Kanye West might be a lot of things these days—rapper, producer, walking sound byte generator, all-around jackass (hey, the president said it, not me)—but one thing he is not is Quincy Jones, at least according to, well, Quincy Jones.
Do any of you even remember who Amy Winehouse is? If you answered yes, do you remember anything past her tabloid headlines? If you need a refresher, Winehouse released one of the best albums of 2007 (2006 for the UK) titled Back to Black. For just a moment, the Grammys were awarding a deserving artist who had successfully and refreshingly combined the sounds of R&B, soul and jazz with the help of Mark Ronson. Her blunt lyrics were also a hit through her extremely emotive singing. However, Winehouse’s personal life seemed to trump her professional life and that album was the last we heard from the British songstress. That is, until now.
There’s no doubt that when we posted this photo and this video from 1985′s original “We Are The World,” we’re still in awe of so many great talents together doing such a great thing. Although life seems to have its triumphs and its tragedies, it’s great to know that there will always be people who want to help during troubled times. Last night, Quincy Jones and a roster of all-star 81 musicians have come together in LA to make that magic happen once again with the re-recording and taping event for Haiti.
We previously informed you about Quincy Jones’ quest to re-record the 1985 hit, “We Are the World.” Jones produced the song which Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie wrote together and it became an instant classic when all three invited singers from every genre to record for the benefit of USA For Africa.
Now, after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, Jones and Richie have rounded up some of the biggest stars of the current generation to lend their talents to great use and make a difference once again.
Quincy Jones wants to help Haiti too, but he’s suggesting that musicians re-record the charity song, ‘We Are the World” which he originally made famous with Michael Jackson for USA For Africa in 1985. The 76-year-old music legend who produced Michael Jackson’s Off the Wall and Thriller says that he will be gathering musicians in a Los Angeles studio on Monday to redo the 25-year old hit song.
Music magazine Vibe announced that all print operations would be shut down on June 30. But not all is lost, according to magazine founder (and Michael Jackson’s producer) Quincy Jones, who told Ebonyjet:
“I’m trying to buy my magazine back now. They just messed my magazine all up, but I’m gonna get it back. You better believe it, I’ma take it online because print and all that stuff is over.”
After recovering from the death of Michael Jackson, Jones’ ambitions for Vibe will be focused online. Reportedly, Vibe.com is profitable, while the print edition has years of accumulated debt.
