Quincy Jones passed away at the dignified age of 91 on November 3rd 2024 after gracing us with a career that spanned seven decades, during which he navigated the music industry as a distinguished musical composer, record producer, big bandleader, trumpeter, pianist, musical and soundtrack arranger and also a sought after record company executive with a fine ear for exceptional talents.
When Quincy Jones passed it was an understatement to say that the music, or rather a significant torchbearer of music history, died that day too.
Jones spoke often and candidly of his fast life growing up in Chicago during the 1930’s where crime and criminality were the only way of life.
Legend has it that he was hungry and desperate and during a random housebreaking incident he was distracted by the sight of a fancy grand piano in the house they were robbing, something was triggered in his mind and his curiosity for instruments and ultimately music-making was stoked.
Jones would go on to not only become one of the most impressive, mainly self-taught instrumentalists in history, he did everything, except actually sing the tunes, but he’s also in the exclusive class of my favorite type of artist, he is an EGOT - one of only 27 artists (so far) to hold the honor of earning all four performing arts awards: Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and a Tony award
This piece could easily have been a eulogy, but you can’t eulogize a titan.
Instead it’s a celebration of a man who provided the soundtrack to generations and whose impact will continue to ring for generations to come.
I like to think that even if you think you don’t know anything about Quincy Jones, you’re at least familiar with the highlights of his legacy which includes:
If you believe in the power of a name, then Quincy Jones parents definitely manifested someone who would spend a lifetime contributing to the joy and good memories of others, when they gave him the middle name of Delight
Quincy Delight Jones, what a delight it was…
