Quincy Jones > Quotes

“The tragedy of Tupac is that his untimely passing is representative of too many young black men in this country....If we had lost Oprah Winfrey at 25, we would have lost a relatively unknown, local market TV anchorwoman. If we had lost Malcolm X at 25, we would have lost a hustler named Detroit Red. And if I had left the world at 25, we would have lost a big-band trumpet player and aspiring composer--just a sliver of my eventual life potential.”
― Quincy Jones

“Greatness occurs when your children love you, when your critics respect you and when you have peace of mind.”
― Quincy Jones

“You have to know that your real home is within.”
― Quincy Jones

“La edad de una persona puede determinarse por el grado de dolor que experimenta cuando entra en contacto con una idea nueva”
― Quincy Jones

“The only justification for looking down on anyone, is that you're going to stop and pick them up.”
― Quincy Jones

“Once a task has just begun, never leave it till it's done. Be the labor great or small, do it well or not at all.”
― Quincy Jones

“Well, listen, anger doesn't get anything done, so you have to find out: How do you make it work? That's why I was always maniacal about transforming every problem into a puzzle which I can solve. I can solve a puzzle—a problem just stresses me out.”
― Quincy Jones

“How can you expect to create art that transcends cultural boundaries if you yourself aren't able to relate to someone on the other side of your city?”
― Quincy Jones, 12 Notes: On Life and Creativity

“I learned very early why God gave us two ears and one mouth, he wants to listen twice as much as we talk.”
― Quincy Jones

“It’s amazing, the psychology of growing in your field, no matter
what you do. Growth comes from mistakes. You have to cherish
them, so you can learn from them. Your mistakes are your greatest
gift.”
― Quincy Jones

“Learn to deal with the valleys, the hills will take care of themselves.”
― Quincy Jones

“We need you, your gifts, and your talents.”
― Quincy Jones, 12 Notes: On Life and Creativity

“attempting to close the gaps between genres has allowed me to defy what is traditionally possible. I’ve never stayed within a single lane. Instead, as soon as I reach the end of one, I hop right on over to the next. I’ve tried my best to encourage musicians to do the same by inviting them to collaborate with other artists they would normally never think to work with. You can”
― Quincy Jones, 12 Notes: On Life and Creativity

“I don't believe that you ever reach the top, and well, if you do, you might not be dreaming big enough.”
― Quincy Jones

“I’ve always thought that a big laugh is a really loud noise from the soul saying “Ain’t that the truth”
― Quincy Jones

“the only way I have even made it to this age is because I chose to learn and grow from my limitations.”
― Quincy Jones, 12 Notes: On Life and Creativity

“There's 12 notes that have been floating around the universe for 720 years now, and we have those same 12 notes that Brahms, Bach, and Beethoven had.”
― Quincy Jones, 12 Notes: On Life and Creativity

“As my daddy repeatedly taught me, if you commit to something, you gotta go all the way with it. If you take a good look around, you’ll find that a lot of people ideate but not many of them execute. It’s a long road from ideation to execution. You have to be emotionally ready to put the required energy into whatever it is you are striving for because, if you don’t, you’ll hop into a vehicle with no gas. For many of us out there, we can’t afford to miss that first shot. Always be prepared for a great opportunity.”
― Quincy Jones, 12 Notes: On Life and Creativity

“Every day, my daddy told me the same thing. 'Once a task is just begun, never leave it till it's done. Be the labour great or small, do it well or not at all.”
― Quincy Jones

“My hope and prayer is that our individual, creative voices may serve to share a glimpse of connectivity with those who need it most”
― Quincy Jones, 12 Notes: On Life and Creativity

“You've got to know where you came from in order to get where you want to go. Without that foundation, you won't know who you are, and you sure can't expect to create truthfully without knowing the truth. Additionally, the handprints of cross-culturalization can be found all over modern art if you take a deeper look.”
― Quincy Jones, 12 Notes: On Life and Creativity

“Much to our collective disadvantage, the rules of society have led many to believe that creativity is only valuable for the artists who make a name for themselves. I call bs because we ALL have creative potential and we all deserve to realize it; it's only a matter of whether or not we allow ourselves to fulfill it.”
― Quincy Jones, 12 Notes: On Life and Creativity

“There's a saying that trauma is frozen at the peak, and if you stay trapped at the top, you'll die. Sometimes mentally, sometimes physically, and sometimes both. And if you close yourself off to the message that you're meant to share, you may never have to face your personal fears and trauma, but nothing good will ever come from it.”
― Quincy Jones, 12 Notes: On Life and Creativity

“My hope and prayer is that our individual, creative voices may service to share a glimpse of connectivity with those who need it most.”
― Quincy Jones, 12 Notes: On Life and Creativity

“Hagas lo que hagas, sé que el resultado será pre-cio-so. El pentagrama es tuyo y puedes hacer lo que quieras con él. ¡Todo mi amor y mi apoyo!”
― Quincy Jones, 12 notas: Sobre la vida y la creatividad

“Once a task is just begun, never leave it till it's done. Be the labour great or small, do it well or not at all.”
― Quincy Jones

“I didn't have a mother in a traditional sense, so I made music my mother.”
― Quincy Jones, 12 Notes: On Life and Creativity

“«La ira es un ácido que puede dañar más el recipiente que lo contiene que cualquier otra cosa sobre la que se vierta».”
― Quincy Jones, 12 notas: Sobre la vida y la creatividad

“Being on the other side of the glass is a very funny position-- you're the traffic director of another person's soul.”
― Quincy Jones

“when I started scoring films, the toughest parts of the creative process were spent trying to scrape away all of the unnecessary thoughts running around in my head—from internal feelings of unworthiness to external voices that verbally told me I wasn’t good enough. I had to keep chipping away at all of those thoughts until there was absolutely nothing left but the truth—that is, my soul and the message it wanted to communicate. Having tried it myself, I don’t think you can write or create anything worthwhile if you suppress your instincts and emotions. You’ve got to be sitting deep in truth in order to create truth.”
― Quincy Jones, 12 Notes: On Life and Creativity