"Imagine what a harmonious world it could be if every single person, both young and old shared a little of what he is good at doing."
Happy 76th birthday today to the incredibly talented Quincy Delight Jones.
Quincy began his musical journey as a trumpeter with bandleader Lionel Hampton in the 1950s, and from there soon gained a name for himself as an arranger, working with a cavalcade of the top artists of the day, including Sarah Vaughan, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Gene Krupa and Ray Charles. With this respected career under his belt, he moved on to composing his own music, and was soon snapped up by Hollywood to write film scores, including In The Heat of The Night and The Italian Job.
He continued as an arranger, working with Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Dinah Washington and Ella Fitzgerald. En route he found time to write the classic Soul Bossa Nova (as featured in Austin Powers), and "discovered" Lesley Gore and wrote It's My Party for her. Whew!
But this prodigious output continued throughout the 70s and 80s, and his success was assured as producer of Michael Jackson's greatest works, including his seminal solo album Off The Wall - a record that sold 20 million copies worldwide and rocketed Quincy Jones into the stratosphere of fame. He went on to produce both the biggest-selling album of all time, Thriller, and Jackson's follow-up Bad.
In the 80s he also had a solo pop career, covering Chaz Jankel's Ai No Corrida and latching onto the jazz-funk groove of the early 80s with Razzamataz, and continues writing, producing and arranging to this day...
A staggering talent!
Quincy Jones website
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