Tavis Smiley Season 7 Episode 220 Quincy Jones

Tavis Smiley season 7 episode 220 features a very special guest, the legendary musician, composer, and record producer Quincy Jones. The interview takes place in Jones' home and studio, situated in the hills of Bel-Air, Los Angeles.

The conversation starts with Jones' early life in Chicago, growing up in a rough neighborhood and learning music from his family members. Jones remarks that he was very lucky to have a mother who was a great pianist and his father, who was a carpenter, would bring home scraps of wood for him to make instruments with. Jones received his first break in the music industry when Lionel Hampton hired him to play trumpet, and he eventually went on to work for other greats like Dizzy Gillespie and Count Basie.

Smiley asks Jones about his incredible career in music, and Jones responds with humility, saying he was always "just trying to make good music." Jones credits his success to studying all different kinds of music, including classical, blues, and gospel, which allowed him to be a versatile musician and producer. Jones talks about his collaborations with Michael Jackson, whom he worked with on three of his most successful albums, and discusses how their songs, such as "Beat It" and "Thriller," became iconic.

Jones also speaks about his humanitarian work, specifically his involvement in "We Are the World," a charity single that he produced alongside Michael Jackson in 1985. The song, which featured almost every big name in the music industry at the time, was created to raise funds for victims of the famine in Ethiopia. Jones speaks passionately about how music can be used for social causes, and cites his work with the Quincy Jones Foundation, which seeks to promote music education in schools.

Towards the end of the interview, Smiley asks Jones about his health, as Jones has had some health struggles in recent years. Jones responds honestly, saying that he has suffered from a number of issues, including a stroke, but he is grateful for his life and all of the opportunities he has had.

The episode ends with Jones playing a tune on his piano, showing that even after all these years, he still feels the passion for music that has driven him throughout his life.