Grammys Tribute to Quincy Jones Features Cynthia Erivo, Will Smith and a Medley of Iconic Hits
A slew of musical artists paid tribute to the late Quincy Jones at the Grammys on Sunday night.
The music legend, who died Nov. 4, was honored with a medley of some of the hundreds of songs he had a hand in during his prolific career as a record producer, film composer, multi-genre artist, entertainment executive and humanitarian.
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Will Smith introduced the tribute, calling Jones — known as “Q” to his friends — “one of the most influential and groundbreaking figures of our times.”
Smith noted how Jones changed his life “forever.” He added, “You probably wouldn’t even know who Will Smith was if it wasn’t for Quincy Jones. He made so many greats across multiple genres sound even better.”
Smith went on to talk about how Jones worked with the likes of Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Aretha Franklin and Frank Sinatra, with whom Jones formed “a musical partnership that opened doors and took both men to new heights.”
The musical portion of the tribute started off with the genre of jazz, with Cynthia Erivo singing a stripped-down version of Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon,” accompanied only by Herbie Hancock on piano, before the song kicked into high gear with the backing of a brass band.
Lainey Wilson then launched into an energetic rendition of “Let the Good Times Roll,” along with Jacob Collier on piano.
That segued into Stevie Wonder joining Hancock onstage, playing harmonica alongside Hancock’s piano accompaniment on “Bluesette.” Next, Wonder introduced the hit song “We Are the World,” which raised money for USA for Africa, a nonprofit organization that works to end poverty in Africa.
“Quincy was always there to help,” Wonder said. “Like when he produced this next anthem, written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie. This song fed millions of people in Ethiopia.”
Wonder then gestured to a photo displayed inside Crypto.com Arena showcasing the dozens of stars who sang on the recording, from Diana Ross to Cyndi Lauper to Bruce Springsteen.
“You see those people up there? That day, Quincy told us to keep our egos out and at the door,” Wonder said. As he performed the song, the audience — including stars like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé — got to its feet, singing along.
Wonder was backed by a chorus of people in sweatshirts with “LA” imprinted over a red heart, befitting the theme of the night, with the ceremony raising money for L.A. wildfire relief efforts.
Smith then came back to the stage, calling Jones his “mentor, friend, father figure” and sharing a story from the early days on the set of Smith’s TV series, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which Jones executive produced. Smith relayed how Jones advised the rapper-turned-actor, then in his early twenties, that he needs to take care of people on his set, sparked by Jones’ seeing that the food offerings weren’t up to par.
Smith said Jones gave him some advice at the time: “‘It is your job to take care of these people,’ and I’ve done everything in my career to try to live up to Quincy’s demand.”
Janelle Monaé ended the tribute with a performance of Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough,” complete with a moonwalk and a replica of Jackson’s glittery ’80s-era silver socks. She also unbuttoned her shirt to reveal a tank top that read “I [Heart] QJ.”
Jones was no stranger to the Grammys. He was presented with the Legend Award in 1991 and won 28 Grammys from an all-time best 80 nominations. He also received the Motion Picture Academy’s Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1995 and an honorary Oscar at the Governors Awards in November.
The Grammys, hosted by Trevor Noah, are airing live on CBS. See a full list of Grammy winners and all the star-studded red carpet arrivals.
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