ICONIQ remembers Quincy Jones

On Sunday, our dear friend Quincy Delight Jones died at 91-years-old. “Q,” as everyone called him, was a true creative legend. Quincy led a truly incredible life in music—collaborating with the likes of Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, and Ray Charles; orchestrating the historic We Are the World project; scoring films like The Color Purple; and, of course, producing the best-selling album of all time, Michael Jackson’s Thriller.

Our relationship with Q goes back to the earliest days of ICONIQ when he attended one of our early wine dinners. We have so many beautiful memories of our time with Q, from celebrating his milestone birthdays with him to co-hosting events at Milken to quiet evenings talking at his Bel Air home, a veritable museum of music history with photos of the countless leaders who sought his guidance. Q was so generous with his wisdom—every minute we spent with him presented countless invaluable lessons on life.

When Q accepted our invitation to one of our gatherings, we knew we wanted to do something special around him. He was open to anything, so long as it started in the evening—Q never woke before afternoon as the night was his prime work time. We held a “Late Night Lounge with Quincy Jones” where he shared inspiring stories from his career and answered every question the captivated audience threw his way.

Through his artistic projects, business leadership, and humanitarian efforts, Q spent his life championing Black creators and raising awareness and appreciation for the immense contributions of the Black community to American music and culture. In 2021 during Black History Month, we asked Q to curate a Spotify playlist for our community featuring some favorite tracks from his immense body of work. 

Take a listen:  “A playlist for my friends at ICONIQ <3 Q”

Quincy Jones was a true ICON and we will miss him. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, collaborators, and fans. 

As Q liked to say, “Keep on keepin’ on… don’t stop ‘til you get enough.”