2014 VISIONARY AWARD
THE Q FACTOR A LIFETIME OF LEADERSHIP AND ACTIVISM EARNS QUINCY JONES THE PRESS CLUB’S VISIONARY AWARD | BY TED JOHNSON
South Central to South Africa to meet Nelson he recent documentary Keep Mandela On Keepin’ On tells the story Below, left: We Are the PGBJMJOHZFBSPMEKB[[HSFBU World Clark Terry as he mentors a youngT blind jazz pianist, Justin Kaufin. Below: Quincy Jones 5FSSZTĕSTUTUVEFOUXBTBUIFOZFBS having a disco moment PME2VJODZ+POFT XIPBUJTBMTPPOF of the flm’s producers. Not only does the project recognize the importance of legacy in the jazz world, it refects one of Jones’ most famous quotes: “Imagine what a har- monious world it could be if every single person, both young and old, shared a little of what he is good at doing.” Over the decades Jones has shared a lot of what he is good at doing, from creat- ing hit records to producing “We Are the World,” which raised more than $63 mil- Quincy Jones with Lionel Hampton in the rear, Art Farmer, left, Walter WIlliams, right, 1950 lion. He has continued his eforts through his foundation with support for global children’s issues, civil rights, debt relief, malaria eradication and clean water, as well as calling attention to crises in disaster zones such as post-Katrina New Orleans “I’ve worked with the best, and I’ve and post-earthquake Haiti. never tried to chase celebrity,” Jones wrote Tis unmatched career of philanthropy in Q: Te Autobiography of Quincy Jones. and activism has earned Jones the Los “We just happened to stumble into each Angeles Press Club’s Visionary Award, other.” which he will accept tonight at the seventh Born in Chicago and raised in Seattle, annual National Arts & Entertainment Jones started pursuing music classes in Journalism Awards. school. He sang in a gospel quartet at age Jones has worked as a trumpeter, com- BOE XIFOIFXBT NFUBZFBSPME poser, arranger, producer and conduc- Ray Charles. Jones continued his studies tor. Few entertainment fgures have had at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, a life as deeply linked to so many other but dropped out when he got an opportu- legendary fgures in music, politics, the nity to tour with Lionel Hampton’s band as arts and international afairs. He describes a trumpeter, arranger and sometimes pia- Recording with Frank Sinatra, left; with the friendships, mentorships and working nist. He developed a particular skill as an Sammy Davis, Jr., above relationships as a kind of serendipity. Quincy Jones and band on the Free and Easy Tour, Paris, 1959 BSSBOHFSJOUIFTXIFO IBWJOHNPWFE
LA 12 PC LA 13 PC 2014 VISIONARY AWARD to New York, he worked for artists includ- also taught Leonard Bernstein and Aaron ing Sarah Vaughan, Ray Charles, Count Copeland. To help make ends meet, Basie, Dinah Washington and Duke Jones took a job with Barclay Disques, Ellington. the French distributor for Mercury, put- "OPUIFSCSFBLDBNFJO XIFO ting him in contact with even more art- he studied with Nadia Boulanger, who ists, among them Charles Aznavour and Jacques Brel. Around that time, he got Alice Walker, Steven a call from Grace Kelly’s ofce, asking Spielberg, and Jones on the set of Jones to play an event with Frank Sinatra. The Color Purple It was the start of a 40-year friendship. “This man was like from another planet,” Jones said at a Canadian music event this year. “I cannot tell you about the experiences we had. It was unbelievable.” Te frst song he arranged for Sinatra was “Fly Me to the Moon.” It was the Chairman of the Board who gave Jones his nickname, Q. INSPIRED BY KING As Jones’ role in music grew, he became more active on social causes. During Working with this period he got involved in Martin MIchael Jackson Luther King’s Operation Breadbasket, and Steven which worked to improve the economic Spielberg, development of African-American com- recording the E.T., The Extraterrestrial munities. After King’s assassination, album Jones joined Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Opera- tion PUSH, and along with other board members founded the Institute for Black American Music. “I had never been that political before, but following the mule-drawn wagon car- rying Dr. King’s casket through the streets of Memphis in a crowd of thousands pushed me right to the edge,” he wrote