Quincy Delight Jones, Jr., known as Quincy Jones, is a renowned American celebrity in the music industry. With his impressive range of talents as a record producer, film and television producer, composer, conductor, arranger, instrumentalist, jazz trumpeter, and record company executive, Jones has left an indelible mark on the world of music. From a young age, his passion for music was evident, and it was his friend and fellow musician, Ray Charles, who encouraged him to pursue a professional career in music. Despite earning a scholarship to Berklee College of Music, Jones chose to follow his own path and began freelancing. His exceptional skills with the trumpet and his remarkable composing abilities led him to compose music for renowned artists and eventually establish his own companies, Qwest Productions and Quincy Jones Entertainment. Throughout his career, Jones has composed and arranged music for numerous movies, television scores, and iconic artists such as Michael Jackson and Frank Sinatra. With an impressive 79 Grammy nominations and 27 wins, he holds the record for the most Grammy nominations in history. Beyond his musical achievements, Jones is also a philanthropist, having founded charities like the Quincy Jones Listen Up Foundation and co-created the humanitarian anthem “We Are The World.”
Quick Facts
- Also Known As: Quincy Delight Jones Jr.
- Age: 90 Years, 90 Year Old Males
- Family:
- Spouse/Ex-: Jeri Caldwell (m. 1957–1966), Peggy Lipton (m. 1974–1990), Ulla Andersson (m. 1967–1974)
- Father: Sarah Frances
- Mother: Quincy Delight Jones Sr.
- Siblings: Richard Jones
- Children: Jolie Jones Levine, Kenya Julia Miambi Sarah Jones, Kidada Jones, Martina Jones, Quincy Jones III, Rachel Jones, Rashida Jones
- Born Country: United States
- Quotes By Quincy Jones
- Composers
- Political ideology: Democratic
- Ancestry: Cameroonian American, British American, French American, Italian American
- City: Chicago, Illinois
- Notable Alumni: Seattle University
- U.S. State: Illinois
- More Facts
- Education: Berklee College Of Music, Seattle University
Childhood & Early Life
Quincy Jones was born in Chicago to Quincy Delight Jones, Sr. and Sarah Frances. His father was a semi-professional baseball player and carpenter, and his mother was a bank officer and apartment complex manager. When Jones was young, his mother suffered from schizophrenia and was admitted to a mental hospital, which led to his father divorcing her and remarrying. The whole family moved to Washington after that. Jones attended Garfield High School in Seattle, where he was involved in music throughout his high school years. He formed a band with his fellow schoolmates and won a scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston in 1951. However, he left his studies to go on tour as a trumpeter with a band, which marked the beginning of his professional musical career. He later moved to New York City and started freelancing.
Career
Throughout the 1950s, Jones arranged and played trumpet for Lionel Hampton and then became a freelance arranger for jazz sessions. He also became the musical director for Dizzy Gillespie’s overseas band tour and moved to Paris to work for Barclay Records. In 1959, he got his first big international opportunity when he led a band for the European production of Harold Arlen’s blues opera, “Free and Easy”. He returned to New York to work as an executive with Mercury Records. By the mid-1960s, Jones had become proficient in his art and started producing his own pop records and composing for films and television, which helped African-American music gain more popularity in Hollywood. He composed for films like “Walk, Don’t Run” (1966), “In Cold Blood” (1967), “The Lost Man” (1969), “The Italian Job” (1969), “Cactus Flower” (1969), and “In the Heat of the Night” (1968), as well as TV shows like “Ironside” and “Now You See It”. He continued to work as an arranger for acclaimed artists such as Billy Eckstine, Sarah Vaughan, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Peggy Lee. Jones finally founded his own production company, Qwest Productions, in 1975, where he arranged and produced albums for veteran artists like Frank Sinatra. In 1978, he produced the soundtrack for the musical adaptation of “The Wizard of Oz” called “The Wiz”, which starred Michael Jackson and Diana Ross. Jones and Jackson collaborated again in 1982 on Jackson’s album “Thriller”, which became the highest-selling album of all time. In 1985, Jones recorded the anthem “We Are the World” to raise money for famine victims in Ethiopia and later formed the Quincy Jones Listen Up Foundation in 2001.
Quincy Jones Entertainment
In 1988, Quincy Jones Productions merged with Warner Communications to form Quincy Jones Entertainment. This led to a ten-picture deal with Warner Brothers and a two-series deal with NBC Productions. In the 1990s, Jones appeared in various TV shows and produced his own sketch comedy show called “MADtv”. He also made appearances on “Last Call with Carson Daly” and performed at a private reception for USAA employees in Texas.
Major Works
The work that Jones did under Qwest Productions and Quincy Jones Entertainment is considered to be the most important part of his career. Under his label, he worked with major stars like Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, and Aretha Franklin.
Awards & Achievements
Jones is the most Grammy-nominated artist in history, with 79 nominations and 27 wins. He has also been honored with the Songwriters Hall of Fame, United Negro College Fund Honor, Dance Music Hall of Fame, Honorary Doctorate from Morehouse College, Honorary Degree from the University of Washington, and Humanitarian Award.
Personal Life & Legacy
Jones has been married three times: to Jeri Caldwell from 1957 to 1966, Ulla Andersson from 1967 to 1974, and Peggy Lipton from 1974 to 1990. He has a total of five children.
Trivia
- Jones suffered from a life-threatening brain aneurysm in 1974 and attended his own memorial service.
- He had brief affairs with Carol Reynolds and actress Nastassja Kinski.
- He has worked with The Jazz Foundation of America to support elderly jazz and blues musicians.
- Jones appeared in the film “Fantasia 2000”.
- Musician Ray Charles is his teenage friend who convinced him to pursue music.