Quincy Jones: Remembering “The Dude”

A (very short) social media repost from my FB/IG pages (with a few additions)…

Yesterday, we lost Quincy Delight “Q / The Dude” Jones, Jr. at age 91.

I don’t have the ability to properly begin or end honoring this legend of production, composition, performance, songwriting, arranging, film, television, social activism, and so much more.

For 70 years, Quincy “Q” Jones has had a hand in just about everything you’ve listened to and enjoyed.  Over time, that has included popular works such as:
“Thriller”, USA for Africa’s “We Are The World”, The Wiz, MadTV, Theme from Sanford & Son, The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air and countless other entertainment products.

He has created and produced many albums with songs featuring artists you’ve known and loved across multiple genres, etc., amassing 28 Grammy Awards along the way. Notable artists include, but are not limited to: Duke Ellington, Lionel Hampton (with home he toured Europe at age 20), Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Sinatra “Fly Me to the Moon”, Tony Bennett, Barbara Streisand, Ray Charles “In the Heat of the Night”, Michael Jackson “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” / “Billie Jean”, Donna Summer “Love Is In Control”, Chaka Khan [and Ray Charles] “I’ll Be Good To You”, Snoop Dogg, LL Cool J, Tamia “You Put A Move On My Heart”, Barry White – Al B. Sure – El Debarge – James Ingram “The Secret Garden”, Tevin Campbell “Tomorrow” and literally hundreds others.

Looking back, he has had a part in almost everything I’ve ever performed in marching band, jazz band, and my own work, which he heavily influenced.

He was literally, “The Dude” (my favorite of all his albums with “Ai No Corrida”, “Just Once” / “One Hundred Ways” ft. James Ingram).

Like I said, I don’t know where to begin or end.  There is so much that I want to add, but I promise you, if I said all that I wanted to say, this would be a 10-part series. Just suffice it to say that we were blessed to live in his lifetime to experience his stellar work.

All I know is that the music industry has had its volume lowered severely with the loss of this creative and brilliant titan.

Quincy Jones, Rest In Peaceful Performance, sir.
Your work is done, but its influence will play and echo on…

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