Quincy Jones Embodied the American Dream
Quincy Jones Jr., an influential American musician, philanthropist, and entrepreneur, passed away Nov. 3, 2024, at his home in Bel-Air, California, at 91 years of age, surrounded by his friends and family.
Jones was born March 14, 1933, on the South Side of Chicago. His father, Quincy Jones Sr., was a carpenter and semi-professional baseball player, while his mother, Sara Frances, was an apartment manager and bank officer. Jones’s paternal grandmother was formerly a slave from Louisville, Kentucky, and his grandfather was of Welsh descent–a heritage that shaped his worldview and fueled his drive to bridge cultures through music.
Jones’s life embodies the American Dream. He was a legendary American musician, record producer, composer, arranger, conductor, and band leader. During his 70-year career, he received 28 Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Tony Award. Furthermore, he was nominated for 7 Academy Awards and 4 Golden Globe Awards—a testament to his artistic skill and dedication to musical innovation.
Jones founded numerous companies promoting musical arts and entertainment during his inspiring entrepreneurial career. In his pursuit of creating novel musical pieces, Jones co-founded Qwest Records in 1980 in conjunction with Warner Brothers. The venture produced records by partnering with artists ranging from Siedah Garrett, New Order, and The Winans. Another notable, innovative creation of Jones’s was VIBE Magazine.
Established in 1993, the publication covered rhythm and blues, hip-hop music, and culture. Although VIBE printed its final magazine in 2014, its legacy echoes through mainstream entertainment as it interviewed and featured some rising and top musicians of the early 21st century – from Michael Jackson to Tupac.
Jones expanded beyond magazines by establishing Quincy Jones Entertainment (QJE) with the assistance of Time Warner in 1990, where he served as Chairman and CEO. QJE is best known for producing NBC television’s massive hit, “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.” In addition, Jones co-founded Global Gumbo Group, together with Emirati social entrepreneur Badr Jafar, in 2011 to create multi-media business opportunities within the Middle East and North Africa.
Through his various ventures and personal connections, Jones served as a coordinator of artists for Count Basie, Tommy Dorsey, and Lionel Hampton to Aretha Franklin, Rufus & Chaka Kahn, and Frank Sinatra, to name a few.
Another great entrepreneurial achievement for Jones was the production of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and Bad albums and Lesley Gore’s “It’s My Party.” Jones also composed scores for a number of films, including “In the Heat of the Night” and “The Color Purple.” He also scored and produced the Hollywood smash “The Wiz,” starring Diana Ross and Michael Jackson.
At the time of his death, Jones had amassed a net worth exceeding $500 million. Notably, his fortune could have been much larger had it not been for his philanthropic proclivity: Jones donated to a host of causes, including civil rights, education, and poverty relief.
One of his many accomplishments was “We Are the World,” a 1985 charity single, recording 46 of the world’s top musicians, who, in a demonstration of their respect for Jones, offered to record a song that generated money for famine relief in Ethiopia. The song sold over 20 million copies and raised an estimated $63 million for war and famine-stricken poverty relief in the nation. Jones later revived the song to raise funds for Haitian earthquake relief and childcare centers.
In another charitable venture, he established the Quincy Jones Listen Up Foundation to connect young people with music, technology, culture, and education. The foundation also built more than 100 homes in South Africa. Furthermore, Jones co-founded the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Operation Push in the 1970s and was a noted supporter of organizations ranging from the NAACP, GLAAD, Peace Games, and the Maybach Foundation.
Jones’s influence went beyond entertainment and philanthropy; he was a cultural pioneer whose vision characterized modern music. His propensity to bring together artists from different backgrounds resulted in ingenious entertainment ventures that illustrated his belief in the possibility of collaboration. His passion and leadership allowed numerous young businesspeople and musicians to excel and create.
For example, his work in education, and more directly, in arts programs in low-income communities, ensured that future generations would inherit the fruits of his efforts and, in time, his legacy. Well into his later years, Jones remained a working presence within the industry, welcoming technological advances and looking for new modes of expression.
Jones never let personal, social, cultural, or business bumps in the road impede his desire to do better and accomplish great things. His television, film, and music heritage is forever etched in American culture. He will stand as one of the most extraordinary art and business moguls of contemporary times.
Visionary, innovator, businessman, philanthropist, and icon, Quincy Jones’s indelible mark will shine on as a beacon, illuminating his life’s exceptional accomplishments for generations to come.
About the Authors
Anthony Storer is a finance and economics major and a McNair Student Scholar at Northwood University. Dr. Timothy G. Nash is director of the McNair Center for Free Enterprise at Northwood University.
This piece originally was published by the Midland Daily News.