Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.
I read a lot of books. Because of my love for reading and the desire to debate and argue about life-altering books, I co-founded a book club with a popular bookstore in Washington, D.C. — MahoganyBooks. I especially love to pick up biographies and autobiographies; reading the life stories of famous and infamous figures often inspires me to go out and strive for greatness or, at the very least, gives me some ideas of the pitfalls that can befall a person for bad decision-making.
To that end, one of my absolute favorite books ever is “Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones,” released in 2001, written by Quincy Jones (of course), who passed away on Sunday at the age of 91. I still remember reading this book for the first time back in 2003. I received it as a gift from a friend who likes to give books for Christmas presents. I realize how hyperbolic it can be to say that a book changed your life, but in this case (and with a few others), it is true.
Reading about how much Quincy Jones had accomplished and how he went about doing it was so inspirational that as soon as I finished reading the 416-page book, I felt like I could do anything, and similarly, had no excuse NOT to live out all of my dreams. Quincy Jones worked with the most who’s who list of American musical figures — from Frank Sinatra to Michael Jackson and everybody in between. We have Quincy Jones to thank for Michael Jackson’s biggest albums, “Off The Wall” and one of the best-selling albums of all time, “Thriller.” Quincy had a hand in jazz, rock, pop, R&B and hip-hop.
The first time most of us heard Tevin Campbell was on a household favorite album, 1989’s seven-time Grammy Award-winning album, “Back On The Block,” when Tevin performed a cover of the Brothers Johnson’s song, “Tomorrow (A Better You, Better Me),” which changed the course of Black America. “Back On The Block” showed how adept Quincy was at embracing new styles and genres, something that many of his contemporaries did not do; the title track on the album featured Kool Moe Dee, Melle Mel, Ice-T and Big Daddy Kane. Quincy understood music and he understood how important it was to embrace all musicians and artists.
While he probably didn’t see how his own musical compositions could become part of the bedrock of hip-hop, Quincy’s work has been sampled by artists from the Pharycde to SWV to Nas to LL Cool J to Monica; the list goes on and on and on. Quincy’s work with Michael Jackson alone is enough to warrant GOAT status, having produced “Off The Wall,” “Thriller” and “Bad,” but the influence the productions on those albums had in helping craft songs that will live forever in hip-hop and R&B is truly remarkable.
Sure, those same musicians might have found other artists to sample to make their music, but would they have been as great without the bedrock of already classic, landmark music? I doubt it.
And don’t even get me started on Quincy’s fingerprints on pop culture through the founding of Vibe magazine and executive producing one of the greatest television shows of all time, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” By creating platforms for the display and analysis of Black pop culture, Quincy was able to ensure that not only did we tell our own stories, but we got to see them weekly. Will Smith went from rapper the Fresh Prince to the world’s most bankable movie star on the back of the show, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” a casting made by Quincy Jones himself. And who can forget the theme music to “Sanford and Son,” otherwise known as “The Streetbeater,” arguably the most iconic theme song of all time?
Do you remember “We Are The World”? Yeah, that’s Quincy Jones. “The Color Purple,” yeah that was produced by Quincy Jones. Quincy was essential to the creation of so much Black pop culture that we still hold onto it dearly today. It is impossible to truly list all of his achievements; Quincy lived life so fully that his autobiography probably needed a few hundred more pages in 2001. He lived and continued to work through the 2010s, making ripples.
I often revisit his book. When I need inspiration or wonder if all of the things I want to do are possible or even worth it, I read about a man who got into all of the rooms and helmed so much work that I know and appreciate that I can’t help but feel like I can do anything. I am thankful for a man whose life created so much art that will matter to me until I pass on.
Quincy Delight Jones is a true musical icon. We use terms like icon and legend very frivolously, but Quincy is both; his legacy has been cemented for decades. His contributions are noted and could not be lauded more. There are some people who pass on with work left to do. Quincy Jones may have things he still wanted to do, but he did enough for multiple lifetimes.
Rest in Power, Quincy Jones, a true musical legend.
Panama Jackson is a columnist at theGrio and host of the award-winning podcast, “Dear Culture” on theGrio Black Podcast Network. He writes very Black things, drinks very brown liquors, and is pretty fly for a light guy. His biggest accomplishment to date coincides with his Blackest accomplishment to date in that he received a phone call from Oprah Winfrey after she read one of his pieces (biggest) but he didn’t answer the phone because the caller ID said “Unknown” (Blackest).