Ever since his earliest career moves as a teenage trumpet player working with a then-rising performer named Ray Charles, Quincy Jones has gone on to impact nearly every aspect of the music industry.
In this episode of Black Sounds Beautiful, revisit the storied, seven-decade-long career of the Chicago native who rose to prominence as a musician, songwriter, arranger and producer of records, film and TV. Jones began his work in the jazz format but soon expanded his reach into a wide array of genres, producing 1960s pop hits like "It's My Party" for Lesley Gore and, the following decade, working on three cornerstone records -- Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad -- for Michael Jackson.
Even in his early decades, Jones' reach was dynamic. He used his talents to mount one of the most well-known philanthropic efforts in musical history, conducting the global charity single "We Are the World," which raised funds for famine victims in Ethiopia. (The star-studded track went on to win three GRAMMYs — including the coveted Record Of The Year — at the 1986 GRAMMYs.)
Meanwhile, he was also making his imprint in the business side of music. In 1964, Jones was named a vice president at Mercury Records, becoming one of the first Black label executives at a major American label. In 1968, he was the first Black artist to ever be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song, for "The Eyes of Love" from the soundtrack of Banning. Three years later, in 1971, he became the first Black musical director and conductor of the Academy Awards.
At the GRAMMY Awards, Jones is one of the winningest creators of all time. Quincy Jones has won 28 GRAMMY wins and has received 80 nominations overall, plus he also received a Recording Academy Trustees Awards in 1989 and a GRAMMY Legend Award in 1992. Additionally, he is an Honorary Chair of the Recording Academy's Black Music Collective, and, at age 89, continues to be an active proponent for Black music across the world today.
"Black music is always gonna have a very special, strong, powerful place in the culture," Jones once said. "It's amazing what its history is all about. So powerful, man."
Watch the video above to revisit Jones' diverse impact throughout the years, and keep checking GRAMMY.com for more episodes of Black Sounds Beautiful.