Quincy Jones, Titan of the Music and Entertainment Industry, Dies at 91
Reflecting upon the extraordinary life of Quincy Jones, I am struck by the profound power of resilience and determination that propelled him from the tumultuous streets of Chicago to the pinnacle of the music industry. Born into adversity, with a mother who suffered emotional problems and was institutionalized, and a world that seemed “senseless” to him, Quincy found solace in the soothing melodies of a piano. His tenacity and raw talent allowed him to transcend racial barriers and carve out an illustrious career as a composer, conductor, arranger, producer, and executive.
As a devoted admirer, I’m saddened to share the news that Quincy Jones, an extraordinary figure in the music world, has passed away at the age of 91. From producing the groundbreaking Thriller album by Michael Jackson to composing award-winning film and television scores, and collaborating with legends like Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, and countless other artists, his influence was truly immense. His legacy will continue to resonate in our hearts and minds for generations to come.
Arnold Robinson, Jones’ publicist, announced that Jones passed away on Sunday evening at his residence in the Bel Air area of Los Angeles, with his loved ones around him.
Tonight, with heavy hearts that are both full and fractured, we find ourselves compelled to announce the demise of our beloved father and brother, Quincy Jones. Though this is an agonizing loss for our family, we honor his remarkable life and acknowledge that there will never be another quite like him.
From the tumultuous streets of Chicago’s South Side, Jones ascended through the ranks of gang life to the pinnacle of show business, making history as one of the initial Black executives to flourish in Hollywood. His musical collection, a testament to his success, is laden with some of the most impactful rhythmic and melodious moments in American music history. For quite some time, it was rare to find a music enthusiast without at least one of his records, or a figurehead within the entertainment realm and beyond who wasn’t linked to him.
Jones frequently associated with heads of state, film celebrities, and artists, as well as benefactors and business tycoons. He performed alongside Count Basie and Lionel Hampton, created albums for Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, composed music for the series Roots and In the Heat of the Night, coordinated President Bill Clinton’s inaugural festivities, and managed the multi-artist recording of “We Are the World,” a charity single released in 1985 to aid Africa’s famine relief efforts.
Lionel Richie, a key contributor behind “We Are the World” and one of its performers, often referred to Jones as the “master conductor.
In a career that took off when vinyl records were still spinning at 78 rpm, it’s safe to say that Jones earned top accolades for his collaborations with Jackson, particularly albums like “Off the Wall“, “Thriller“, and “Bad“. These albums, marked by their wide-reaching style and appeal, showcased Jones’ versatility and creativity, playing a pivotal role in unleashing Jackson’s explosive talents as he transitioned from child star to the “King of Pop.” On hits like “Billie Jean” and “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough”, Jones and Jackson blended various genres such as disco, funk, rock, pop, R&B, jazz, and African chants into a global soundscape. For the iconic album “Thriller“, some of its most memorable elements were Jones’ ideas, including inviting Eddie Van Halen for a guitar solo on the genre-blending “Beat It” and enlisting Vincent Price for his eerie voiceover on the title track.
In 1983, the album “Thriller” surpassed sales of 20 million copies and has been in competition with the Eagles’ “Greatest Hits 1971-1975” for the title of the best-selling album ever made.
In a 2016 interview with the Library of Congress, Jones stated that when an album doesn’t succeed, people often blame the producers. Conversely, if an album is successful, it’s assumed that the artist is responsible as well. He explained that the tracks don’t simply materialize out of nowhere. Instead, a producer needs to possess the necessary skills, experience, and creative ability to bring the vision to fruition.
In his 2001 autobiography titled “Q”, a full eighteen pages were dedicated to acknowledging the numerous honors and awards he had received at that time, such as 27 Grammys (now 28), an honorary Academy Award (now two), an Emmy for “Roots”, and recognition from France’s Legion d’Honneur, the Republic of Italy, and the Kennedy Center. He was also honored with the Rudolph Valentino Award by the Republic of Italy. His contributions to American culture earned him a tribute at the Kennedy Center. A documentary about his life, “Listen Up: The Lives of Quincy Jones”, was released in 1990, and in 2018, his daughter Rashida Jones directed a film about him. His memoir became a best-selling book.
1933 saw the birth of Jones in Chicago. The hymns sung by his mother within their home were among his earliest musical memories. However, he often recalled his childhood with a tinge of sadness, stating that people could be categorized into two groups: those who had supportive parents or caregivers, and those who didn’t – there was no middle ground, as he told Oprah Winfrey. Jones’ mother struggled emotionally and eventually required institutionalization, a loss that left him feeling the world was senseless. In Chicago, Quincy spent a significant portion of his time on the streets, associating with gangs, engaging in theft and violence.
In 2018, he shared with the Associated Press, “They fastened my hand to a fence using a pocket knife as a child,” revealing an old scar.
Through music, he found solace. As a young lad, he discovered that one of his Chicago neighbors possessed a piano, an instrument he quickly became enamored with, playing it incessantly. However, when he turned ten, his father relocated to Washington state, causing a significant shift in his life at a community recreation center. One day, Jones and some companions found themselves in the kitchen of this facility, indulging in lemon meringue pie. Intrigued by a small room nearby, they discovered a stage, on which stood a piano.
In his memoir, he recounted climbing up there, pausing, gazing intently, and then playing a brief melody on it. This is where I discovered tranquility. At the age of 11, I realized that this moment was special, something I would cherish forever.
In just a few short years, he found himself playing the trumpet and forming a lasting bond with a talented young blind musician named Ray Charles. This friendship would span their entire lives. He had the talent to secure a scholarship at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, but opted to join Hampton’s band instead when invited, leaving college behind. Instead, he chose to work as a freelance composer, conductor, arranger, and producer. As a teenager, he provided backing for Billie Holiday. By his mid-20s, he was touring with his own band.
Later on, Jones shared with Musician magazine, “We had the top-notch jazz band globally, but we were literally going hungry.” It was then he realized that there’s more to music than just the art itself; there’s also the business side. To stay alive, I had to learn how to distinguish between music and the music industry.
As a trailblazing figure in the music industry, he surmounted racial hurdles by rising to the position of vice president at Mercury Records during the early 1960s. In 1971, he made history as the first African American musical director for the Academy Awards ceremony. His initial film production, The Color Purple, garnered an impressive 11 Oscar nominations in 1986, although unfortunately, it didn’t secure any wins. In collaboration with Time Warner, he established Quincy Jones Entertainment, encompassing the popular culture magazine Vibe and Qwest Broadcasting. The company was eventually sold for a substantial $270 million in 1999.
As a cinephile jotting down thoughts for my next review, I find myself echoing the sentiments expressed by this esteemed businessman in his memoirs: my approach to managing a team is deeply intertwined with my personal beliefs – I value and nurture talent regardless of its source. I strive to treat every individual with fairness, dignity, and respect, irrespective of their background or origin.
He was at ease with virtually every form of American music, whether setting Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon” to a punchy, swinging rhythm and wistful flute or opening his production of Charles’ soulful “In the Heat of the Night” with a lusty tenor sax solo. He worked with jazz giants (Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, Duke Ellington), rappers (Snoop Dogg, LL Cool J), crooners (Sinatra, Tony Bennett), pop singers (Lesley Gore) and rhythm and blues stars (Chaka Khan, rapper and singer Queen Latifah).
“On the song ‘We Are The World’, musicians like Michael Jackson, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, and Bruce Springsteen participated. He also collaborated with Jackson on hits such as “P.Y.T (Pretty Young Thing)” and Donna Summer’s “Love Is in Control (Finger on the Trigger)”, and his songs were sampled by artists like Tupac Shakur, Kanye West, and various rappers. Additionally, he created the theme song for the sitcom ‘Sanford and Son’.
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2024-11-04 12:06