THR Icon: Quincy Jones Reflects on Career, Michael Jackson and Why He Wouldn’t Work With Elvis
The musical maestro inaugurates the THR Icon series with his famously candid takes on Hollywood racism and drug use, his formidable exes and his powerful Silicon Valley pals: "Richard Branson and Paul Allen and Elon are trying to get me to go with them to space."
BY SETH ABRAMOVITCH
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MAY 20, 2021
How did you meet Michael Jackson?
When he was 12 at Sammy Davis’ house, and he told me when we decided to do [The Wiz], he says, “I need you to help me find a producer. I’m getting ready to do my first solo album.”
What was he like on the set of The Wiz?
He knew how to do his homework, whether it was with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly or whoever, James Brown. He was doing some Elvis copying, too. “The King of Pop,” man. Come on!
Did you ever work with Elvis?
No. I wouldn’t work with him.
Why not?
I was writing for [orchestra leader] Tommy Dorsey, oh God, back then in the ’50s. And Elvis came in, and Tommy said, “I don’t want to play with him.” He was a racist mother — I’m going to shut up now. But every time I saw Elvis, he was being coached by [“Don’t Be Cruel” songwriter] Otis Blackwell, telling him how to sing.
You know, I saw a play about Michael Jackson, and it argued that Donny Osmond kind of stole The Jackson 5’s act and kind of got bigger with it because he and his brothers were white.
I was going to record Donny at one time, and I had nicknamed him 818 because that area code had just come out, and I said, “Motherfucker, don’t talk about [us working together].” He went on The Oprah Winfrey Show and talked about it, and I dropped it because he told her we were doing the record.
And that was it, that was the end of you and Donny Osmond?
Yeah. Marie was cute, though. A lot of booty. (Says something in Russian.)
For whole interview
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