Quincy Jones, a name that will forever remain in the hearts and minds of many entertainers in Hollywood and the world.
He is said to have changed the lives of many who crossed his path, including Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Oprah Winfrey, Will Smith, and many more.
Quincy was a Grammy-, Emmy-, and Tony-winning multi-hyphenate individual who had a hand in everything from music to movies, lending his magic to a number of stars. What couldn’t Quincy Jones do?
In this article, we take a look at his remarkable, legendary journey through his career and contributions to the entertainment industry.
Quincy Jones composed and arranged music for your favorite artists and even produced films and TV shows that launched some of your favorite actors.
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He is said to have not only changed careers; he changed the lives of most of our favorite entertainment stars.
From Michael Jackson’s seminal Thriller album to “We Are the World” to winning 28 Grammys, an Emmy, and a Tony.
His Contributions (Working With Some Of The Greats)
Jones and Ray Charles first met as young teenage musicians.
Eventually, their club and wedding gigs led to official, chart-topping successes, including the No. 1 R&B and dance hit “I’ll Be Good to You.”
Jones went on to compose, arrange, and produce music alongside a number of greats, including Sarah Vaughan, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Miles David, Dinah Washington, and Frank Sinatra.
His Work With Michael Jackson
Before he met Jones while working on The Wiz, Michael Jackson was best known at the time as a member of the Jackson 5 and they had released four solo albums that were popular but had mild success.
Then they made Off the Wall, and the King of Pop fully arrived.
Released in 1979, around the time Jackson turned 21, the album helped him transition from a young singer to a critically acclaimed, mature 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 for Thriller, one of the best-selling and highly regarded albums of all time.
Quincy also worked on the most popular international anthem and one of the best-selling singles of all time, “We Are the World.”
A 1985 charity single he produced to raise money for the famine in Ethiopia.
The song was written by Jackson and Lionel Richie, the song also included Ray Charles, Billy Joel, Paul Simon, and Willie Nelson and had Tina Turner, Bruce Springsteen, Diana Ross, and Bob Dylan singing on one song.
Movie Break for Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg
Before The Oprah Winfrey Show was picked up nationally in 1986, Winfrey found major success in The Color Purple, the first film Jones produced.
Winfrey earned Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for playing the role of Sofia and has even said on several occasions that “working with Quincy changed everything for me.
Same as Whoopi Goldberg, who also had her first big film starring role in The Color Purple (1985).
She received much critical acclaim and an Oscar nomination for her role and became a major star as a result.
Will Smith’s Big TV Break
Will Smith began his acting career with The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which was produced by Quincy Jones.
The series ran from 1990 to 1996 and even earned Will a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor—TV Series Musical or Comedy in 1993 and 1994.
For that, Will Smith has frequently thanked Jones for the opportunity, calling the legend “the man who bet on me when I wasn’t even betting on myself.”
Other Contributions to Films
Jones has contributed to over 40 films, from The Pawnbroker, The Wiz, The Slender Thread, Walk Don’t Run, In Cold Blood, In the Heat of the Night, and even worked on Lola this year.
This iconic individual was also behind some of the iconic TV theme songs, such as Ironside, The Bill Cosby Show, and Sanford and Son.
Awards and Recognitions
Quincy Jones was the most decorated artist in Grammy history before Queen Bey; he had a total of 28 wins as of 2021.
Quincy Jones’s first Grammy nomination was in the 1961 awards show and won his first award, for best instrumental arrangement, in 1964.
His other wins include Album of the Year for Thriller and Back on the Block, record of the Year for “We Are the World” and “Beat It,” Best Cast Show Album for Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music, and Best large jazz ensemble for Walking in Space.
He’s won Producer of the Year three times, and in 2019, he shared the Best Music Film award with daughter Rashida Jones for the Netflix doc Quincy, which she produced.
Even though Quincy never won an Oscar from any of his seven nominations, he received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
Which made him the first Black artist to earn a nomination for best original song; it was for “The Eyes of Love” from Banning at the 1968 Academy Awards.
He was also nominated for best original score that year, making him the first Black person to be nominated twice in a single ceremony.
He became the first Black person to work as a musical director and conductor for the awards show in 1971.
In 1977, his work on Roots won him the Emmy for outstanding achievement in music composition for a series (dramatic underscore).
He won the Tony for best revival of a musical in 2016 for The Color Purple.
