Quincy Jones

Quincy Jones (born March 14, 1933 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American record, TV and film producer, musician and songwriter. Jones is especially well known for his work with Michael Jackson as the producer of his most famous albums (Off the Wall, Thriller, Bad[?]).

Jones got his first break as a trumpeter for the Lionel Hampton Orchestra in 1951. Throughout the 1950s, he became a skilled arranger and led many small bands.

In 1957, he began a career as a record producer at Barclay Records and worked in France.

In 1960, he was hired by Mercury Records as the first black vice president of a major record label. When Jazz became less popular, he was asked to produce some pop singles. His first pop single was the hit It's My Party by Leslie Gore.

In 1962 he wrote "Soul Bossa Nova", a tune which became famous decades later as the "Austin Powers Theme".

He moved to Los Angeles in the mid-1960s where he began writing film scores. Jones scored many films, including In Cold Blood, "The Pawnbroker", "In the Eyes of Love", and "Mirage".

He has also composed several television theme songs, including Ironside (which featured the early use of a synthesizer), and Sanford & Son.

In 1969, he recorded "Walking In Space", an early Jazz fusion record.

During the 1970s Quincy began producing more pop and less jazz. This drew criticism that he was selling out.

In 1977, Sidney Lumet[?] asked Jones to score The Wiz[?], an updated Wizard of Oz. It was there that he met Michael Jackson and they soon agreed that Jones would produce Jackson's solo albums. Jones also produced the "We Are The World" single in the mid 1980s.

In 1989 Jones produced "Back On The Block" which included stars Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, George Benson, Ella Fitzgerald, and Sarah Vaughan, as well as Big Daddy Kane[?] and other rap and hip-hop stars.

TV production credits include The Fresh Prince of Bel Air[?].

Film production credits include The Color Purple.

Jones has won 26 Grammy Awards.