Quincy Jones Biography

He studied at both the Berklee School and Boston's Schillinger school of music, but left to tour with Lionel Hampton. Soon, the 17-year-old Jones became a trumpeter and arranger for Dizzy Gillespie, touring in Europe.

Shortly after his return, he recorded his first albums, as a bandleader in his own right, for ABC Paramount Records, but the band dissolved for financial reasons.

From the late 1950s Jones held down executive posts at Barclay Records of Paris, and was the first African American to hold a senior post at Mercury Records.

The first of Jones' jazz-dominated movie scores was for 1965's 'The Pawnbroker'; subsequent film assignments included 'In Cold Blood', and 'The Color Purple' (1984), which he co-produced.

Equally active on the small screen, Jones composed theme and incidental music for several TV series, and in 1978 won an Emmy for his work on the mini series, 'Roots'.

A pioneer in music video, Jones produced and arranged the blockbuster Michael Jackson video, 'Thriller', which earned him one of his two dozen-plus Grammies.

Jones helped form IBAM (the Institute for Black American Music). Proceeds from IBAM events were donated toward the establishment of a national library of African-American art and music. He is also one of the founders of the annual Black Arts Festival in Chicago.

In August 1974 Jones suffered a near-fatal cerebral aneurysm, but recovered. He has been married three times and has several children.

Quincy Jones was honoured with the Jean Hersholt humanitarian award at the 1995 Academy Awards celebration.