I have all the tools and gadgets. I tell my son, who's a producer, 'You never work for the machine; the machine… — Quincy Jones Copy Share Image
I think the attraction of 'American Idol' is about the basic human nature attitude that is, 'We can put you up there.… — Quincy Jones Copy Share Image
When you work with Ray Charles, Billy Eckstine and Frank Sinatra, and you tell them to jump without a net, you better… — Quincy Jones Copy Share Image
Cherish your mistakes, and you won't keep making them over and over again. It's the same with heartbreaks and girls and everything… — Quincy Jones Copy Share Image
When you produce an album, you're dealing with it theatrically. It has to have a structure, and the inner response to that… — Quincy Jones Copy Share Image
I didn't understand key signatures or anything, you know. I'd say silly things at the top of a trumpet part like, 'Note,… — Quincy Jones Copy Share Image
Melody is king, and don't you ever forget it. Lyrics appear to be out front, but they're not; they're just an accompanying… — Quincy Jones Copy Share Image
I've never been bored in my life, man. I've never been bored or lonely. Are you kidding? No way! I'm an orchestrator,… — Quincy Jones Copy Share Image
I lost my mother when I was 7 and they put her in a mental hospital. My brother and I watched her… — Quincy Jones Copy Share Image
I'm probably the only one in the world you can name that's worked with Billie Holiday, Louie Armstrong, Ella, Duke, Miles, Dizzy,… — Quincy Jones Copy Share Image
Bebop and hip-hop, in so many ways, they're connected. A lot of rappers remind me so much of bebop guys in terms… — Quincy Jones Copy Share Image
I only hope that one day, America will recognize what the rest of the world already has known, that our indigenous music… — Quincy Jones Copy Share Image
Working with kids in Soweto in South Africa, it's rough out there. But the bottom line is you've got to go to… — Quincy Jones Copy Share Image
It's amazing how much trouble you can get in when you don't have anything else to do. — Quincy Jones Copy Share
It's easy to get next to music theory, especially between your peers and music classes and so forth. You just pay attention. I had… — Quincy Jones Copy Share
It slaps your dignity just right. I loved the idea of these proud, dignified black men, and I saw the older ones wounded, and… — Quincy Jones Copy Share
I was inspired by a lot of people when I was young. Every band that came through town, to the theater, or the dance… — Quincy Jones Copy Share
“The tragedy of Tupac is that his untimely passing is representative of too many young black men in this country…If we had lost Oprah… — Quincy Jones Copy Share
Thank God, 50 years ago I learned that our entire business is all based on two things; a great song and a great story.… — Quincy Jones Copy Share
Sidney Poitier and Sidney Lumet were instrumental in helping me get started as the first black composer to get name credit for movie scores. — Quincy Jones Copy Share
A person's age can be determined by the degree of pain he experiences when he comes in contact with a new idea. — Quincy Jones Copy Share
I met Ray Charles at 14, and he was 16. But he was like a hundred years older than me. — Quincy Jones Copy Share
I got to trumpet, finally. That's why I love to write for brass, and [Count] Basie and [Frank] Sinatra and all that stuff, 'cause… — Quincy Jones Copy Share
I'm never in my life going to do a record that's a tribute to myself. I don't need it. — Quincy Jones Copy Share
I look back and say, "This must have been somebody else." I am not going to tell you that when I was 4, I… — Quincy Jones Copy Share
I was reading Omar Khayyam, Kahlil Gibran, Rumi, L. Ron Hubbard, all sorts of philosophy. Bebop cats are like that. Curious. I wanted to… — Quincy Jones Copy Share
