One Of Ones: Lessons From Quincy Jones

The superproducer has worked with music luminaries from Michael Jackson to Ella Fitzgerald to Frank Sinatra. But his wisdom is applicable to just about any industry.

Though I once wrote an entire book about Michael Jackson, I only ever managed to interview his most significant collaborator—superproducer Quincy Jones—once. My discussion with Jones, who made his name as a jazz musician before producing pop classics including Thriller and Bad, centered around the unlikely topic of electronic dance music.

In his succinct wisdom, Jones managed to sum up EDM’s challenge, at least as it stood back in 2015, rather perfectly.

“It is a fad right now,” he told me in the Forbes story I wrote on him. “But if they handle it right, it won’t be a fad.”

Not only was Jones correct, he was prescient. Decision-makers pushed to integrate the genre, which was really just another form of electronic music, into the mainstream. DJs secured Vegas residencies and international arena tours—areas once reserved for pop divas and crooners. These days, the term “EDM” isn’t tossed around as much, but the DJs are here to stay, on the highest level.

That sort of thinking is why Jones is the first subject for the One of Ones series, a collaboration with my friend Dan Runcie of Trapital. You can listen to our podcast episode on this topic here; my written breakdown on the lessons I learned from Jones is available to my paid subscribers (same goes for future installments of this monthly series).

To me, the most remarkable thing about Jones’ career is how he managed to apply his brilliance across so many different musical genres. But his wisdom applies far beyond music. So, without further ado, let’s dig in, with a focus on a handful of notable quotes he gave me.