ToughPigs is saddened to learn that legendary musician, composer and producer Quincy Jones has passed away at the age of 91.
Jones broke into the music industry in the early 1950’s as a touring jazz musician for Lionel Hampton, playing both piano and trumpet. After a tour with his own band left him in fiscal ruin, he took a job as Mercury Records’ musical director in New York City, which set him on a path to being an executive and producer. He left Mercury to further pursue his composing career, creating the scores for such films as In Cold Blood, In the Heat of the Night, The Italian Job, and The Out-of-Towners, as well as the themes to television shows like Sanford & Son, Ironside, and the first episode of Roots. Soon, he became one of the most in-demand producers of his time, producing three of Michael Jackson’s best known albums, Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad. Perhaps one of his biggest achievements came in 1985, when Jones co-produced the charity single “We Are the World” for USA for Africa, which raised funds for famine relief in Ethiopia. As of the writing of this article, it remains the eighth best-selling single of all time. Over the course of his career, Jones earned 28 Grammy Awards, an Emmy and Honorary Oscar, and in 2016, Jones earned EGOT status with a Tony Award for producing the revival of The Color Purple, based on the film which he also produced.
On rare occasions, Jones’ work intersected with Sesame Street. In the early 1970’s, Jones scored “Catch the Kitty,” one of John and Faith Hubley’s animated inserts, which first aired in Episode 0187 in 1971. Twenty years later, Jones would appear on-camera on the show during the music video for “Yakity Yak – Take it Back,” a star-studded PSA imploring viewers to recycle, which was shown on the program throughout the 1990’s. Finally, in 2017, Jones shared a moment with Abby Cadabby during Smithsonian Magazine‘s American Ingenuity Awards.
While Sesame Street was just a small part of Quincy Jones’ impressive resume, we’re grateful that a music icon got to work on such a beloved show.
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by Matthew Soberman – Matthew@ToughPigs.com
