Music legend Quincy Jones just gave the most extraordinary interview to GQ magazine, revealing, among other things, his distaste for Taylor Swift's brand of pop, the fact he has 22 girlfriends all over the world, and the time Frank Sinatra tried to hook him up with Marilyn Monroe. Yes, really.
The piece, "Quincy Jones Has a Story About That," is a fascinating insight into a man who has seen and done just about everything there is to see and do in the entertainment industry, and worked with just about everyone there is to work with.
During his inimitable career, Jones, 84, produced three of Michael Jackson's best-selling records: "Off the Wall," "Thriller" and "Bad," as well as albums for Sinatra and Donna Summer, as well as the soundtrack to The Wiz.
Here are some of the outlandish revelations in the interview:
Jones Has 22 Girlfriends, Apparently—and They All Know Each Other
The music producer has women "everywhere," he said. "Cape Town. Cairo. Stockholm—she's coming in next week. Brazil—Belo Horizonte, São Paulo, and Rio. Shanghai—got a great girl over there from Shanghai, man. Cairo, whew."
And, what's more, all 22 women know about each other. "Don't you ever forget they're 13 years smarter than we are. Don't you ever forget it," he told GQ.
His Daughters Set an Age Limit on His Girlfriends
Jones doesn't date women his own age, saying "there's no upside" to dating older women. But his daughters, actor/writer Rashida Jones and fashion designer Kidada Jones, have banned him from dating women younger than them.
"Well, my daughters gave me new numbers, because they kept saying, 'Dad, you can't go out with girls younger than us.' I said, 'Y'all are not young anymore.…' So the new numbers are 28 to 42. They gave them to me," said Jones.
Forty-two is just one year older than Rashida Jones, the star of The Office and Angie Tribeca.
He Has No Sympathy for Harvey Weinstein
Speaking about the #MeToo movement spurred by allegations of sexual misconduct against movie producer Harvey Weinstein, Jones feels some karmic retribution in Weinstein's downfall.
He told told GQ that The Weinstein Company released two documentaries in 2014, Keep On Keepin' On, produced by Jones, and the Edward Snowden film Citizenfour. The latter won the Academy Award for best documentary. Jones feels Weinstein tanked his movie's chances of winning an Oscar.
"We almost won the Oscar, man. Weinstein double-crossed us with Citizenfour. He had both [movies], but he double-crossed us. He was trying to get the one that he could sell the most, and Ed Snowden was the big topic then. But he double-crossed us, and I don't give a fuck—see what happened to him?" he said.
He's Not Too Hot on Taylor Swift, Either
Taylor Swift's Reputation may have been her fourth album in a row to sell over one million copies in a single week, but it won't be playing on Jones's record player any time soon it seems.
GQ said Jones's face registered something between "disapproval and disdain" when asked his opinion on Swift. When pressed, he replied bluntly: "We need more songs, man. Fucking songs, not hooks."
He Wants to Make a Michael Jackson Musical
Jones said he recently met with Michael Jackson's brother Jermaine and wants to create a musical about the King of Pop with the Jackson family.
"Jermaine was here last week with his 21-year-old son, and I want to do a Broadway show with him on Michael," he said.
Jones has already got two key players in mind for the MJ musical: Jermaine's 21-year-old son. Jaafar, to star because he "sings and dances just like Michael," and The Lion King musical director Julie Taymor to oversee the production.
Prince Allegedly Tried to Run Over Michael Jackson
In 1983, Jackson and Prince got onstage at a James Brown gig in Los Angeles. Jackson went up first and sang a few phrases. Then Prince went onstage and nearly tumbled into the audience. It was an embarrassing night for the Purple One.
According to Jones, Jackson later told him Prince allegedly tried to run him over with his limousine after the gig.
"He waited in the limousine to try and run over him and La Toya and his mother.… He knew. Michael knows shit. He was there. He said that was his intention," said Jones.
Read the whole interview with Jones here.
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