What couldn’t Quincy Jones do?
He wrote, composed and organized music in your favourite artists and even produced movies and TV reveals that launched a few of your favourite actors. He not solely modified careers — he modified lives.
Right here we break down a few of the greatest acts and tasks Jones labored on, from Michael Jackson’s seminal Thriller album to “We Are the World” to successful 28 Grammys, an Emmy and a Tony.
MICHAEL JACKSON
Earlier than he met Jones whereas engaged on The Wiz, Jackson had been recognized for the Jackson 5 and launched 4 solo albums that had delicate success. Then they made Off the Wall and the King of Pop totally arrived. Launched in 1979 across the time Jackson turned 21, the album helped him transition from younger singer to critically acclaimed, matured artist. The album’s disco, funk and R&B sound resonated on the charts, helped Jackson win his first of 13 Grammys and paved the way in which for Thriller, one of many best-selling and extremely regarded albums of all-time. Thriller, which included classics like “Beat It” and “Billie Jean,” even set a file for many Grammy wins in a single night time (eight).
WE ARE THE WORLD
The thought of Jackson, Tina Turner, Bruce Springsteen, Diana Ross and Bob Dylan singing on one track nonetheless sounds supernatural — and Jones made it occur. “We Are the World” — the 1985 charity single he produced to lift cash for the famine in Ethiopia — grew to become a groundbreaking, worldwide anthem and one of many best-selling singles of all-time. Written by Jackson and Lionel Richie, the track additionally included Ray Charles, Billy Joel, Paul Simon and Willie Nelson and located new life earlier this yr by the Emmy-nominated Netflix documentary, The Biggest Night time In Pop.
Quincy Jones, Rashida Jones and Will Smith.
WILL and OPRAH
Earlier than The Oprah Winfrey Present was picked up nationally in 1986, Winfrey discovered main success in The Shade Purple, the primary movie Jones produced. Winfrey earned Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for taking part in the position of Sofia, and she or he says “working with Quincy modified every little thing for me. He has an enormous, open coronary heart and treats everyone as in the event that they’re a very powerful particular person he’s ever met … He was the primary particular person I ever liked unconditionally.”
Will Smith had simply received the inaugural finest rap efficiency Grammy however issues modified with The Contemporary Prince of Bel-Air, which Jones produced. The collection ran from 1990 to 1996 and Smith incessantly thanked Jones for the chance, calling the legend “the person who wager on me once I wasn’t even betting on myself.”
THE GREATS
Jones and Ray Charles first met as younger teenage musicians. Finally their membership and wedding ceremony gigs led to official, chart-topping successes, together with the No. 1 R&B and dance hit “I’ll Be Good to You.” Jones went on to compose, prepare and produce music alongside various greats, together with Sarah Vaughan, Depend Basie, Duke Ellington, Miles David, Dinah Washington and Frank Sinatra.
THE SCORES
Jones has scored near 40 movies, beginning with 1964’s The Pawnbroker. His different credit embody The Wiz, The Slender Thread, Stroll Don’t Run, In Chilly Blood and Within the Warmth of the Night time. He even labored on 2024’s Lola. Among the TV themes Jones contributed to incorporate Ironside, The Invoice Cosby Present and Sanford and Son.
Quincy Jones
AWARDS GALORE
Earlier than Beyoncé grew to become the most-decorated artist in Grammy historical past, she set a file when she tied Jones’ 28 wins in 2021. Jones earned his first nomination on the 1961 present — the third annual Grammy Awards — and received his first award, for finest instrumental association, in 1964. His different wins embody album of the yr for Thriller and Again on the Block, file of the yr for “We Are the World” and “Beat It,” finest forged present album for Lena Horne: The Girl and Her Music and finest giant jazz ensemble for Strolling in House. He’s received producer of the yr thrice, and in 2019 he shared the very best music movie award with daughter Rashida Jones for the Netflix doc Quincy, which she produced.
And although he by no means received a aggressive Oscar from his seven nominations, he obtained the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award and he grew to become the primary Black artist to earn a nomination for finest authentic track; it was for “The Eyes of Love” from Banning on the 1968 Academy Awards. He was additionally nominated for finest authentic rating in that yr, making him the primary Black particular person to be nominated twice in a single ceremony. And he grew to become the primary Black particular person to work as musical director and conductor for the awards present in 1971.
In 1977, his work on Roots received him the Emmy for excellent achievement in music composition for a collection (dramatic underscore). He received the Tony for finest revival of a musical in 2016 for The Shade Purple.
