Quincy Jones

Biography

Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (March 14, 1933 – November 3, 2024) was a highly influential American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and producer for both film and television. His illustrious career spanned over seven decades, during which he garnered an impressive 80 Grammy nominations, securing 28 wins along with the prestigious Grammy Legend Award in 1992.

Jones rose to fame in the 1950s as a jazz arranger and conductor, later making significant contributions to pop music and film scores. He seamlessly transitioned between various musical styles, producing iconic pop hits for Lesley Gore in the early 1960s, including "It's My Party," while also collaborating with jazz legends Frank Sinatra and Count Basie. In 1968, he made history by becoming the first African American nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for "The Eyes of Love" from the film Banning, and he was also nominated for Best Original Score for his work on the film In Cold Blood, marking the first instance of an African American receiving two nominations in a single year.

Jones produced three of Michael Jackson's landmark albums: Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), and Bad (1987). He also played a pivotal role in producing the charity anthem "We Are the World" in 1985. In 1971, he became the first African American musical director and conductor of the Academy Awards and received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1995. In 2013, Jones was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and recognized as one of the 20th century's most influential jazz musicians by Time magazine.