Quincy Jones

1933–2024 · Chicago, Illinois, USA

Biography

Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (March 14, 1933 – November 3, 2024) was an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award nominations, 28 Grammys, and a Grammy Legend Award in 1992. Jones came to prominence in the 1950s as a jazz arranger and conductor before working on pop music and film scores. He moved easily between musical genres, producing Lesley Gore's major pop hits of the early 1960s (including "It's My Party") and serving as an arranger and conductor for several collaborations between the jazz artists Frank Sinatra and Count Basie in the same time period. In 1968, Jones became the first African American to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for "The Eyes of Love" from the film Banning. Jones was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score for his work on the 1967 film In Cold Blood, making him the first African American to be nominated twice in the same year. Jones produced three of popstar Michael Jackson's most successful albums: Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), and Bad (1987). In 1985, Jones produced and conducted the charity song "We Are the World", which raised funds for victims of famine in Ethiopia. In 1971, Jones became the first African American to be the musical director and conductor of the Academy Awards. In 1995, he was the first African American to receive the academy's Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. He is tied with sound designer Willie D. Burton as the second most Oscar-nominated African American, with seven nominations each. In 2013, Jones was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as the winner, alongside Lou Adler, of the Ahmet Ertegun Award. He was named one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century by Time.

Sound 49

2020s

2024
Lola
Original Music Composer
42
2023
The Color Purple
Songs
72
2021
Cooking On Hot
Music

2010s

2016
National Museum of African American History and Culture Grand Opening Ceremony
Music Producer

2000s

2005
Get Rich or Die Tryin'
Original Music Composer
48
2003
The Making of 'The Color Purple'
Music

1980s

1987
Michael Jackson: The Magic Returns
Original Music Composer
1985
The Color Purple
Original Music Composer, Songs
76

1970s

1978
The Wiz
Music Arranger, Music Supervisor
53
1977
Roots
Music
81
1972
The Getaway
Original Music Composer
71
Banacek
Music
79
The New Centurions
Music
Dig: A Journey Into Earth
Music
The Hot Rock
Original Music Composer
70
Killer by Night
Music
1971
$
Original Music Composer
Honky
Original Music Composer, Music
Eggs
Original Music Composer
Brother John
Original Music Composer
The Anderson Tapes
Original Music Composer
65
1970
They Call Me Mister Tibbs!
Original Music Composer
57
The Out-of-Towners
Original Music Composer
69
Last of the Mobile Hot Shots
Original Music Composer

1960s

1969
Cactus Flower
Original Music Composer
74
John and Mary
Original Music Composer
Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice
Original Music Composer
71
The Lost Man
Original Music Composer
The Italian Job
Original Music Composer
73
Mackenna's Gold
Original Music Composer
51
Of Men and Demons
Original Music Composer
1968
The Split
Original Music Composer
62
Split Second to an Epitaph
Original Music Composer
The Hell with Heroes
Original Music Composer
For Love of Ivy
Original Music Composer
Jigsaw
Music
The Counterfeit Killer
Music
A Dandy in Aspic
Original Music Composer
1967
In Cold Blood
Original Music Composer
80
Banning
Original Music Composer
In the Heat of the Night
Original Music Composer, Songs, Conductor, Orchestrator, Music Arranger
82
Ironside
Original Music Composer
Enter Laughing
Original Music Composer, Conductor
The Deadly Affair
Original Music Composer
1966
Walk Don't Run
Original Music Composer
1965
The Slender Thread
Original Music Composer, Conductor
Mirage
Original Music Composer
79
The Pawnbroker
Original Music Composer
1961
The Boy in the Tree
Original Music Composer
65

Produced 23

2020s

2024
King of Kings: Chasing Edward Jones
Executive Producer
2023
The Color Purple
Producer
72
They All Came Out to Montreux
Executive Producer
2022
Bel-Air
Executive Producer
68
2020
Fandango at the Wall
Executive Producer

2010s

2014
Keep on Keepin' On
Producer

2000s

2005
Letter to the President
Executive Producer
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Executive Producer
2003
Stealing Bess
Executive Producer
2000
The Smokers
Executive Producer

1990s

1999
Passing Glory
Executive Producer
1997
Steel
Producer
26
1995
MADtv
Producer
Michael Jackson Video Greatest Hits: HIStory
Producer
In the House
Producer
72
The History of Rock 'n' Roll
Executive Producer
1993
A Cool Like That Christmas
Producer
1991
Montreux Jazz Festival 1991
Director of Operations
1990
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Executive Producer
79
Stalingrad: Film 1
Producer

1980s

1987
Michael Jackson: The Magic Returns
Producer
1985
The Color Purple
Producer
76

1950s

1953
The Oscars
Executive Producer

Acted in 19

2020s

2026
The Groove Under the Groove
Movie
2020
Count Basie: Through His Own Eyes
Movie

2010s

2019
Sherman's Showcase
Quincy Jones · 1 episode

2000s

2007
Empreintes
TV · 6 Seasons
2006
Jazz Icons - Quincy Jones Live in '60
Movie
2005
The Colbert Report
TV · 11 Seasons · Documentary · Comedy
80
The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer
TV · 10 Seasons · War
2004
Best Week Ever
TV · 7 Seasons · Comedy · Talk
71
2002
Austin Powers in Goldmember
Quincy Jones
60
2001
Lesley Gore: It's Her Party
Movie
2000
Sidney Poitier: One Bright Light
Movie · Documentary

1990s

1997
The Rhythm of Life
TV
1996
Quincy Jones: 50 Years in Music - Live at Montreux
Movie
Wayne Shorter: Live at Montreux 1996
Movie
1992
The Real Malcolm X
Movie
1990
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Quincy Jones · 2 episodes
79

1980s

1989
Life Goes On
Dan Webster · 1 episode
71

1970s

1978
The Wiz
Emerald City Gold Pianist (uncredited)
53

1960s

1967
Ironside
TV · 8 Seasons · Crime · Drama
69

Other crew 3

1980s

1985
Fever Pitch
Executive Music Producer
The Slugger's Wife
Executive Music Producer
Fast Forward
Executive Music Producer

Directed 1

2000s

2008
Tori Amos: Live at Montreux 1991/1992
Director

Wrote 1

1980s

1985
The Color Purple
Lyricist
76

Created 1

1990s

1995
In the House
Creator
72

Appearances116

2020s

2025
Quincy Jones, Music Man
Self (archive footage)
Diane Warren: Relentless
Self (archive footage)
2024
Once Upon a Time Michel Legrand
Self
Henry Mancini: 100 at the Hollywood Bowl
Self
King of Kings: Chasing Edward Jones
Self
Don Lewis and The Live Electronic Orchestra
Self
The Greatest Night in Pop
Self (archive footage)
84
2023
Oprah & The Color Purple Journey
Self
Thriller 40
Self (archive footage)
81
They All Came Out to Montreux
Self
Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes
Self
2022
2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Self (archive footage)
Sidney
Self
74
Kylie Minogue V The Bee Gees
Self (archive footage)
Tony Bennett: Forget Me Not
Self
Jacob Collier: In the Room Where It Happens
Self
Ennio
Self
83
The Weeknd: 103.5 Dawn FM
Self (voice)
2021
Dionne Warwick: Don't Make Me Over
Self
Like a Rolling Stone: The Life & Times of Ben Fong-Torres
Self
Sergio Mendes in the Key of Joy
Self
2020
Ronnie's
Self (voice)
Herb Alpert Is...
Self
Jay Sebring… Cutting to the Truth
Self

2010s

2019
Quincy Jones: A Musical Celebration in Paris
Self
David Foster: Off the Record
Self
Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool
Self - Musician
Montreux Jazz Festival 2013 - Remember Claude Nobs
Self
The Black Godfather
Self
77
Devil's Pie: D'Angelo
Self
ReMastered: The Two Killings of Sam Cooke
Self
79
2018
Q85: A Musical Celebration for Quincy Jones
Self
Quincy
Self
73
Davi's Way
Self
It Must Schwing: The Blue Note Story
Self
The Jazz Ambassadors
Self
Unbanned: The Legend of AJ1
Self
Survivor's Guide to Prison
Self
75
2017
Quincy Jones & Friends - Live at Jazz Open Stuttgart
Self
Jazz Open Stuttgart 2017 - Festival of World Stars and Child Prodigies
Self
Sammy Davis, Jr.: I've Gotta Be Me
Self
Steve
Self · 1 episode
Carpool Karaoke: The Series
Self · 1 episode
57
Feel Rich: Health Is the New Wealth
Himself
Sandy Wexler
Self
45
Score: A Film Music Documentary
Self
76
2016
Soundbreaking
Self · 1 episode
82
I Go Back Home - Jimmy Scott
Self
More Than Jazz
Himself
Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall
Self
2015
Sinatra 100: An All-Star Grammy Concert
Self
Kareem: Minority of One
Self
2014
The Distortion of Sound
Self
2013
Marvin Hamlisch: What He Did For Love
Self
Miles Davis with Quincy Jones and the Gil Evans Orchestra Live at Montreux 1991
Himself
Experience Montreux
Self
Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic
Self
2012
Anouk Aimée, la beauté du geste
Self
Iceberg Slim: Portrait of a Pimp
Self
Paul Simon: Under African Skies
Self