Jones, Quincy (1933-…), is one of the most versatile talents in American music. He is a composer, arranger, musician, conductor, and record and film producer. Jones has won a number of Grammy Awards for his music. He has succeeded in jazz, popular music, rhythm and blues, musical theater, motion pictures, and television. He has also become a spokesman for racial equality and civil rights.
Quincy Delight Jones, Jr., was born on March 14, 1933, in Chicago. He began his musical career as a teenager, playing trumpet in the band of Lionel Hampton. In 1956, Jones became musical director for Dizzy Gillespie’s jazz orchestra, which toured the Middle East and South America. In the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, Jones led his own band, touring the United States and Europe. In 1961, Jones became head of artists and repertoire for Mercury Records. He rose to vice president in 1964, the first African American to hold such a high executive position with a major white-owned record company.
Jones has composed music for more than 30 films and many television shows. He has produced numerous hit albums, including Michael Jackson’s Thriller (1982). Jones wrote an autobiography, Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones (2001). Jones was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. In 2014, he won the Spingarn Medal, the highest honor given by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
