Here is a look at the life of musician, music producer and philanthropist, Quincy Jones.
Personal
Birth date: March 14, 1933
Death date: November 3, 2024
Birth place: Chicago, Illinois
Birth name: Quincy Delight Jones Jr.
Father: Quincy Delight Jones Sr., a carpenter.
Mother: Sarah Frances (Wells) Jones
Marriages: Peggy Lipton (1974-1990); Ulla Andersson (1967-1974); Jeri Caldwell (1957-1966)
Children: with Nastassja Kinski: Kenya; with Peggy Lipton: Rashida and Kidada; with Ulla Andersson: Quincy III and Martina; with Carol Reynolds: Rachel; with Jeri Caldwell: Jolie
Other Facts
Jones and his brother, Lloyd, were raised by their father and stepmother, Elvera, in Seattle and Bremerton, Washington. Their mother had been institutionalized in Chicago when they were very young.
An automobile accident at age 14, where Jones saw four of his friends killed, left him so traumatized that he has never driven a car.
Met Ray Charles when they were both teenagers starting out in the music industry. Jones arranged and produced for Charles, and later Charles performed on Jones’ albums. They remained friends until Charles’ death in 2004.
As an arranger in the 1950s, Jones worked with music industry legends such as Count Basie, Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Lionel Hampton and Frank Sinatra.
As a music producer for more than 60 years, he has worked with Miles Davis, Celine Dion, Aretha Franklin, Lesley Gore, Jennifer Holliday, Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Barry White and many more.
Jones has 80 Grammy Award nominations and 28 wins, including a Grammy Legend Award. He has seven Oscar nominations and received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. He also has received four Emmy nominations, winning one.
Has scored over 30 movies and written the theme for television shows, documentaries and shorts.
Timeline
Mid-1940s - Sings and plays trumpet with a gospel quartet.
1951 - Jones’ trumpet playing wins him a scholarship to the prestigious Schillinger House in Boston (now the Berklee College of Music). He leaves when the opportunity arises to join the Lionel Hampton Band.
1956 - Joins the Dizzy Gillespie band as trumpeter and musical director.
1957 - Moves to Paris to study. Works for Barclay Disques publishing music.
1961 - Jones is hired as a musical director for Mercury Records and a few months later advances to vice president.
1963 - Earns his first Grammy Award, Best Instrumental Arrangement for “I Can’t Stop Loving You.”
1963 - Produces “It’s My Party” for Lesley Gore on Mercury Records, his first pop single to reach number one.
August 1974 - Suffers a brain aneurysm, which forces him to stop playing the trumpet.
1977 - Wins an Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore) for the film “Roots.”
1982 - Produces Jackson’s album, “Thriller.”
1985 - Conductor and producer for “We Are the World,” the song recorded to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. Producer and music composer for the film “The Color Purple.”
1991 - Receives the Grammy Legend Award.
1991-1993 - Co-produces the Montreux Jazz Festival. His association with the festival continues to present day.
1993 - Launches “Vibe” magazine.
1994-1999 - Chairman and CEO of Qwest Broadcasting, a minority-controlled television broadcasting company.
1995 - Receives the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
March 1996 - Executive Producer of the 68th Annual Academy Awards ceremony.
October 1, 2001 - Simon & Schuster publishes his autobiography, “Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones.”
2001 - Kennedy Center Honoree.
2008 - Publishes the book “The Complete Quincy Jones: My Journey & Passions.”
2008 - Establishes the non-profit Quincy Jones Foundation.
April 18, 2013 - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.
July 11, 2017 - Jones’ 2013 lawsuit against Jackson’s estate goes to trial. Jones claims he is owed $30 million in unpaid royalties.
July 26, 2017 - Jones wins $9.42 million in damages in his lawsuit against Jackson’s estate.
September 21, 2018 - “Quincy,” a documentary about the life and legacy of Jones, debuts on Netflix. The film, directed by Alan Hicks and Jones’ daughter, Rashida Jones, wins a Grammy award in February 2019 for Best Music Film.
May 5, 2020 - An appellate court overturns a portion of Jones’ 2017 lawsuit against Jackson’s estate. The court rules that contract interpretation was a judicial function and not meant for the jury, which mistakenly awarded Jones $6.9 million. The $2.5 million award for fees stands.
September 20, 2020 - Jones enters into a global publishing agreement with Warner Chappell Music. The deal covers administration of his current and future songwriting catalog. This includes over 2,000 compositions and work by songwriters Brothers Johnson, Siedah Garrett and others under his company.
September 27, 2023 - Jones is presented with the inaugural Peace Through Music Award by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Recording Academy CEO Harvey Marson Jr. The awards recognize an American music industry professional who has played an invaluable role in cross-cultural exchanges and whose music work advances peace and mutual understanding globally.
November 3, 2024 - Jones dies at his home in Bel Air, California, surrounded by his children, siblings and other family members, his publicist tells CNN in a statement.
