Entertainment legend Quincy Jones speaks at SMU

Quincy Jones, a legendary entertainer who has excelled as a musician, composer, producer, arranger and conductor for more than 50 years, spoke at SMU on Oct. 7, 2008, as part of the University’s Willis M. Tate Distinguished Lecture Series.

See a video  of his Q&A with students at the The Turner Construction/Wachovia Student Forum.

Mr. Jones has produced 33 motion picture musical scores, as well as Michael Jackson's groundbreaking recordings "Off the Wall," “Thriller" - the best selling album of all time - and "Bad."  In 1985, he co-produced with Steven Spielberg the feature film "The Color Purple," which garnered 11 Academy Award nominations, including one for Best Picture. Jones' numerous honors include an Emmy Award, seven Oscar nominations, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, 27 Grammy Awards, a record 79 Grammy nominations and the Grammy Living Legend Award.

Mr. Jones gave the Tate Series' Omni Hotels Lecture in McFarlin Auditorium. The evening lecture was an interview by Robert Wilonsky, pop culture editor of the Dallas Observer. 

For questions about the lecture or forum, please call the Tate Lecture Series office at 214-768-8283 or send an email to tateseries@smu.edu

For more information about Mr. Jones, please see his website.

Mr. Wilonsky has worked for The Dallas Observer since 1991, aside from a one-year stint with The Los Angeles Times. He has served as feature writer, music editor, film critic, sports columnist, and is currently pop culture editor for The Observer. In March 2006, he oversaw the launching of the papers weblog, "Unfair Park," which he edits. He also has been published in Salon and American Way, and has appeared as a guest critic on "At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper." For several years, He has been a frequent guest on "The Hardline," a popular afternoon show on KTCK, contributing pop culture analysis and commentary.

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