Entertainment
Quincy Jones, the musical titan who collaborated with everyone from Michael Jackson to Ray Charles, dies at 91 – Andscape
Quincy Jones, multi-talented musical titan which is big heritage he produced Michael Jackson’s historic album, wrote award-winning soundtracks for movies and tv shows, and collaborated with Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and tons of of other recording artists, died at the age of 91.
Jones’ publicist, Arnold Robinson, says he died Sunday night at his home in the Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles, surrounded by his family.
“Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of the death of our father and brother Quincy Jones,” the family said in an announcement. “And while this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the wonderful life he lived and know there will never be another like him.”
Jones rose from working with gangs on Chicago’s South Side to the heights of show business, becoming considered one of the first black executives to prosper in Hollywood and amass extraordinary music catalogue which incorporates a few of the richest moments of American rhythm and song. For years, it was difficult to discover a music lover who didn’t have at least one album with his name on it, or a pacesetter in the entertainment industry and beyond with whom he didn’t have any bond.
Jones kept company with presidents and foreign leaders, movie stars and musicians, philanthropists and business leaders. He toured with Count Basie and Lionel Hampton, arranged recordings for Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, composed soundtracks for and , organized President Bill Clinton’s first inaugural ceremony, and oversaw the all-star recording of “We Are the World,” a 1985 charity album. for famine in Africa.
Lionel Richie, who co-wrote “We Are the World” and was considered one of the lead vocalists, called Jones the “principal orchestrator.”
In a profession that began when vinyl records were still played at 78 rpm, top honors probably went to his productions with Jackson: , and the albums were almost universal in style and appeal. Jones’ versatility and imagination helped unleash Jackson’s explosive talent, which transformed him from child star to “King of Pop.” On such classic songs as “Billie Jean” and “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” Jones and Jackson created a world soundscape of disco, funk, rock, pop, R&B, jazz and African songs. For , a few of the most memorable touches got here from Jones, who recruited Eddie Van Halen for the guitar solo on the genre-mixing “Beat It” and enlisted Vincent Price to provide a spooky voice on the title track.
In 1983 alone, it sold over 20 million copies and equals, amongst others, The Eagles as the best-selling album of all time.
“If an album doesn’t do well, everyone says, ‘it’s the producers’ fault’; so if everything goes well, it should be your ‘fault’ as well,” Jones said in a 2016 interview with the Library of Congress. “Paths don’t suddenly appear. The producer must have the skills, experience and ability to see the vision through to completion.”
The list of his accolades and awards spans 18 pages in his 2001 autobiography, including 27 Grammy Awards (now 28), an honorary Academy Award (now two) and an Emmy for “Roots.” He also received the French Legion of Honor, the Rudolph Valentino Award from the Republic of Italy, and the Kennedy Center Tribute for his contributions to American culture. He was the subject of the 1990 documentary “Listen Up: The Lives of Quincy Jones” and the 2018 film by daughter Rashida Jones. His memoirs made him a best-selling writer.
Born in Chicago in 1933, Jones cited the hymns his mother sang around the house as the first music he remembered. But he recalled his childhood with sadness, once telling Oprah Winfrey: “There are two kinds of individuals: those who have caring parents or guardians and people who don’t. Nothing in between. Jones’ mother suffered from emotional problems and eventually entered care, which made the world seem “meaningless” to Quincy. He spent most of his time in Chicago on the streets, amongst gangs, stealing and fighting.
“Man, they nailed my hand to the fence,” he told the AP in 2018, showing off his childhood scar.
Music saved him. As a boy, he learned that a neighbor in Chicago had a piano, and shortly he was playing all of it the time. His father moved to Washington state when Quincy was 10, and his world modified at a close-by recreation center. Jones and a few friends broke into the kitchen and helped themselves to lemon meringue pie when Jones noticed a small room with a stage nearby. There was a piano on the stage.
“I went there, stopped, looked, and then jingled for a while,” he wrote in his autobiography. “That’s where I began to find peace. I used to be 11 years old. I knew this was it for me. Forever.”
Within a couple of years, he began playing the trumpet and befriended the young blind musician Ray Charles, with whom he became lifelong friends. He was talented enough to win a scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston, but dropped out when Hampton invited him to tour with his band. Jones continued to work as a contract composer, conductor, arranger and producer. As a young person, he supported Billie Holiday. At the age of twenty he was touring with his own band.
“We had the best jazz band in the world, and yet we were literally starving,” Jones later told Musician magazine. “That’s after I discovered that there was music and there was a music business. If I were to survive, I’d have to learn the difference between them.”
As a music executive, he overcame racial barriers to turn into vice chairman of Mercury Records in the early Sixties. In 1971, he became the first black musical director of the Academy Awards. The first film he produced received 11 Oscar nominations in 1986 (much to his disappointment, it didn’t win any). In cooperation with Time Warner, he created Quincy Jones Entertainment, which owned the popular culture magazine Vibe and Qwest Broadcasting. In 1999, the company was sold for $270 million.
“My philosophy as a businessman has always come from the same roots as my personal credo: accept talented people on your own terms and treat them fairly and with respect, no matter who they are or where they come from,” Jones wrote in his autobiography.
He was comfortable with virtually every kind of American music, whether setting Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon” with its strong, rolling rhythm and wistful flute, or opening his production of Charles’ soulful “In the Heat of the Night” with a rousing tenor saxophone solo. He has collaborated with jazz giants (Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, Duke Ellington), rappers (Snoop Dogg, LL Cool J), singers (Sinatra, Tony Bennett), pop singers (Lesley Gore) and rhythm and blues stars (Chaka Khan, rapper and singer Queen Latifah).
Only in “We are the World” the performers were Michael Jackson, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder and Bruce Springsteen. He co-wrote hits for Jackson – “PYT (Pretty Young Thing” – and Donna Summer – “Love Is in Control (Finger on the Trigger) – and sampled songs by Tupac Shakur, Kanye West and other rappers. He even composed the theme song for the series “Sanford and Son.”
Jones was a moderator and star maker. He gave Will Smith a key role on the hit television show produced by Jones, and in the process introduced viewers to Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg. Starting in the Sixties, he composed over 35 soundtracks for movies, including:
He called scoring “a multifaceted process, an abstract combination of science and soul.”
Jones’ work on the film’s soundtrack led to his collaboration with Jackson, who starred in the 1978 film. In an essay published in Time magazine after Jackson’s death in 2009, Jones recalled that the singer kept sheets of paper with him containing the thoughts of famous thinkers. When Jones asked about the origin of 1 passage, Jackson replied “Socrates” but pronounced it “SO-crayts.” Jones corrected him: “Michael, they’re SOCK-ra-tees.”
“And the look he gave me then made me say, because I was so impressed with everything I saw in him during rehearsals, ‘I’d like to try producing your album.'” Jones recalled. “Then he came back and told the people at Epic Records and they said, ‘No way. Quincy is too jazzy». Michael was stubborn, so he and his managers came back and said, “Quincy is producing the album.” And we started doing it. Ironically, it was one of the best-selling Black albums at the time and the album saved the jobs of people saying I was the wrong guy. That’s how it works.”
Tensions emerged after Jackson’s death. In 2013 Jones sued Jackson’s estateclaiming he’s owed multimillion-dollar royalties and charges for producing a few of the superstar’s biggest hits. In a 2018 interview with New York magazine, he called Jackson “as Machiavellian as possible” and alleged that he drew material from others.
Jones was addicted to work and play and sometimes suffered due to it. He nearly died of a brain aneurysm in 1974 and fell right into a deep depression in the Eighties when Oscar voters rejected “The Color Purple”; it never received a competitive Oscar. Jones, a father of seven children and five moms, described himself as a “dog” who had countless lovers around the world. He was married 3 times, his wives included actress Peggy Lipton.
“For me, loving a woman is one of the most natural, blissful, life-enhancing – and dare I say, religious – acts in the world,” he wrote.
He was not an activist in his youth, but he modified after attending the funeral of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968 and later becoming friends with the Reverend Jesse Jackson. Jones dedicated himself to philanthropy, saying that “the best and only useful aspect of fame and celebrity is having a platform from which to help others.”
His goals included fighting HIV and AIDS, educating children, and caring for the world’s poor. He founded Quincy Jones Listen Up! foundation designed to connect young people with music, culture and technology, and said that throughout his life he had been guided by “a spirit of adventure and a criminal level of optimism.”
“Life is like a dream, said the Spanish poet and philosopher Federico Garcia Lorca,” Jones wrote in his memoirs. “Mine was in Technicolor, with full Dolby sound thanks to THX amplification, before they knew what these systems were.”
In addition to Rashida, Jones is survived by daughters Jolie Jones Levine, Rachel Jones, Martina Jones, Kidada Jones and Kenya Kinski-Jones; son Quincy Jones III; brother Richard Jones and sisters Theresa Frank and Margie Jay.
With the discharge of Wicked fast approaching, it’s protected to say that Cynthia Erivo is on fire straight away.
The film adaptation of the Broadway musical (which is an adaptation of a best-selling novel based on one other novel) is about to open to over $175 million worldwide this weekend, and Erivo has just landed a significant deal.
Universal Pictures has struck a first-look cope with its production company Edith’s Daughter, Deadline reported.
“Having spent the last three years working with Donna Langley, Peter Cramer and the Universal team on Wicked, I have experienced first-hand the love and fearlessness with which they tell stories and uplift narrators,” said Erivo. “I am absolutely delighted to take the next step in our cooperation under our first-look agreement. This is not only a milestone for my production company, but also a testament to the power of storytelling and the importance of diverse voices in film. I can’t wait to bring our visions to life and share them with the world!”
However, some could also be just discovering the 37-year-old from Stockwell, London (where she was born right into a family of Nigerian immigrants) or may don’t know about her background and profession to this point. There’s quite a bit to like about the Emmy, Grammy and Tony winner – and much more to grasp beneath the surface. Below we have gathered some things you have to know about Erivo, including some very necessary ones.
He is a Broadway sensation
Before Erivo became a star of the silver screen, she made a reputation for herself on the stage. The actress’ breakthrough role was the role of Celie within the musical adaptation of “The Color Purple” on Broadway. From 2015 to 2017, she delivered critically acclaimed, groundbreaking performances, winning the 2016 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.
She has played several iconic black characters
Aretha Franklin, Harriet Tubman and Recy Taylor are black American historical figures immortalized on screen by Erivo, who has played all of them in movies. Shortly after her Broadway run in 2017, Erivo played Taylor in “The Rape of Recy Taylor.” She then starred as Tubman within the 2019 film “Harriet.”
In 2021, Erivo played Franklin within the National Geographic anthology “Genius: Aretha”. While critics praised her performance, Franklin’s family had a special tackle the project, claiming she was never consulted and even felt “disrespected” by the production team.
He is a queer icon
Earlier this yr, Erivo received the Schrader Award from the Los Angeles LGBT Center as a self-proclaimed member for her talent and support of the queer community.
“Acknowledging that I am queer publicly – especially in the public eye – means taking a risk to claim my freedom,” she said in her speech through which she agreed to return out as queer later in life. “It seems we prefer to see the world in black and white rather than accept the difficult (but beautiful) complexities of our humanity.”
Although it has never been explicitly confirmed, Erivo has long been considered one half of a fairly powerful Black Hollywood power couple, as she is commonly seen at red carpet events alongside fellow industry heavyweight Lena Waithe.
He has a novel sense of fashion
From shaving her eyebrows to her signature long and ornamental nails, Erivo is understood for her daring sense of fashion. Her uniqueness was even incorporated into her makeup for “Wicked.” The makeup artist used stencils to attract eyebrows and add freckles. Meanwhile, a special shade of green face and body makeup was developed to make Erivo’s melaninated skin appear “clearly” on screen, and the shade was named “Cynthia Green,” the film’s makeup artist said People Magazine. It’s value noting that despite the hours-long application process required day by day for months of filming, she also said that Erivo “never, ever, ever complained.”
She doesn’t suffer fools
Social media was abuzz this week with response to actor/podcast host Dax Shepard’s invasive query about Erivo’s signature elaborate manicure, specifically how he moves through it while using the lavatory. When footage of her interview with Shepard hit the Internet, many individuals were quick to sentence its inappropriateness, asking her how she wipes herself while having very long, jeweled nails.
“My answer is that no one wipes their ass with just their fingers. You use wipes, right? And you wipe it off,” she replied calmly.
Erivo further expressed her annoyance with this query; the one she had exhibited before.
“I understand, it annoys me. Come on, guys,” she said. “I understand, but I’m a functioning adult and I’ve never walked around smelling like… you know.”
People participating within the discussion found this query rude, disgusting and invasive. It can also be, as Erivo identified, unoriginal. In response to this viral exchange, some have responded by demonstrating how they adapt these very human processes to long fingernails – and shockingly, it’s just about the identical process we have all been doing since potty training. It’s really not that complicated.
He has some questionable tweets in his search history
When it was announced in 2018 that Erivo would play Harriet Tubman within the biopic “Harriet,” the British actress’s seemingly problematic comments made years earlier about the language of Black Americans inevitably resurfaced. As previously reported by theGrio, this compounded existing questions about the choice to forged British-born Erivo because the historical African-American hero, given what some perceived as a disdain for African-American culture.
“As for the tweets, they were taken out of context, giving me no room to explain what they meant – and they weren’t actually mocking anyone,” she explained on the time: Complex reported. “It was not intended to be (offensive) at all. It was to celebrate a song I (wrote) when I was 16.”
Speaking further about the controversy during an event on the Toronto International Film Festival, she said: “I actually have never… never spoken negatively about people because I don’t desire to; I don’t desire this energy to be passed on to others.”
She continued: “I do not think it’s good for us in any respect; I do not think it serves any purpose apart from to bring negativity into my life and yours, and I just don’t desire that.
Perhaps he has some tension with the band in “The Color Purple.”
For unknown reasons, Erivo claims she was not invited to a special screening of the musical “The Color Purple” for family and friends, which was also attended by other members of her Broadway forged. It’s a bit strange that the Tony-winning revival star wasn’t on the guest list. When asked about her apparent rejection in the course of the interview and whether it reflected her initial considerations for Celie’s role within the film adaptation, Erivo suggested she couldn’t talk about it.
Despite every little thing, he’s capable of admit his mistake
Erivo can have had mixed emotions previously as a result of questionable comments or her unwavering passion for her craft, but she is ultimately capable of admit when she was incorrect. In the lead-up to Wicked’s premiere, fan-made art got here to light that edited the film’s poster to look more like the unique Broadway Playbill, obscuring Erivo’s direct gaze with the brim of her witch hat. The actress was initially very offended, but later admitted that she can have overreacted.
“I think for me it was a human moment…” she later explained. “I probably should have called my friends, but I’m fine.”
After all, she is an expert
Say what you want, but Cynthia Erivo is robust and talented. He can also be a one that is alleged to place the nice of the team ahead of his personal glory. During a recent appearance on “Cutting room floor” podcast, she described her technique of coming into harmony together with her “Wicked” co-star Ariana Grande and the way the 2 worked together to create a unified sound fairly than resorting to diva-like behavior in an try and outshine one another.
For example, although she and Grande have very different voices, Erivo noted that what they’ve in common is way more necessary.
“I think what connects us is the way we hear music, so we can hear each other,” she explained. “And the beauty of singing with someone who can also hear is that you follow each other back and forth. We can find ways to make our textures and sounds make sense, and that’s really hard with humans.”
Erivo added: “It also signifies that you found someone completely selfless because they care about working with you, and being an element of that’s essentially the most amazing thing. When you find someone who’s committed to creating sound together, (there may be) no ego.
Snoop Dogg attends the Los Angeles Premiere of “Gladiator II” held on the TCL Chinese Theater on November 18, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo: Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)
When Snoop Dogg takes the stage at Amazon Music Live on November 29, it is the moment hip-hop fans have been waiting for. The West Coast legend ends Season 3 with a performance that guarantees to be nothing in need of legendary.
Airing after Black Friday Football at 7pm EST on Prime Video and Twitchthe show will showcase his expansive musical journey, combining chart toppers with deep cuts that defined a complete generation.
Sponsored by the brand new 2025 Nissan Kicks, fans can expect an exclusive first hearken to songs from his upcoming album ‘Missionary’, which might be released next month. The announcement comes at a critical point in Snoop’s profession and marks the following evolution of an artist who moves seamlessly between music, acting and entrepreneurship.
Amazon Music Live has change into a powerhouse of musical innovation, and Snoop’s final performance epitomizes what it’s all about. Throughout Season 3, the series featured standout moments from artists resembling Jelly Roll, who brought together country and rock stars for an epic performance, and Big Sean, who paid tribute to historically black colleges and universities together with his breathtaking tribute .
For those that wish to have fun in advance and luxuriate in the final word Snoop experience, Amazon Music has REDISCOVER Snoop Dogg playlist it’s the proper foundation. It’s a musical time capsule chronicling his journey from the Long Beach underground scene to world-famous superstardom. Each track tells the story of an artist who not only survived in the music industry, but fundamentally modified it.
With 16 Grammy nominations to his name, Snoop continues to prove that he’s greater than only a rapper – he’s a real entertainment icon. His influence extends far beyond music, touching on film, television, cannabis culture and entrepreneurship. The Black Friday performance might be the following chapter in a profession defined by constant reinvention.
The performance isn’t only about music – it’s also a presentation of, amongst others, recent nissan kicks 2025. As an official sponsor of Amazon Music Live, the compact crossover was integrated throughout the season, giving fans a glimpse of its modern style and advanced technologies through pre-show and in-person experiences on the show.
For those in the Los Angeles area, a limited variety of tickets can be found from DICE. But for everybody else, Prime Video and Twitch will bring the magic of Doggfather right to your screen. It’s a probability to see a living legend in top form, delivering a performance that guarantees to be as unpredictable and electrifying as Snoop himself.
Entertainment
Melania slammed Donald Trump with third prenup change, fueling rumors of marital drama after she dodged his kiss and claim resurfaced
For years, there was speculation concerning the authenticity of the love between President-elect Donald Trump and his wife, Melania Trump. The theories intensified after Melania was caught repeatedly hiding from her husband’s public displays of affection for years.
Some imagine their relationship is solely business-related, a view that gained popularity when the New York Post reported in September 2023 that its alleged insider claimed that Melania had renegotiated her prenuptial agreement with the forty fifth president for the third time. The move followed Trump’s confirmation of his intention to hunt a second term as president after announcing his re-election campaign on November 15, 2022.
When the couple married in 2005, the initial prenuptial agreement reportedly significantly favored Donald Trump. However, since then the contract has been renegotiated not less than 3 times, with the primary renegotiation going down in 2017 and one other in 2020, when she served as apparently delayed moving to the White House – not less than that is what the New York Post claims in its unconfirmed reports. It is unclear why the thrice-married Trump would conform to loosen up his protections as part of such an arrangement.
In 2023, an alleged insider told the Post’s Page Six gossip column: “Over the past yr, Melania and her team have been quietly negotiating a brand new deal following the suspension of her contract with Donald Trump. This is not less than the third time Melania has renegotiated the terms of her marriage contract.
It continued to be claimed that Melania can be increasingly concerned about Trump’s mounting legal problems. Last yr, he was convicted of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with making secret payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels. That same yr, Trump was also found liable in a civil suit for sexual abuse and defamation of author E. Jean Carroll. More than a yr ago, Trump was also charged in Atlanta with attempting to overturn the presidential vote within the 2020 elections in Georgia. Trump ultimately faced federal criminal charges related to his mishandling of classified documents after leaving office and the January 6 rebel.
With all this happening against Trump, Melania obviously desired to be certain she can be secure.
“This agreement was necessary due to ongoing legal disputes that (…) (Donald) has suffered,” the source said.
However, the insider also told Page Six that the postnuptial agreement doesn’t mean Melania plans to depart Trump.
They said the revised deal would also provide money for his or her 18-year-old son, Barron Trump.
“Melania is most concerned with maintaining and increasing the considerable trust she has in her son, Barron.”
Another source backed up this statement, saying, “I know she wanted this to provide her with more money, and also – from what I understand – there is at least a set amount that Barron is expected to get.”
Fans shared their thoughts on Melania renegotiating her prenup with The Daily Beast’s. side.
One person said: “Thanks to her we managed to save him. After filing for bankruptcy five times, he will be living on Melany’s benefits.”
The second wrote: “He must secure Barron’s future before the non-existent money disappears.”
A third commenter advised: “Honey, take the money and run.”
CNN is preparing for Trump’s second visit to the White House reported that his wife doesn’t plan to live in Washington full time. Sources told the news outlet that while Melania plans to attend essential events, she will spend loads of time living between New York City – as her son Barron attends NYU there – and Palm Beach, Florida, where many of her friends live.
Her reported impending absence from the White House has sparked whispers about whether Melania is serious about her responsibilities and priorities as first lady, but that is not all. It also sparked more speculation about whether she and Trump have a blissful marriage.
Even during Trump’s victory speech, a smiling Melania avoided being kissed by her husband as he sang her praises on stage. After thanking her and expressing his appreciation for her “best-selling book in the country,” Trump moves to hug and kiss his wife, then places her hand on her cheek as she turns her head barely.
Still, Melania assures doubters that every little thing is effective in her marriage to Trump. In September, she even tried to disclaim the rumors during an interview on “Fox & Friends.”
When asked what she liked about her husband, she replied: “His essence. His humor. His personality. His kindness,” he added later. “It’s very special. His positivity. His energy. It’s unbelievable. Yes, so we’ve got a fantastic relationship.
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