Customer Reviews

Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The autobiography of Quincy Jones is like one of his arrangements: masterful, engaging on several levels, and state-of the-art.

Jones' life story seems MADE for a highly dramatic, award-winning t.v. or big screen movie -- and I dearly hope it'll be made into one. Musician. Producer. Businessman. Composer. Arranger. Determination and incredible talent skyrocketing him over big obstacles. It's fitting that Jones' biggest passion is music because this outstanding autobiography truly SINGS.

From the first pages, you're thrust into the drama -- and challenge -- of Jones' life. Born into a poor family, throughout most of his life (well into his adult years) Jones struggled with how to cope-with and at times how to distance himself from a mother who suffered from severe mental illness. Music became his savior and Jones embraced it like the stable motherly love which he sought and he lacked as a child. He embraced Mother Music, letting it's beauty embrace, comfort and sustain him.

There are several things that sets this book apart from other show biz bios and makes it such sheer JOY for readers of ALL ages (old fogies like me who grew up with his music as well as young folks interested in music, interested in biographies or interested in show business and the arts in general):

1.PANORAMIC STYLE. There is so much in it that we can only list a little here, such as the poignant vignette of a young, arts-smitten Jones, just discovering his musical "chops" and bonding with a blind teenage musician named Ray Charles who basically mentored and inspired him; his later associations with greats such as Sammy Davis Jr, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson and many many more.

Jackson, he writes, "wanted to be the best of everything" so he "went to the top model in each (show biz) category to create an act and a persona that would be unequalled." But "somehow later on the line between the reality and the fantasy got blurred." In the end, Jones writes, Jackson became "a total sponge, a chamelon." Jackson practiced hours and hours to perfect every single move, gesture and facial expression.

I am haunted by Jones' portrait of Sinatra. For all the tough-guy accounts elsewhere, Sinatra comes across as a noble and principled human being -- cooking Jones breakfast when he learned that Jones stayed up all night working; insisting that African-American musicians for his Vegas concert be allowed to play and get good rooms at a casino and telling his security to do significant bodily harm to any racists who harrassed them, even the slightest bit.

2)SECOND VOICES. Not all chapters are written by Jones. He also let others write their accounts about parts of his life, and not all of this material is complimentary. This adds a documentary feel and a sense of balance that most show business autobiographies lack.

3)USEFUL OBSERVATIONS. In his chapter on Michael Jackon's rise to the top of the music heap he notes that writes that he learned that "Nobody stays at the top. Nobody." Success, he writes, is "about preparation, then finding the right
opportunity" -- and that he learned that "being chronically underestimated can be a gift."

Jone's autobiography takes you through the 20th century's top musical and show business eras, and gifts you an incredible cast of famous well-etched cameos. The depth, ease, and detail of this panoramic journey is paralleled only by his private trek -- from poverty to aspiration to success, all amid personal family tragedies. In the end, we see a man (and artist) who constantly survived and triumphed due to his humanity -- and his unceasing personal growth.

Quincy Jones embodies the best of what it means to be fully human. He's always been on the cutting edge, at least a generation ahead of everyone else: in movies, in theater, in television, and, of course, in music. Now, in the disguise of an artist, he transcends art into healing.

This is a great book and works on so many different levels: as intimate biography, as powerful literature, and the story of one who transcended suffering into healing. And what an interesting life!

But this is more than just a fascinating story. He offers a wise roadmap to self-discovery and wholeness, both individually and culturally. Read it and be inspired by his courage and wisdom.

Somehow, the corrosive idea that the evil guy is interesting and the good guy is boring has entered popular culture, especially in rap and hip-hop. Only an artist of Quincy Jones' stature could show by extraordinary example even to the most angry and dispossessed that it is possible to be both loving and cool, generous and hip, selfless and self-fulfilled--and that it's a lot more fun and exciting to live this way. Come for the music and stay for the love.

There aren't words to describe how important this book is.

It isn't enough to say that every musician and American music enthusiast should have a copy of this in their libraries. This book should be standard issue in every college American history and music course across America. Unlike any other biographies or history books I have read of such a profoundly gifted, loving, courageous and culturally significant man, Paul Duberman's biography of Paul Robeson, the Autobiography of Malcolm X, and this book of Q's stand as the three most important books of any kind to read. Simply to truly understand the history of America and American music in the 20th century, the African American multifaceted soul, and the National American psyche.

Few lives have had the impact on the 20th Century as Quincy Jones' had. Few people on earth and in history can say that their life so threads through the cultural fabric of an entire people and time--internationally speaking--that understanding them, is essentially understanding the entire world from which you come.

This man is extraordinary. I had no idea just to what degree, despite all that I thought I knew of him, before reading this book. And this book, as entertaining as a good novel, as informative and eye-opening as a detective story or inside source history book, is destined to become a classic of American letters. God bless him. Play on Q; play on!

Q, The Autobiography of Quincy Jones has been an awesome, page turning read! Most would use a journey of writing their biography to embarrass and annoy friends and family, Quincy just tells it like it is. One of the things I love is the ability to show the readers that he is human and has flaws. Despite issues with his mother and the countless women in and out of his life, he realized that only HE could be the one to make a difference in his life. The other thing I love best is his incorporating dialogue of close friends and family in the book, which only speaks to the kind of man he is. Loyal. Finally, I think the book teaches us to rise above our circumstances. Come what may. Quincy Jones, truely is a living legend.....

I've been waiting for this Book for the longest time.Quincy Jones what a Music Mind&Person?He really overcame so much&Yet kept His Cool.a First Class Cat.He has Worked with the Best.You Name them Q has been there.Ray Charles,Billy Eckstine,Clark Terry,Count Basie,Frank Sinatra,Michael Jackson among others that He has Worked with.Incredible.this Book deals with many topics&deals with things Head On.with Quincy Jones You feel the Soul&Depth.Enjoy

i'm hooked.. from the early days in chicago & seattle, to going to berklee and hooking up with lionel hampton.. meeting and becoming friends with all the show biz greats.. bird, basie, hampton, sinatra, dizzy.. studying in paris.. a great testament to a legend in entertainment.. I'm hoping his story becomes a movie like RAY...

i guess when you're really into a book, it goes fast for you.. there may be even more addendums in future releases..
just thinking about the various stories and anecdotes here--
.. the surprisingly integrated middle & high school he attended-- though there was racism bubbling underneath the surface..

His father, a skilled carpenter, did work for a team of racketeers in Chicago.. He would ultimately commit their mother to a mental institute, and abruptly move the family-- with new wife soon to follow-- to Seattle..

...having to deal with a resentful stepmother, who would bar her non-biological children-- Quincy and Lloyd-- from the refrigerator..

getting hired by lionel hampton and kicked off the bus by his wife in the same day.. he was still in high school..

the painful descent of his mother into mental illness while still a boy.. which never went away, as she would drift in and out of he and his brother Lloyd's life, instigating chaotic conflicts regularly.. Still living to the ripe old age of 91.. a chance call to his daughter Kidada finally brought him some sense of closure..

his long-time relationship with Frank Sinatra, at one point telling Jones of his private crush on Billie Holiday.. having a crew of Eastern euro bodyguards to look after him and other black band members while interacting in Las Vegas casinos..

getting involved in scoring movies..

working with michael jackson, whose Gary-bred instincts led him to pick up a brick as he was about to head to his Rolls Royce parked down the block from Q's crib.. in Bel Air..
... the aborted plans for Run DMC to be on the "I'm Bad" song.. meeting with Russell Simmons and his extended rap family.. having a birthday party for his son Quincy III aka "Snoopy", and introducing him.. Quincy III would frequently work next door to Power Play Studios as KRS1 & Rakim recorded there.. and he's now a music producer in his own right..

Jones going on tour, from the east to midwest to the Jim Crow south.. having to sleep and eat at either threadbare black-owned establishments or at private homes, along the so-called "chitlin" circuit.. finally going overseas and experiencing artistic and social freedom-- and women-- and more women.. and more..

Hustling to survive as a band member-- and later, bandleader, living hand to mouth despite turning out nightclubs every evening..

all the romances and flings.. with several famous women..
..i was peripherally aware that he had at least a couple interracial kids, but I didn't know how deep that well went..

meeting at various points, Malcolm X, going to Martin Luther King's funeral, later meeting jesse jackson, getting involved with PUSH..
his fateful aneurism, and a pioneering procedure that saved him.. later going to his own 'tribute' concert that had been planned in case of his death..

his experiences producing TV shows, starting Vibe (including the Madonna scandal-- Q says she hasn't talked to him since... ah well.. ) & his other Entertainment ventures..

... being invited to and almost going to the party where Sharon Tate and several others were killed in the Charles Manson massacre..

going with LL Cool J to see Eazy E as he lay hospitalized with AIDS..

his daughter kidada dating Tupac.. hanging with her and Tupac's family/entourage after his death.. and being warned to stay away from the VIBE party by Kidada after Biggie got shot..

It was a good idea to have chapters by family and close friends, including two ex-wives, a few of his children, and folks like Ray Charles and more, explaining how their relationships with Jones developed..

You really get to know the different, non-public sides of both the author and the many people "Q" has had relationships with over the years, it helps to make them more human..

What an amazing life!! Never again will I say 'I can't do it!' From eating rats, stealing, getting in fights, having a mentally ill mother and generally a hard childhood, Quincy Jones found freedom and flight in music, becoming the genius he is today.

Discoverer of Patti Austin, James Ingram and The Brothers Johnson, he worked with the greats through the years; Dizzie Gillespie, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, Donna Summer to Kool Moe Dee.

He saw all the technological innovations through the ages, from the introduction of stereophonic sound, through moog synthesizers, to digital recordings and the internet. He also moved through all the music styles, from be bop to hip hop.

We learn how Frank Sinatra nicknamed him Q, and a little of the other side of ole blue eyes that hardly gets written about. How close he was to being at the party where the Sharon Tate murder took place. His brain surgeries, his nervous breakdown and recovery. Most of all, we learn what a large heart filled with love he has.

We are also taken behind the scenes of certain monumental recordings; `Off the wall' and `Thriller by Michael Jackson, and `We are the world' by USA for Africa, and the scoring of `The Colour Purple' to mention a few.

There are also chapters written by others who knew him; a childhood friend, some of his children, Ray Charles, two of his ex wives (he is still friends with all his ex wives), and especially his beloved brother Lloyd. Lloyd's final chapter moved me to tears.

There is an extensive discography, as well as list of awards (27 Grammys among them) received and honours given him.

This book is powerful beyond words. A true inspiration!

From eating rats to producing #1 hits and scoring movies, what a life! Quincy Jones is my idol. Never have I read (exception Ray Charles) an autobiography where so much adversity in a person's life did not kill their ambition or dreams. Q has accomplished so much in his life that it is an uplifting book. He really digs in deep into his personal life and shares a lot of his personal life. Thank you Q, for sharing your amazing story for us. Q's book is a must read for any musician, or entertainer, or anybody who wants to read a good book!!!

Reading this autobiography is like listening to Quincy's Grammy-winning album "Back on The Block." Like that album, this autobiography blends musical styles (pop, jazz, hip-hop, film music, African, r&b and rock), features guest appearances (chapters written by Q's musical and childhood friends, brothers, ex-wives and children), and offers polished but strong "production" from the man himself.

This is an excellent read for any music fan. It is filled with great stories chronicling not only one black man's experience in the music industry, but it also chronicles the history of "popular" music in the U.S. and Europe.