Entertainment's Renaissance Man: Quincy Jones

We have all heard the phrase "Jack of all trades, master of none." Many times that is true. People should focus on being great at one thing. But, there are some people who are exceptions to the rule. Quincy Jones is just such a person. The versatility of his talents is staggering. Few have achieved more in the world of entertainment, with excellence achieved in many disciplines.

Quincy is best known for his musical talents. In 1953 at age 20, he toured with jazz great Lionel Hampton as a trumpet player, pianist and arranger. He arranged music for some of the biggest names in entertainment, including Ray Charles, Count Basie, Duke Ellington and even Frank Sinatra. His ear for music led him to produce some groundbreaking songs such as the 1985 charity song We are the World. He produced albums for Michael Jackson including Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982) and Bad (1987).

He was the founder of Vibe magazine and he had his own TV production company which produced Mad TV, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air and others. He was the co-producer of the film The Color Purple. He won a Tony Award for the Broadway revival of that production.

Jones has been awarded ten honorary doctorate degrees. He is only one of 17 people to have won an Emmy, a Grammy an Oscar and a Tony Award. As a matter of fact, he has won 27 Grammys! At age 84 he is still tacking new challenges as a producer for various projects. In 2001 he released his autobiography. Always one to keep up with the latest technology, he launched his own podcast in 2007.

Here is a clip of the 2001 Kennedy Center Honors. Jones was recognized for his work, where he was treated by a performance that brought together Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles.

Jones' net worth is an estimated $400 million.

* Information from quincyjones.com and celebritynetworth.com

A Big Night and a Big Comeback for Paul Williams

Above photos from top to bottom. 1. Paul Williams with the Muppets. He wrote their song "The Rainbow Connection". 2. A current photo of Paul Williams. 3. Paul Williams in "Smokey and the Bandit 3" as Little Enos Burdette.

Watching the Grammys can make one feel old if you're not under 30. There is such an emphasis on youth, and the artists who are currently at the top of the charts. But, they had some of the "old folks" on this year's show. I saw Chicago, Carole King, Willie Nelson, Paul McCartney, Steven Tyler, and more. Paul Williams won a Grammy for his work with the electronic group Daft Punk. Who is Paul Williams? In the 1970's and 1980's he had a fair amount of notoriety. He appeared in the "Smokey and the Bandit" films, he was in "Planet of the Apes" and he was a regular guest on Carson's Tonight Show. He also had hits writing for "The Muppet Movie", "A Star is Born", The Carpenters, Three Dog Night and more. He wrote the lyrics for the theme song to "The Love Boat." Williams is a member of the Songwriter's Hall of Fame. He is candid about his battles with addictions but he has come out the other side, with an attitude of gratitude. He has been sober for 23 years. He is the head of the music publishing organization, ASCAP. A documentary was recently released about his life called "Still Alive." Anyway, it was nice to see an "old guy" (age 73) get some attention on the Grammy show. Check out his website here.

Information from www.paulwilliamsofficial.com and en.wikipedia.org.