Musician, composer, producer, arranger, and pioneering entrepreneur Quincy Jones has lived large and worked for five decades alongside the superstars of music and entertainment -- including Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey, Ray Charles, Will Smith, and dozens of others.
Q
is his glittering and moving life story, told with the style, passion,
Musician, composer, producer, arranger, and pioneering entrepreneur Quincy Jones has lived large and worked for five decades alongside the superstars of music and entertainment -- including Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey, Ray Charles, Will Smith, and dozens of others.
Q
is his glittering and moving life story, told with the style, passion, and no-holds-barred honesty that are his trademarks.
Quincy Jones grew up poor on the mean streets of Chicago’s South Side, brushing against the law and feeling the pain of his mother’s descent into madness. But when his father moved the family west to Seattle, he took up the trumpet and was literally saved by music. A prodigy, he played backup for Billie Holiday and toured the world with the Lionel Hampton Band before leaving his teens. Soon, though, he found his true calling, inaugurating a career whose highlights have included arranging albums for Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughan, and Count Basie; composing the scores of such films as
The Pawnbroker
,
In Cold Blood
,
In the Heat of the Night
,
and
The Color Purple
, and the theme songs for the television shows
Ironside
,
Sanford and Son
, and
The Cosby Show
; producing the bestselling album of all time, Michael Jackson’s
Thriller
, and the bestselling single “We Are the World”; and producing and arranging his own highly praised albums, including the Grammy Award—winning
Back on the Block
, a striking blend of jazz, African, urban, gospel, and hip-hop. His musical achievements, in a career that spans every style of American popular music, have yielded an incredible seventy-seven Grammy nominations, and are matched by his record as a pioneering music executive, film and television producer, tireless social activist, and business entrepreneur–one of the most successful black business figures in America. This string of unbroken triumphs in the entertainment industry has been shadowed by a turbulent personal life, a story he shares with eloquence and candor.
Q
is an impressive self-portrait by one of the master makers of American culture, a complex, many-faceted man with far more than his share of talents and an unparalleled vision, as well as some entirely human flaws. It also features vivid testimony from key witnesses to his journey–family, friends, and musical and business associates. His life encompasses an astonishing cast of show business giants, and provides the raw material for one of the great African American success stories of this century.
I am embarassed to say that the only reason I picked this book to read was because I needed a title that started with "Q" for a reading challenge.
After that admission, I also have to say that I was drawn to choose this book, just from the cover alone. I DID recognise the name but I LOVE his wonderful, smiling face. It makes me smile right back at him every time I look at it sitting here on my desk.
Beyond his name, I really had no idea of who Quincey Jones really was nor exactly what he did exce
I am embarassed to say that the only reason I picked this book to read was because I needed a title that started with "Q" for a reading challenge.
After that admission, I also have to say that I was drawn to choose this book, just from the cover alone. I DID recognise the name but I LOVE his wonderful, smiling face. It makes me smile right back at him every time I look at it sitting here on my desk.
Beyond his name, I really had no idea of who Quincey Jones really was nor exactly what he did except that he was associated with the music industry. I
thought
that he was a music producer. He is SO MUCH more than that, it is really mind boggling!
I was blown away at all that he is, all that he has done, all of the people he has worked with, all of the people he has known and been frends with, and has lost in death. I am in awe at all that he has done for music, but especially American music - jazz, bebop and hip-hop. I am in awe of his work ethic and the stunning number of projects he has worked on and been associated with. The number of music scores that he wrote, arranged or produced is unbelievable (and documented in the back pages).
It took me a long time to read this book. I know nothing about music except that I like to listen to it. I do not sing or play an instrument and for the most part, I could never remember the names of singers or the names of songs. I knew some names and some songs and some projects that were mentioned in this book, but I learned a LOT MORE. Don't get me wrong, you do not have to know anything about music, or TV shows, or Movies or bands or orchastra leaders or conductors, or composers, or teachers, or singers or instruments and who played them, but you might learn something about them in this book. (I spent a lot of time stopping to look things up on
my iPod or computer and then gave up and started marking things with stick it notes.)
The book was very well written. It was easy to read and flowed very well. I especially liked the fact that it was not just Quincey telling the story, but that there were chapters included that were written by his family members and his friends. He called them "witness" accounts in his Epilogue chapter.
This man has lived and he is still doing it. He has earned Grammys and lots of special awards and testimonials and he appears to have earned them with hard work, love and integrity.
Recommends it for:
anyone interested in the development of "black music"
A great book! Can be read like a novel, very interesting, especially with the chapters written by friends/family, casting a different light on Q's story.
Very enlightening, though sometimes a bit confusing as well, if you're not familiar with all the details.
--
As I came into the lobby, the valet grabbed my bags and asked, "Is your driver coming in to help load your bags into the car?"
I said, "I don't think so."
When he walked around to the driver's side and saw Frank Sinatra sitting behind the whe
A great book! Can be read like a novel, very interesting, especially with the chapters written by friends/family, casting a different light on Q's story.
Very enlightening, though sometimes a bit confusing as well, if you're not familiar with all the details.
--
As I came into the lobby, the valet grabbed my bags and asked, "Is your driver coming in to help load your bags into the car?"
I said, "I don't think so."
When he walked around to the driver's side and saw Frank Sinatra sitting behind the wheel wearing his "Swinging Lovers" porkpie hat, he nearly fainted. Frank laughed, jokingly called him a bum, and tipped him fifty dollars. When we got to Las Vegas and sat down at a table in the lounge, the waiter said, "Mr. Sinatra, would you like some water?" Frank said, "Hell, no. I want a drink. I don't need a bath."
--
At this point on
Thriller
I'd been bugging him for months to write a Michael Jackson version of "My Sharona." One day I went to his house and said, "Smelly, give it up. The train is leaving the station." He said, "Quincy, I got this thing I want you to hear, but it's not finished yet. I don't have any vocals on it."
I called Michael "Smelly" because when he liked a piece of music or a certain beat, instead of calling it funky, he'd call it "smelly jelly." When it was really good, he'd say, "That's some smelly jelly." I said, "Smelly, it's getting late. Let's do it."
I took him to the studio inside his house. He called his engineer and we stacked the vocals on then and there. Michael sang his heart out. The song was "Beat It."
We knew the music was hot. On "Beat It" the level was literally so hot that at one point in the studio Bruce Swedien called us over and the right speaker burst into flames. We'd never seen anything like that in forty years in the business.
--
The truth is, many of the videos that became trademarks of MTV imitate "Beat It," "Thriller," and "Billie Jean" - it's Michael's choreography all over the screen, even today. His videos made a sensation in tandem with the rise of the video as an art form. He helped define the music video in terms of style, dance ensembles, and overall performances.
--
[...] Bernstein air-mailed me from London a headline torn from the
International Herald Tribune
from a review of
Back on the Block
that said, "Quincy Jones is black music's Leonard Bernstein." He wrote on the top in red pencil, "Dear Q, I wish I were white music's Quincy Jones. Love, L.B."
--
And to this day people forget that, deep down inside, Michael was still "country." I used to live on Stone Canyon Road, one of the most beautiful streets in LA, two blocks from the Bel Air Hotel. Michael came over to a party one day wearing his little Kangol hat and parked his new Rolls about three blocks down the street from my place. Him being from Gary, Indiana, and me being from Chicago, I knew what was in his mind when he went out my exit gate at 2 A.M. and picked up a brick from the edge of my bushes. I said, "Smelly, this ain't Gary or Chicago. This is the safest street in LA." That is so country, I'd tell him kiddingly, and he'd tee-hee.
--
I'd like to be like [my son] when I grow up.
...more
Quincy Jones is a world famous producer and composer. In his autobiography he talks about how he got his start in the music industry at twelve years old by picking up a trumpet and becoming a musician. From there his career as an artist took off. He talks about his experiences traveling around the country and Europe being in bands like Lionel Hamptons and also getting opportunities to direct his own band that traveled around the country and Europe by the age of 24. After directing his own band h
Quincy Jones is a world famous producer and composer. In his autobiography he talks about how he got his start in the music industry at twelve years old by picking up a trumpet and becoming a musician. From there his career as an artist took off. He talks about his experiences traveling around the country and Europe being in bands like Lionel Hamptons and also getting opportunities to direct his own band that traveled around the country and Europe by the age of 24. After directing his own band he talks about how he goes on to compose music and also score music for movies. He went on to score some famous songs including, “Fly Me to the Moon.” He took a break from scoring and producing movies and T.V. to get back to strictly music. What happens next is history. He then goes on to talk about teaming up with Michael Jackson and making the albums Off The Wall, Thriller, and Bad. All albums went platinum but Thriller was the big deal. Thriller broke album selling records and is the bestselling album ever (still today no one has been able to out sell Thriller). During this exciting time he talks about producing famous African American cultural movies like “The Color Purple,” and “Roots.” Even with all his success Quincy still had to fight temptations like women and drugs and deal with struggles in his life like his mentally ill mother and losing his father. Several times throughout his autobiography he had to step back and take a break. It was always after these breaks he came back better than ever and overcame his trials. Quincy Jones takes you on his exciting and interesting journey through life.
I unquestionably enjoyed Quincy’s Jones autobiography. Some autobiography’s can be boring and lacking interest but Quincy Jones lived such an exciting life that I was never bored. Once I started reading it I couldn’t put it down. It was almost like I was reading a fiction book. I think the reason why his story is such a good one is because he doesn’t leave anything out. He talks about the good, the success from his career, and the bad, his encounters with his mentally ill mother as an adolescent and his struggles with being faithful. He was 100% real and really brought you into his story. You can see, feel, and experience everything he was seeing, feeling, and experiencing.
I would recommend this book to aspiring musicians. You can really learn from his story that whatever obstacles you may face and whatever gets in your way, you can overcome it. He talks a lot about taking every opportunity you can to practice and learn music no matter what your situation is. Especially the music industry being a hard industry to be successful in you can learn from his determination but also his willingness to put in the work and doing whatever it took to obtain his dream. Overall this book is very aspiring and will make anyone want to thrive and drive toward their dream.
such a refreshing musical biography to read - especially after having recently read neil young's painfully boring "waging heavy peace" where i kept hoping against hope that neil would be informative or barring that would be funny or interesting... anyway, happily quincy's book is the opposite of neil's and has the three things: it's informative, funny and interesting. but quincy's book goes further than that - it shows style and elegance. quincy can go from grace kelly elegance to ghetto rap in
such a refreshing musical biography to read - especially after having recently read neil young's painfully boring "waging heavy peace" where i kept hoping against hope that neil would be informative or barring that would be funny or interesting... anyway, happily quincy's book is the opposite of neil's and has the three things: it's informative, funny and interesting. but quincy's book goes further than that - it shows style and elegance. quincy can go from grace kelly elegance to ghetto rap in a heartbeat. i did not expect quincy to be so culturally learned and deep in musical background - that takes an extraordinary amount of work and dedication and you can clearly see the life long effort in this great book.
so why not give this book five stars and call it a day? well, because i believe that quincy's best work, better even than the famous stuff, is nowhere to be found in this book. he mentions a lot about film composing for "in the heat of the night" and "in cold blood" and other famous films but nothing about "the hot rock" or "dollars". "dollars" a good film with warren beatty and goldie hawn has one of the greatest soundtracks ever made largely due to quincy's use of the don elliot singers who, in one particular cue, working together in close a cappella harmonies create the most amazing vocal imitation of a car shifting gears musically you will ever hear. "dollars" -lucky for you- can now be bought on cd through amazon.com. however "the hot rock" you will have to hit ebay for as an LP only. "the hot rock" starred robert redford and george segal and was one of the most brilliant gorgeous soundtracks using african percussion and evoking extraordinary atmosphere. i think peter gabriel's last temptation of christ was also extraordinary for percussion and atmosphere in a far more primal out of body way but once again quincy's soundtrack shows more elegance and style. during the jewel heist the music is perfection, mancini would have added more humor and barry would not have sounded so exotic, spacey or african percussive.
as a musician, i could mine "the hot rock" and "dollars" soundtracks for harmony and orchestration the rest my life just as quincy mined ravel's daphnis and chloe orchestrations or ravel in turn mined saint saen's piano concerto #2 orchestrations. these two soundtracks are the motherlode of new fresh ideas no one else is doing today. dollars and hot rock are also the least dated pieces of quincy's work, they stand outside of time like dave grusin's three days of the condor - another soundtrack that still sounds amazing and perfect decades later. my thing is orchestration and arranging so for me this book was a must read that turned out very well.
...more
I'm a huge fan of most of Q's long musical career, projects, and music. Unfortunately this book lacks the polish of a reputable editor or journalist. While Jones is interesting and has a life of incredible collaboration and accomplishments, the writing is a bit amateur.
Quincy Jones has created music, movies, tv shows and magazines, is there nothing he cannot do well?
Let's add memoirs also to this list, because this is an easy read.
It reads like he sat with a friend and told stories of his life and times. And what a life he has had! This book begins with his rough childhood, his mother in an institution, becoming a musician & touring with Basie, Duke and Sarah and goes from there. Quincy Jones knows so many interesting people and has had so many interesting
Quincy Jones has created music, movies, tv shows and magazines, is there nothing he cannot do well?
Let's add memoirs also to this list, because this is an easy read.
It reads like he sat with a friend and told stories of his life and times. And what a life he has had! This book begins with his rough childhood, his mother in an institution, becoming a musician & touring with Basie, Duke and Sarah and goes from there. Quincy Jones knows so many interesting people and has had so many interesting times, you have to keep reading just to hear him drop names about the good old days. Cut into that are chapters written by the others in his life, his daughters, brother, friends, ex-wives, etc.
I usually don't like autobiographies, but Q made it easy to enjoy.
...more
Very enlightening book about Quincy Jones and his life, from early difficult childhood who, happily, found his passion in music, early in life, which seems to have saved him to his adult life, complete with his well- earned life lessons. I gave the book 4 stars, not 5 because although very well-written, the timeline jumps around. An excellent addition to rounding out the picture of Quincy's life is the chapters written by others who know or knew him well. Very exciting and life-affirming story.
As I am reading and enjoying Neil Young's Waging Heavy Peace, I was thinking back on other musical autobiographies I had read and a bad memory I had repressed came back. This book is truly one of the most self-indulgent, name-dropping and vacuous things I have ever had the misfortune to read. Stay away. It's something a ghostwriter from People magazine might produce. Now, back to Neil.
Considering his crushingly tragic childhood, to go on to win nearly every major music award is unbelievable. He worked with an amazing range of major jazz/pop stars, doing everything from trumpet performance with jazz greats, to arranging for Sinatra, to going bankrupt touring Europe with an all-star big band, to producing for Michael Jackson, to writing award-winning film music, to producing rap. Incredibly diverse, successful career! I now discuss Quincy Jones in my college Brass Pedagogy clas
Considering his crushingly tragic childhood, to go on to win nearly every major music award is unbelievable. He worked with an amazing range of major jazz/pop stars, doing everything from trumpet performance with jazz greats, to arranging for Sinatra, to going bankrupt touring Europe with an all-star big band, to producing for Michael Jackson, to writing award-winning film music, to producing rap. Incredibly diverse, successful career! I now discuss Quincy Jones in my college Brass Pedagogy class as an example of someone who knew how to thrive in a generally difficult business. Talent is a huge part of the equation, yes, but the author also loved people, maintained contact with his mentors, worked hard, loved what he was doing, was willing to adapt to the changing business landscape, and wasn't afraid to try new things.
...more
A must read for any TRUE fan of music. Most people my age only know Quincy for his pop music espcially Michael Jacksons Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad. But Quincy was also a major player in the jazz game for decades before venturing into pop. He olayed with all the major jazz stars toured Europe with his own band and is one of the last of the original bebop guys. His genius has transcended generations, genres, AND racial boundaries. And amazing journey. Of course their is no intricate literary s
A must read for any TRUE fan of music. Most people my age only know Quincy for his pop music espcially Michael Jacksons Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad. But Quincy was also a major player in the jazz game for decades before venturing into pop. He olayed with all the major jazz stars toured Europe with his own band and is one of the last of the original bebop guys. His genius has transcended generations, genres, AND racial boundaries. And amazing journey. Of course their is no intricate literary stuff goin on here. Although I did like how they were chapters written by close friends and family interjected here and there to show the other side of him. Thats something you dont normaly see in autobiographies. But still amazing for music fans and culture fiends such as myself...
...more
The man I always knew was a master of music production and composition has now become my patron saint of commitment, passion, social change, and wisdom. Quincy's life is way too rich and astounding to be put in such a small book.
Through interviews from friends, relatives, personal insight, this autobiography lights up Q's life from all angles.
If you have a tiny interest in the man's work, you will be wearing a "What Would Quincy Do" bracelet by the 5th chapter. If you have never heard of hi
The man I always knew was a master of music production and composition has now become my patron saint of commitment, passion, social change, and wisdom. Quincy's life is way too rich and astounding to be put in such a small book.
Through interviews from friends, relatives, personal insight, this autobiography lights up Q's life from all angles.
If you have a tiny interest in the man's work, you will be wearing a "What Would Quincy Do" bracelet by the 5th chapter. If you have never heard of him, then stand back and watch the epic story unfold.
Q's life is an inspired example of how resilient the human being can be. His influence on the world is far deeper than the miles of credentials he keeps rolling out.
Read it.
...more
I enjoyed reading Q's funny stories about his interactions with the early jazz greats when he was just a teenager! He shares snapshots of his earliest memories of the music world not to mention his contributions to musical history. Hello? Thriller...We Are The World??? He worked with Ella, with Duke Ellington, played on stage with a high out of her mind but brilliant Billie Holliday.
On a personal note, I read this book while my mother was battling cancer. Eery how the chapter on his brother dyi
I enjoyed reading Q's funny stories about his interactions with the early jazz greats when he was just a teenager! He shares snapshots of his earliest memories of the music world not to mention his contributions to musical history. Hello? Thriller...We Are The World??? He worked with Ella, with Duke Ellington, played on stage with a high out of her mind but brilliant Billie Holliday.
On a personal note, I read this book while my mother was battling cancer. Eery how the chapter on his brother dying of cancer paralleled with my mother's last month of life. His words were always in the back of my mind as I sat by mom's bedside.
Having said that, anyone who loves music and it's history will love this book!
...more
I knew that Quincy Jones was a much admired producer, however I was completely unaware of his abilities as a performer and arranger. He really had the most remarkable career. While not always the most likeable of people he strikes you as honest and someone who has tried to learn from his mistakes. Really liked the fact that the book wasn't just told from his point of view but in fact had different chapters written by his brother, some of his children, ex-wives, and fellow musicians. It provided
I knew that Quincy Jones was a much admired producer, however I was completely unaware of his abilities as a performer and arranger. He really had the most remarkable career. While not always the most likeable of people he strikes you as honest and someone who has tried to learn from his mistakes. Really liked the fact that the book wasn't just told from his point of view but in fact had different chapters written by his brother, some of his children, ex-wives, and fellow musicians. It provided a nice balance and more of a complete picture of some events.
...more
Quincy Jones has led a remarkable life: Raised on the South Side of Chicago, an institutionalized mother, a young band leader who traveled Europe, nursed by older talents and a nurse to younger ones.
More than anything, though, this autobiography is candid. He describes his failings as well as his successes.
I actually listened to the audio book, which I strongly recommend. A chapter where the central focus is an ex-wife, a son, or a protege, is actually narrarrated by that person.
I did not read all of this. After the first 200 pages, I pretty much knew what he'd grown up with (crazy mother, angry stepmother, emotionally absent father, and life of deliquency saved by amazing talent arranging music). At that point I got sick of all the language and didn't care about the name dropping or the sleeping and drugging around and skimmed to the end. He produced some amazing music, but he's not a life model I'm chosing to follow.
Not your typical self-aggrandizing memoir. Q tells the truth on himself even when that truth isn't very pretty. Too, this book can be used as a primer for how to stay relevant as a musician, arranger, producer, songwriter, label exec, film composer and bandleader in an industry that thinks 40 is ancient. Q has one of the most accomplished and polyvalent careers in music, and is first and foremost a humanist and a thinker.
Quincy tells his story of his journey from being a young boy fascinated by the sounds of jazz to becoming an international music icon who rubbed shoulders with the high and mighty in and out of the music business. An incredible story of success but for me, too much emphasis on his sexual escapades.
And, I disagree with his conclusions about the future direction of popular music.
Simply written- thoroughly engaging. I read this biography in record time!
I enjoyed it most when he wasn't listing every single person he came into contact with- the names are important to someone, but dozens at a time was a bit tedious.
Local interest for me also as he started out in Seattle.
I just saw "The Color Purple" and I loved it. While I was reading the Who's Who section of the program, I came across Quincy Jones as a producer and read some really cool things about him. He is one of only five living people to win an Oscar, a Tony, an Emmy and a Grammy. Crazy, huh?!
Don't read this book. It may have been good had Quincy Jones decided to write it by himself, instead of having various people in his life write every other chapter. Because of this many of the stories in this book get told more then once
a little bit boring, unless you have a firm handle on all the be-bop and jazz from the 50s. can be a bit tedious, but some great stories of his life. he has an interesting spiritual perspective to his wealth and success.
Instead of reading this autobiography, I recommend you get the audio copy. It is recorded by Quincy and many jaz greats that were important to his life and music. I listened to it in my car and hated to end my trips.
This cat has been everywhere and met everybody! His life and take on the music business is very interesting. I wish I knew everyone he was talking about. It's no surprise that he is very influential in the music biz.
You don't have to necessarily like him to like his book. I found it very interesting. But my book club members had very different views of this book - most of any book we've read.
Quincy Jones should be voted the most important musical figure of the century. What hasn't he done? Growing up in the Seattle area, it should be a must read for all Seattleites.
Q is probably my idol. ( holiest of terms) What he went through,economically, physically and psychologically, while still become one of americas musical masterminds is amazing/