Quincy Jones' Birthday: Legendary Music Producer Turns 80 Today

Happy 80th Birthday, Quincy Jones!

Happy 80th birthday to music icon Quincy Jones!

Jones, whose friends call him "Q," first fell in love with music when he was in elementary school and started playing the trumpet. As a teen he befriended the then-young pianist Ray Charles, and embarked on a path that "saved his life" and made him one of the world's greatest musicians to date.

Jones has won more Grammy Awards than any other artist in history (he was nominated for 79 and won 27). He scored a myriad of films and TV themes, released dozens and dozens of records, founded Vibe magazine, and worked with Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, Aretha Franklin and Amy Winehouse, among others.

He's also a renowned philanthropist who has done a lot for poverty-stricken Africa and founded the "Quincy Jones Listen Up Foundation," intended to help troubled youth through technology and music. He's been married three times and has seven children.

Next month, AXS TV will exclusively air Jones' joint birthday gala with Michael Caine, who also turns 80 today. Numerous A-list stars are expected to appear, among them Bono, Carlos Santana, Stevie Wonder, Whoopi Goldberg, Terrence Howard and Barbra Streisand.

Happy Birthday, Quincy Jones!

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