back on the Block (1989).

Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American music impresario, musical arranger, record producer, and film composer.

During 50 years in the entertainment industry Jones' work has earned him more than 70 Grammy Award nominations, more than 25 Grammy Awards, and a Grammy Legends Award in 1991. He is best known as the producer of two of the top-selling records of all time: the album Thriller, by pop icon Michael Jackson, and the charity song “We Are the World”. He is also known for founding Tamia who during her time with Quincy Jones was nominated for 2 Grammy Awards for her song You Put A Move On My Heart which can be found on Tamia's UK album version "Tamia" & on Q's Juke Joint album.

Contents

Career

Quincy Jones conducting in Paris, France (Photograph by Herman Leonard).
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Quincy Jones conducting in Paris, France (Photograph by Herman Leonard).

Born on March 14, 1933 in Chicago, Illinois, Jones discovered music in grade school and took up the trumpet. When he was 10, his family moved to Bremerton, Washington, where Jones became friendly with a young Ray Charles, who later taught Jones braille. The two boys formed a combo and played local weddings and the jazz clubs in what is now known as the Pioneer Square district of Seattle.

In 1951, at the age of 18, Jones won a scholarship to the Schillinger House (now known as Berklee College of Music) in Boston. However, he abandoned his studies when he received an offer to tour as a trumpeter with the legendary bandleader Lionel Hampton. Whilst Jones was on the road with Hampton, he displayed an unusual gift for arranging songs. Jones relocated to New York City, where he received a number of freelance commissions arranging songs for artists like Sarah Vaughan, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Gene Krupa and his old friend Ray Charles.

In 1956, Jones toured again as a trumpeter and musical director of the Dizzy Gillespie Band on a tour of the Middle East and South America sponsored by the United States State Department. Upon his return to the United States, Jones got a contract from ABC Paramount Records and commenced his recording career as the leader of his own band.

Jones moved to Paris, France in 1957. He studied music composition and theory with Nadia Boulanger and Olivier Messiaen. He also performed at the Paris Olympia. Jones became music director at Barclay Disques, the French distributor for Mercury Records and during the 1950s, Jones successfully toured throughout Europe with a number of jazz orchestras. He formed his own big band and organized a tour of North America and Europe. Though the tour was a critical success, poor budget planing made it an economic distaster and the fallout left Jones in a financial crisis. Irving Green, head of Mercury Records, got Jones back on his feet with a loan and a new job as the musical director of the company's New York division. In 1964, Jones was promoted to vice-president of the company, thus becoming the first African American to hold such a position. 1964 also saw Jones break down another social barrier: at the invitation of film director Sidney Lumet he began composing the first of the 33 major motion scores. The result was the legendary score for The Pawnbroker.

With Hollywood beckoning, Jones resigned from Mercury Records and moved to Los Angeles to compose film scores full time. Some of his most celebrated composistions were for the films; Walk, Don't Run, In Cold Blood, In the Heat of the Night, Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice, Cactus Flower, The Getaway and "The Color Purple". He also scored for television, including the shows Ironside, Sanford and Son and The Bill Cosby Show, as well as the theme music for The New Bill Cosby Show titled "Chump Change", which would later serve as the theme for the Mark Goodson-Bill Todman game show Now You See It.

In the 1960s, Jones worked as an arranger for some of the most important artists of the era, including Miles Davis, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, and Dinah Washington. ,Jones' solo recordings also garnered acclaim, including Walking in Space, Gula Materi, Smackwater Jack and Ndeda, You've Got It Bad, Girl, Body Heat, Mellow Madness, I Heard That and The Dude.

While working on the film The Wiz, Jones met Michael Jackson, who asked him to produce his upcoming solo record. The result, Off The Wall sold a staggering 20 million copies and made Jones the most powerful record producer in the industry. Jones' and Jackson's next collaboration Thriller sold 51 million copies [link]. Jones also worked on Michael Jackson's third solo album Bad, which sold 30 million copies. After the Bad album, Jackson and Jones went their separate ways so that Jackson could produce his later solo works by himself. In a 2002 interview, when asked if Jackson would ever work with Jones again he replied, "the door is always open". After the 1984 Grammy Awards ceremony, Jones used his influence to draw every major American recording artist of the day into a studio to lay down the legendary track We Are The World to raise money for the victims of Ethiopia's famine. When people marvelled at his ability to make the collaboration work, Jones explained that he'd taped a simple sign on the entrance: "Check Your Ego At The Door".

In 2006, Jones collaborated with David Saltzman to produce the concert extravaganza An American Reunion, a celebration of Bill Clinton's inauguration as president of the United States. Saltzman and Jones decided to join their considerable forces and form the company Quincy Jones/David Saltzman Entertainment (QDE) with Time/Warner Inc.. QDE is a diverse company which produces media technology, motion pictures, television programs, literary publications (Vibe and Spin magazines). Jones later sold Qwest for an undisclosed sum.

In 2001, he published his autobiography Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones.

In the same year 2001, his foundation, the Quincy Jones Listen Up Foundation, built over 100 homes for Nelson Mandela's foundation in South Africa.

In 2004, alongside Carlos Santana, Alicia Keys, Oprah Winfrey, Angelina Jolie, Fher (of Mana), Evander Hollyfield, Chris Tucker, and a host of other musicians, celebrities, dignitaries, and politicians, Jones produced the concert "WE ARE THE FUTURE" in front of a more than half-million person live audience in Rome, Italy. The concert raised funds for Jones' foundation, the Quincy Jones Listen Up Foundation.

Social Activism

Quincy Jones' social activism began in the 1960s with his support of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Jones is one of the founders of the Institute for Black American Music (IBAM) whose events aim to raise enough funds for the creation of a national library of African-American art and music. Jones is also one of the founders of the Black Arts Festival in his hometown Chicago. For many years he has worked closely with Bono of U2 on a number of philanthropic issues. He is the founder of the Quincy Jones Listen Up Foundation, a charity which connects youths with technology, education, culture and music. One of the organizations programs is an intercultural exchange between underprivileged youths from Los Angeles and South Africa. Jones supports a number of other charities including the NAACP, GLAAD, Peace Games and AmFAR.

Career Retrospective

In January 2005, Jones was honored by the United Negro College Fund at their annual Evening of Stars event for an entertainment career that has spanned over five decades. The unique alchemy of Jones' talent is that his music remains relevant from one generation to the next. Jones began his career in bebop, yet his ability to compose proved to transcend both genre and demographic. His work still tops music charts as was evident when rapper/actor Ludacris sampled Jones' Soul Bossa Nova for his 2005 single Number One Spot. Jones was featured in the video and he also performed a cameo in Austin Powers in Goldmember, which also featured Soul Bossa Nova on its soundtrack.

Today, Jones is at the helm of his company Quincy Jones Entertainment which produced the popular television sitcom Fresh Prince of Bel-Air starring Will Smith. Jones is also the founder of Vibe Magazine and owner of the publication Spin.

Even in Japan, popstar BoA released a single called Quincy in 2004 that was a "soul disco" song in homage to his legacy. (The single made it to #4 on the Japanese Oricon Charts.)

Berklee College of Music considers Jones to be its most successful alumnus, even though he only attended for a year. His original application for admission is housed in a display case at the school.

On September 19, 2005, Jones was honored at the Dance Music Hall of Fame ceremony when he was inducted for his many outstanding achievements as a producer. He was awarded the Polar Music Prize in 1994. Jones Was Portrayed by Larenz Tate in the 2004 biography about Ray Charles, Ray

Personal life

Quincy Jones is the eldest son of Quincy Delight Jones Sr. and Jones Sr.'s first wife, Sara. The younger Jones was raised in Chicago, Illinois and Washington state.

In 1974, Jones suffered a cerebral aneurysm that almost claimed his life. He underwent two major brain surgeries and spent half a year convalescing. He was advised never to play trumpet again as it might disturb the settings left in his head by the procedure.

Jones married Jeri Caldwell (1957 - 1966), model Ulla Andersson (1967 - 1974), and actress Peggy Lipton (1974 - 1990). He lived with actress Nastassja Kinski from 1991 until 1997.

He has 7 children: Wife: Jeri Caldwell (m. 1957, div. 1966) Daughters Jolie Jones Levine & Rachel Jones

Wife: Ulla Andersson (m. 1967, div. 1974) Daughter: Martina Jones (model) and son Quincy Jones III (musician, b. 23-Dec-1968)

Wife: Peggy Lipton (actress, m. 14-Sep-1974, div. 1990) Daughters: Kidada jones (actress, b. 22-Mar-1974) and Rashida Jones (actress, b. 25-Feb-1976)

Ex-Girlfriend: Nastassja Kinski (actress, 1991-97) Daughter: Kenya Julia Miambi Sarah Jones (born on 9 February 1993).

Selected arrangements

See also

External links

 

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