Skip to main content

Quincy Jones

Musician, producer, arranger, and composer Quincy Jones released his autobiography, Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones (Doubleday), and a 4-CD box set collecting his work, Q: The Musical Biography of Quincy Jones (Rhino) in 2001. Over his fifty-year career, he worked with nearly every major figure in the music industry. As a teenager, he played backup for Billie Holiday alongside his 16-year-old friend, Ray Charles. At 18, he began playing the trumpet in Lionel Hampton's band with Clifford Brown. He went on to collaborate with Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughan, Lesley Gore, and many others. He wrote the theme songs for Sanford & Son and Ironside and composed music for the films In Cold Blood, For the Love of Ivy, and The Pawnbroker. His biggest commercial success came from producing and arranging Michael Jackson's 1982 hit album Thriller.

51:48

Did you know you can create a shareable playlist?

Today in Fresh Air History

Eric Clapton Discusses His Later Career.

PART II: Rock guitarist Eric Clapton. His friends call him "Slowhand," his fans call him "God." Whatever name he goes by, Eric Clapton is at or near the top of any list of the greatest guitar players in rock history. In the 60's Clapton started playing the blues with the Yardbirds (For Your Love) and then played with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers before forming Cream, one of the 60's most influential bands (Crossroads, White Room). Clapton then became part of the band Blind Faith, played and toured with Delany and Bonnie, and fronted Derek and the Dominoes (Layla, Little Wing). To top it off, Clapton's made more than a dozen solo albums (After Midnight, Cocaine, I Shot the Sheriff). His latest is called "Journeyman." Clapton's later work with Cream and Blind Faith, and his personal life are all explored in today's interview.

23:13
Advertisement

Recently on Fresh Air Available to Play on NPR

52:30

Daughter of Warhol star looks back on a bohemian childhood in the Chelsea Hotel

Alexandra Auder's mother, Viva, was one of Andy Warhol's muses. Growing up in Warhol's orbit meant Auder's childhood was an unusual one. For several years, Viva, Auder and Auder's younger half-sister, Gaby Hoffmann, lived in the Chelsea Hotel in Manhattan. It was was famous for having been home to Leonard Cohen, Dylan Thomas, Virgil Thomson, and Bob Dylan, among others.

43:04

This fake 'Jury Duty' really put James Marsden's improv chops on trial

In the series Jury Duty, a solar contractor named Ronald Gladden has agreed to participate in what he believes is a documentary about the experience of being a juror--but what Ronald doesn't know is that the whole thing is fake.

For more than 40 years, Fresh Air with Terry Gross has inspired and engaged audiences, both in the Greater Philadelphia area where it began as a local program on WHYY-FM in 1975 and across the country as a nationally-broadcast show since 1987.

There are more than 22,000 Fresh Air segments.

Let us help you find exactly what you want to hear.
Just play me something
Your Queue

Would you like to make a playlist based on your queue?

Generate & Share View/Edit Your Queue