Biography and filmography

Quincy Jones

Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (March 14, 1933 – November 3, 2024) was an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award nominations, 28 Grammys, and a Grammy Legend Award in 1992.

Jones came to prominence in the 1950s as a jazz arranger and conductor before working on pop music and film scores. He moved easily between musical genres, producing Lesley Gore's major pop hits of the early 1960s (including "It's My Party") and serving as an arranger and conductor for several collaborations between the jazz artists Frank Sinatra and Count Basie in the same time period. In 1968, Jones became the first African American to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for "The Eyes of Love" from the film Banning. Jones was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score for his work on the 1967 film In Cold Blood, making him the first African American to be nominated twice in the same year. Jones produced three of popstar Michael Jackson's most successful albums: Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), and Bad (1987). In 1985, Jones produced and conducted the charity song "We Are the World", which raised funds for victims of famine in Ethiopia.

In 1971, Jones became the first African American to be the musical director and conductor of the Academy Awards. In 1995, he was the first African American to receive the academy's Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. He is tied with sound designer Willie D. Burton as the second most Oscar-nominated African American, with seven nominations each. In 2013, Jones was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as the winner, alongside Lou Adler, of the Ahmet Ertegun Award. He was named one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century by Time.

Photos

Movies (178)

The Groove Under the Groove

2026

Quincy Jones, Music Man

2025 · Self (archive footage)

Diane Warren: Relentless

2025 · Self (archive footage)

Once Upon a Time Michel Legrand

2024 · Self

Henry Mancini: 100 at the Hollywood Bowl

2024 · Self

King of Kings: Chasing Edward Jones

2024 · Self, Executive Producer

Don Lewis and The Live Electronic Orchestra

2024 · Self

Lola

2024 · Original Music Composer

La gran noche del pop

2024 · Self (archive footage)

Oprah & The Color Purple Journey

2023 · Self

El color púrpura

2023 · Songs, Producer

Thriller 40

2023 · Self (archive footage)

They All Came Out to Montreux

2023 · Self, Executive Producer

Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes

2023 · Self

2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

2022 · Self (archive footage)

El gran legado de Sidney Poitier

2022 · Self

Kylie Minogue V The Bee Gees

2022 · Self (archive footage)

Tony Bennett: Forget Me Not

2022 · Self

Jacob Collier: In the Room Where It Happens

2022 · Self

Ennio: El maestro

2022 · Self

The Weeknd: 103.5 Dawn FM

2022 · Self (voice)

Cooking On Hot

2021 · Music

Dionne Warwick: Don't Make Me Over

2021 · Self

Like a Rolling Stone: The Life & Times of Ben Fong-Torres

2021 · Self

You Don't Own Me

2021 · Self

Sergio Mendes En El Tono De La Alegría

2021 · Self

Ronnie's

2020 · Self (voice)

Herb Alpert Is...

2020 · Self

Fandango at the Wall

2020 · Executive Producer

Count Basie: Through His Own Eyes

2020

Jay Sebring… Cutting to the Truth

2020 · Self

Quincy Jones: A Musical Celebration in Paris

2019 · Self

David Foster: Off the Record

2019 · Self

The Birth of Cool: La historia de Miles Davis y su música

2019 · Self - Musician

Montreux Jazz Festival 2013 - Remember Claude Nobs

2019 · Self

The Black Godfather

2019 · Self

Devil's Pie: D'Angelo

2019 · Self

ReMastered: The Two Killings of Sam Cooke

2019 · Self

Q85: A Musical Celebration for Quincy Jones

2018 · Self

Quincy

2018 · Self

Davi's Way

2018 · Self

It Must Schwing: The Blue Note Story

2018 · Self

The Jazz Ambassadors

2018 · Self

Unbanned: The Legend of AJ1

2018 · Self

Survivor's Guide to Prison

2018 · Self

Quincy Jones & Friends - Live at Jazz Open Stuttgart

2017 · Self

Jazz Open Stuttgart 2017 - Festival of World Stars and Child Prodigies

2017 · Self

Sammy Davis, Jr.: I've Gotta Be Me

2017 · Self

Feel Rich: Health Is the New Wealth

2017 · Himself

Sandy Wexler

2017 · Self

Score: A Film Music Documentary

2017 · Self

National Museum of African American History and Culture Grand Opening Ceremony

2016 · Music Producer

I Go Back Home - Jimmy Scott

2016 · Self

More Than Jazz

2016 · Himself

Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall

2016 · Self

Sinatra 100: An All-Star Grammy Concert

2015 · Self

Kareem: Minoría De Uno

2015 · Self

The Distortion of Sound

2014 · Self

Keep on Keepin' On

2014 · Producer

Marvin Hamlisch: What He Did For Love

2013 · Self

Miles Davis with Quincy Jones and the Gil Evans Orchestra Live at Montreux 1991

2013 · Himself

Experience Montreux

2013 · Self

Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic

2013 · Self

Anouk Aimée, la beauté du geste

2012 · Self

Iceberg Slim: Portrait of a Pimp

2012 · Self

Rising Above the Blues: The Story of Jimmy Scott

2012 · Self

Paul Simon: Under African Skies

2012 · Self

Wheedle's Groove

2009 · Self

The Jazz Baroness

2009 · Self

Q: The Man

2009 · Self

Quincy Jones : 75th Birthday Celebration Live at Montreux

2008 · Self

Celia: The Queen

2008 · Self

Quincy Jones: Breaking New Sound

2008 · Self

An Evening with Quincy Jones

2008

Lady Be Good: Instrumental Women In Jazz

2008 · Self

Tori Amos: Live at Montreux 1991/1992

2008 · Director

Brando

2007 · Self

King: Man of Peace in a Time of War

2007 · Self

Jazz Icons - Quincy Jones Live in '60

2006

The N Word

2006 · Self

Rico o muerto

2005 · Original Music Composer

Letter to the President

2005 · Self, Executive Producer

Sueños de Libertad

2005 · Executive Producer

Genius. A Night for Ray Charles

2004 · Self

The World of Nat King Cole

2004 · Self

Michael Jackson: The One

2004 · Self

Live and Swingin': The Ultimate Rat Pack Collection

2003 · Self (archive footage)

Michael Jackson: Number Ones

2003 · Self (archive footage)

The Making of 'The Color Purple'

2003 · Music

Stealing Bess

2003 · Executive Producer

Austin Powers 3: El Miembro de Oro

2002 · Quincy Jones

The Cosby Show: A Look Back

2002 · Self

It's Black Entertainment

2002 · Self

Lesley Gore: It's Her Party

2001

Quincy Jones: In the Pocket

2001 · Self

Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration

2001 · Self

Frank Sinatra Memorial

2000 · Self

The Smokers

2000 · Executive Producer

Sidney Poitier: One Bright Light

2000

Fantasía 2000

2000 · Self - Host

Passing Glory

1999 · Executive Producer

Intimate Portrait: Natalie Cole

1999 · Self

Quincy Jones... The First 50 Years

1998 · Self

Creating Ragtime

1998 · Self

Steel

1997 · Producer

Quincy Jones: 50 Years in Music - Live at Montreux

1996

The Phil Collins Big Band - Live at Montreux 1996

1996 · Self

Wayne Shorter: Live at Montreux 1996

1996

Michael Jackson Video Greatest Hits: HIStory

1995 · Producer

Oscar Peterson: Music in the Key of Oscar

1995 · Self

Lill-Babs 40 år som artist

1994 · Self

A Great Day in Harlem

1994 · Self - Narrator

The Jackson Family Honors

1994 · Self

A Cool Like That Christmas

1993 · Producer

New Order Story

1993 · Self

The Real Malcolm X

1992

Malcolm X

1992 · Thanks

Montreux Jazz Festival 1991

1991 · Director of Operations

Listen Up: The Lives of Quincy Jones

1990 · Self

Benny Carter: Symphony in Riffs

1990 · Self

The Earth Day Special

1990 · Self

Stalingrad: Film 1

1990 · Producer

Prince: Musical Portrait

1989 · Self

The Unforgettable Nat King Cole

1989 · Self

Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues

1988 · Self

Michael Jackson: The Magic Returns

1987 · Producer, Original Music Composer

An All-Star Celebration Honoring Martin Luther King Jr.

1986

Looney Tunes 50th Anniversary

1986 · Self

The Color Purple

1985 · Producer, Original Music Composer, Lyricist, Songs

Fever Pitch

1985 · Executive Music Producer

The Slugger's Wife

1985 · Executive Music Producer

Fast Forward

1985 · Executive Music Producer

We Are the World: The Story Behind the Song

1985 · Self

I Love Quincy

1984 · Self

Diana

1981 · Self

The Wiz

1978 · Emerald City Gold Pianist (uncredited), Music Supervisor, Music Arranger

Wiz on Down the Road

1978 · Self - Music Arranger / Emerald City Gold Pianist

The Getaway

1972 · Original Music Composer

The New Centurions

1972 · Music

Dig: A Journey Into Earth

1972 · Music

The Hot Rock

1972 · Original Music Composer

Killer by Night

1972 · Music

1971 · Original Music Composer

Honky

1971 · Original Music Composer, Music

Eggs

1971 · Original Music Composer

Brother John

1971 · Original Music Composer

The Anderson Tapes

1971 · Original Music Composer

We Are Universal

1971

They Call Me Mister Tibbs!

1970 · Original Music Composer

The Out-of-Towners

1970 · Original Music Composer

Last of the Mobile Hot Shots

1970 · Original Music Composer