March 14, 2023 is Quincy Jones’ birthday. 90 years for one of the most important musicians and producers in the history of music.
Jones was born on March 14, 1933 in Chicago and grew up in the jazz era. He began playing the piano at the age of five and continued to develop his musical skills throughout his teenage years. After moving to New York in the 1950s, Jones began working as an arranger for jazz artists such as Dizzy Gillespie and Count Basie. He has also worked as a session man, playing trumpet and piano for many recordings.
Quincy Jones’ breakthrough came in the 1960s when he began producing records for pop artists such as Frank Sinatra.
For SInatra he produced three consecutive hit albums for Sinatra, including “Sinatra at the Sands” in 1966.
But it was in the 1980s that Jones made his masterpiece: namely the production of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”, which sold over 110 million copies worldwide and established Jackson as a world star.
In addition to his successful output, Quincy Jones has also written many hit songs, including “We Are the World” and “The Color Purple.”
He has also won 28 Grammy Awards in his career, making him one of the most awarded musicians of all time.
But Quincy Jones’ contribution to music goes far beyond his commercial success. Jones has always sought to push the boundaries of musical genre and has collaborated with musicians of all genres and nationalities. He has also encouraged diversity in music and promoted the importance of music training and education.
He has also been one of the creators of charitable initiatives such as We Are The Word.
With his Listen Up Foundation he raised funds in 2001 for the construction of houses for Nelson Mandela in South Africa and in 2004 he organized a live concert in Rome with the participation of Carlos Santana, Alicia Keys, Angelina Jolie, Oprah Winfrey, Evander Holyfield and Chris Tucker, among others, in front of half a million spectators.
In 2018, “Quincy” was released on Netflix, a docu-film dedicated to his iconic figure.
The book ’12 Notes: On Life & Creativity’ biography of the artist was also released in 2022.
Happy Birthday Quincy!!!