Just last night I had the chance to meet and listen to composer and producer Quincy Jones who was an honored guest at the Los Angeles Public Library. ? The Gregory Peck Reading Series and The Council of the Library Foundation co-hosted the event where Quincy, all-time most nominated Grammy artist with a total of 79 nominations, discussed his new book,?The Complete Quincy Jones: My Journey & Passions: Photos, Letters, Memories & More from Q?s Personal Collection.
Like most of us, “Q” was stuck in Los Angeles traffic and arrived late. Fortunately, among the on-time guests were his his long-time friends and songwriters, ?Alan and Marilyn Bergman. The Bergman’s who collaborated with Quincy on the song “In the Heat of the Night” from the film of the same title, stood in for Quincy and were interviewed by radio and television host and author, Tavis Smiley. Smiley who has authored eleven books himself, including New York Times best seller,?What I Know for Sure: My Story of Growing Up in America?kept the conversation going while we awaited for Quincy’s arrival.
Quincy was introduced by Veronique Peck, and only moments later, we were jolted by an earthquake initially measuring 5.0 in magnitude. Later on, it was downgraded to 4.5.?
After a brief pause and a few aftershocks, Quincy, who will be turning 76 this year, reflected on his life, his very active passport, his humanitarian efforts, and discussed the 9 films he is working on. We all chuckled when “Q” described Mick Jagger as a cross between Muddy Waters, Tina Turner, and Little Richard.
Another interesting comment from the award winning producer was a quote he shared with us from his 96 year old neighbor, Art Linkletter. ?Linkletter had said, “If you want to make God laugh, tell him what your plans are.”
The evening concluded with an elegant dinner at the elegant California Club in downtown Los Angeles. I went home with an autographed copy of Q’s new book.
Julie Spira is the Digital Matchmaker® and America's Top Online Dating Expert. She's an award-winning certified dating coach who's been helping singles find their perfect match for over three decades. Follow @JulieSpira on IG and @digitalmatchmaker on TikTok.