Written by Jon Williams
Today the renowned musician and producer, best known for his work on Michael Jackson’s biggest albums, turns 81.
Born in
Chicago in 1933, Jones moved with his family to Washington and got involved in
Seattle’s jazz scene while he was in high school. There he met and befriended
Ray Charles when they were both in their teens. Upon graduation, Jones went on
scholarship to Schillinger House of Boston, which is now the Berklee College of
Music. He left school for a professional career when he got an opportunity to
tour as a trumpeter. It was during this time that he began arranging songs as
well, which allowed him the chance to work with a wide range of famous
musicians.
In the
1960s, Jones turned his attention to film scores, beginning with Sidney Lumet’s
The
Pawnbroker in 1964, the same year he broke racial boundaries by
becoming the first African-American vice president of Mercury Records. He
worked on a number of soundtracks and scores throughout the 1960s and 1970s
while also recording his own music and producing albums for other musicians.
Some of the artists he worked with were his friend Ray
Charles, Peggy
Lee, Count
Basie,Sammy Davis Jr., and Frank
Sinatra.
As
impressive as Jones’s career was to that point, he got his biggest break when
he served as musical supervisor on the film The
Wiz, an African-American version of The Wizard of Oz. Although the film
itself did not fare particularly well, it was Jones’s first chance to work with
Michael Jackson, who played the Scarecrow in the movie. When Jackson asked for
suggestions on who should produce his upcoming solo album, Jones offered to do
it himself. That album became the smash success Off
the Wall. The pair would collaborate again on Jackson’s next two
albums: Thriller
(now the bestselling album of all time) and Bad
(the first album to produce five Number One singles).
Throughout
his career, Quincy Jones has woven a rich and varied musical tapestry. To
discover more of his work, SmartBrowse his name on our website.
Contact Us
No comments:
Post a Comment
We'd love to hear what you think! Just be sure to leave your name and email address or your username, so we can respond appropriately.