The music and movie industry has changed a lot from 1955 to 2024, with better technology and new artists. Quincy Delight Jones had an interest in music ever since he was a boy. That interest turned into an astonishing seven decades in the movie and music business.
Jones was born on March 14, 1933 in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up with his brother Lloyd. Unfortunately, their parents were divorced, and his mother had a schizophrenic disorder. This led to him and his brother going to live with their grandma. Jones was introduced to music whenever his mom would sing religious songs, and his next door neighbor played the piano. He began playing the trumpet and singing in a choir at age 12. Jones even formed a band with his friend Ray Charles when they were only teenagers. A few years later, in 1953, Jones was asked to join Lionel Hampton’s (Jazz percussionist, and bandleader) band. Jones was then recognized as a gifted trumpeter and arranger and that started his incredible career.
In 1957, Jones left the band and moved to France to study music with Nadia Boulanger (A French music composer and conductor). He then put together a jazz orchestra group that toured in different countries. But, it didn’t make enough money, so he broke up the orchestra.
In 1960, Jones then became a music director for Mercury Records. He composed his first movie called The Pawnbroker in 1964. After his first film was made, he left Mercury to go to Los Angeles and became a film score composer (basically making music for a movie). Jones wrote scores for at least 35 films, including In the Heat of the Night and the Italian Job.
Later on, in 1975 he created Qwest Production, in which he was an arranger and producer for Frank Sinatra and Lesley Gore. Jones helped make Lesley’s Gore critically acclaimed album “Love Me By Name.”
Jones worked with Michael Jackson to create the albums Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), and Bad (1987). Thriller, an album made 42 years ago, is still the best selling album ever. In 1985, between the making of Thriller and Bad, Jones helped produce and conduct the song “We Are The World.” This song gathered money to help with the famine in Ethiopia. In the same year, Jones also produced his first movie The Color Purple.
Many years later in 1997, he got an honorary doctorate in music and acquired the Harvard Arts Medal. In 2010, President Barack Obama awarded Jones with the US National Medal of Arts. Obama gave him this award because he felt Jones was a very special person. Obama stated on Facebook, “It seemed like every big record — and every big film — had Quincy’s name on it. His music appealed to listeners of every race and every age.”
Quincy Jones died on November 3, 2024, from pancreatic cancer. At the end of his life he wasn’t married, but he had three ex-wives and 7 children. Jones has had a lot of success in movies,TV shows, and music. In his entire career he has won a Primetime Emmy Award, a Tony Award, and 28 Grammy Awards. He was a remarkable person who has made an impact on many lives.
