Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg and Queen Latifah led a star-studded tribute for Quincy Jones at the Oscars on Sunday night, honoring the prolific musician, producer and film score composer who died in November at the age of 91.
“When we talk about black excellence, we’re talking about Quincy” said Goldberg, who starred in The Color Purple, for which Jones served as producer and composer.
Though perhaps best known for his work in pop music – particularly for producing Michael Jackson’s Thriller, which remains one of the bestselling albums of all time – Jones also charted a trailblazing course through film and television. He became one of the first black composers to gain acceptance and work steadily in Hollywood. Through the 1960s and 70s, Jones composed scores for over 30 films and hundreds of episodes of television.
He became the first black composer nominated for an Oscar for best original song, in 1967 for The Eyes of Love, from the film Banning. The same year, he was nominated for original score for In Cold Blood. He also became the first black man to serve as musical director for the Oscars, in 1971. In all, Jones was nominated for seven Oscars, including for The Wiz, The Color Purple and others. In 1995, he became the first black recipient of the Academy’s Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, a lifetime achievement honor.
“We all honor Q’s family tonight,” said Winfrey, who credited Jones with discovering her ability to act with The Color Purple, her first film role. “Quincy was love lived out loud in human form, and he poured that love into other people and their work,” she added. That work included the adaptation of the Broadway musical The Wiz, honored by Queen Latifah with a lively performance of Ease on Down the Road that brought attendees such as Ariana Grande, Colman Domingo and Cynthia Erivo to their feet.
The performance also honored Jones’s robust musical legacy – “a true American legend whose music and movies continue to inspire us all,” said Goldberg.
Read more about the 2025 Oscars:
Anora wins best original and Conclave wins best adapted screenplay
Kieran Culkin and Zoe Saldaña win supporting prizes
No Other Land wins best documentary and Flow wins best animated feature
