QUINCY JONES/ TEVIN CAMPBELL

Biography

Quincy Delight Jones Jr. was born on March 14, 1933, in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in Seattle, Washington, where he discovered his passion for music as a young trumpeter amid challenging circumstances in an impoverished environment. He honed his skills playing with Lionel Hampton and Dizzy Gillespie's bands in the 1950s, then moved to Paris in 1957 to study composition with Nadia Boulanger and Olivier Messiaen, while serving as music director for Barclay Disques. Returning to the U.S., he became the first African American vice president at Mercury Records in 1961, producing hits like Lesley Gore's 'It's My Party' and arranging for Frank Sinatra and Count Basie, blending jazz, pop, and emerging styles into innovative fusions.[1][4][5]

Jones's career peaked in the late 1970s and 1980s as a groundbreaking producer for Michael Jackson's blockbuster albums Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982)—the best-selling album ever—and Bad (1987), alongside conducting the charity single 'We Are the World' in 1985. His versatile style fused pop, soul, jazz, classical, African, and Brazilian elements across records, films like The Color Purple, and television. He also ventured into business, founding Qwest Records, Vibe magazine, and Qwest Broadcasting, sold for $270 million in 1999.[1][2][3][4]

Over seven decades, Jones earned EGOT status (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony), 28 Grammy Awards (most nominations at 80), and humanitarian honors like the Kennedy Center Award. He passed away on November 3, 2024, leaving a legacy as a barrier-breaking impresario who shaped modern music production and executive leadership.[2][4][5]

Fun Facts

• Quincy Jones was the first high-level Black executive at a major record company as vice president of Mercury Records in 1961[2][4].
• He achieved rare EGOT status, one of only 21 artists with Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards[2].
• Jones co-produced Steven Spielberg's The Color Purple (1985), earning 11 Oscar nominations and launching Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey[5].
• His autobiography Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones became a New York Times bestseller[3].

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Nadia Boulanger - composition and theory teacher (studies in Paris) [1957]
• Olivier Messiaen - composition teacher (studies in Paris) [1957]
• Dizzy Gillespie - trumpeter and musical director role (State Department tours) [1956]

Key Collaborators

• Michael Jackson - record producer (Off the Wall, Thriller, Bad) [1979-1987]
• Frank Sinatra - arranger and conductor (Fly Me to the Moon) [1960s]
• Count Basie - arranger (I Can't Stop Loving You) [1960s]
• Lesley Gore - record producer (It's My Party) [1963]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. Can We Talk (I'm Ready)
2. Can We Talk
3. I2I
4. I'm Ready (I'm Ready)
5. Stand Out
6. Tell Me What You Want Me to Do (T.E.V.I.N.)
7. Dandelion (Tevin Campbell)
8. Always in My Heart (I'm Ready)
9. Alone With You (T.E.V.I.N.)
10. I'm Ready

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia