Quincy Jones Is Revealing The Secrets Of Every Famous Person, Dead And Alive
Turns out the '70s were a non-stop fuckfest.
We have a lot to thank Quincy Jones for: his work as producer on Michael Jackson’s best albums. His progeny Rashida Jones, AKA Parks and Recreation‘s powerful musk-ox Ann Perkins. And, now, this incredibly revealing interview with Vulture in which he tells us exactly who banged who in the ’70s.
In a no-holds-barred interview with Vulture published today, the 84-year-old music legend spoke candidly about topics as far ranging as Michael Jackson’s prescription drug use and plastic surgery (“he’d always justify it and say it was because of some disease he had. Bullshit”), Harvey Weinstein (“he’s a jive motherfucker”), who killed Kennedy (Chicago mobster Sam Giancana, apparently), and how The Beatles actually sucked as musicians (“Ringo? Don’t even talk about it”). Seriously, it’s incredible.
He also went on record about his friend and actor Marlon Brando, who died in 2004. “He was the most charming motherfucker you ever met. He’d fuck anything. Anything! He’d fuck a mailbox. James Baldwin. Richard Pryor. Marvin Gaye,” Jones said. He’s not bullshitting, either — Richard Pryor’s widow Jennifer Lee confirmed to TMZ that her husband and Brando did get it on.
Uproxx point out that neither Brando nor Pryor were secretive about having had sex with men — Pryor wrote about it in his autobiography, while Brando was “known as openly bisexual”.
Quincy also spends the interview name dropping like he’s angling for a cameo on The Good Place. “Rock ain’t nothing but a white version of rhythm and blues, motherfucker,” he says. And then, without missing a beat: “You know, I met Paul McCartney when he was 21.” And as for his view on US President Donald Trump? “I used to hang out with him. He’s a crazy motherfucker… I used to date Ivanka, you know.”
Quincy Jones is Tahani
— Sarah Hagi (@geekylonglegs) February 7, 2018
He also speaks some powerful truths about the state of 2018: “The rich aren’t doing enough. They don’t fucking care,” he says. “[The world is] the worst we’ve ever been, but that’s why we’re seeing people try and fix it. Feminism: Women are saying they’re not going to take it anymore. Racism: People are fighting it. God is pushing the bad in our face to make people fight back.”
And, as these two excerpts make clear, he is truly unrepentant about his own brilliance:
What’s something you’ve worked on that should’ve been bigger?
What the fuck are you talking about? I’ve never had that problem. They were all big.
What was your greatest musical innovation?
Everything I’ve done.
We implore you to immediately read the full interview on Vulture.