Quincy Jones’ Most Shocking Revelations About Other Celebs, from Marlon Brando’s S** Life to the Beatles’ Lack of Talent

The legendary music producer, who died on Nov. 3, 2024, worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood over decade-spanning career in the industry — and wasn’t afraid to dish dirt.

Paul McCartney and Quincy Jones. Photo: 

Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Quincy Jones was a man of many words.

The music industry titan, who died on Nov. 3, 2024 at 91, worked with everyone from Judy Garland to Michael Jackson and later in life had lots to say about his time with some of the biggest names in Hollywood.

From who he “wouldn’t work with” to what he said when he met Pope John Paul II in 1999, here are some of the most shocking revelations Jones made about all the famous faces he brushed shoulders with over the years.

01of 09

Quincy Jones’ Candid Thoughts on Pope John Paul’s Shoes

Quincy Jones and Pope John Paul II.KMazur/WireImage; Sergio Dorantes/Sygma via Getty

In a 2018 sitdown with GQ, Jones discussed a 1999 visit he made to the Vatican with his friend Bono where the two met Pope John Paul II.

 “All the guys in the Vatican had these Vatican black shoes,” Jones told the magazine, sharing that the Pope did not.

“He had on some burgundy wingtips, man, with thin tan rib socks, man. We had to go and kiss his hand before we left. And when I kissed his hand, I looked down and saw those shoes and it just fell out of my mouth,” he recalled. “I said, ‘Oh, my man’s got some pimp shoes on.’ And he heard me.”

02of 09

Why Quincy Jones ‘Wouldn’t Work With’ Elvis

Quincy Jones and Elvis Presley.Don Paulsen/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty; Hulton Archive/Getty

While Elvis Presley is known to many as “The King” — Jones was not a fan.

In 2021, he told The Hollywood Reporter that despite working with many of the biggest names in music history, he “wouldn’t work with” Presley.

“I was writing for [orchestra leader] Tommy Dorsey, oh God, back then in the ’50s. And Elvis came in, and Tommy said, ‘I don’t want to play with him.’ He was a racist mother — I’m going to shut up now,” he said before adding, “every time I saw Elvis, he was being coached by Otis Blackwell, telling him how to sing.” (THR noted that Blackwell previously said he’d never met Presley.)

When previously talking about Presley to GQ, Quincy bluntly stated: “m———– couldn’t sing.”

03of 09

Quincy Jones Calls Michael Jackson ‘Greedy’

Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones at the 1994 Grammys.Chris Walter/WireImage

As part of an interview filled with an array of revealing stories, Jones told Vulture in 2018 that Michael Jackson, who he worked with on Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad, stole some of his music.

“I hate to get into this publicly, but Michael stole a lot of stuff. He stole a lot of songs,” he said, citing the similarities of “Billie Jean” to Donna Summer’s “State of Independence.”

The producer added, “He was as Machiavellian as they come. Greedy, man. Greedy.”

“Greedy, man. Greedy. “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough” — Greg Phillinganes wrote the c section. Michael should’ve given him 10 percent of the song. Wouldn’t do it,” he added.

Years later in a chat with The Hollywood Reporter, Jones was asked about his early recollections of Jackson — whom he met when Jackson was just 12 years old.

“He knew how to do his homework, whether it was with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly or whoever, James Brown,” he said of how he was on the set of The Wiz. “He was doing some Elvis copying, too. ‘The King of Pop,’ man. Come on!”

04of 09

Quincy Jones’ Thoughts on The Beatles’ Talent

Quincy Jones and The Beatles.A&M Records/Getty; Mondadori via Getty

Jones didn’t hold back when asked about his first impression of arguably the world’s most popular band, calling them “no-playing m————.”

“Paul was the worst bass player I ever heard. And Ringo? Don’t even talk about it,” he said. “I remember once we were in the studio with George Martin, and Ringo had taken three hours for a four-bar thing he was trying to fix on a song. He couldn’t get it.”

Jones recalled telling Starr to take a break and calling jazz drummer Ronnie Verrell to sub in.

“Ronnie came in for 15 minutes and tore it up,” he shared. “Ringo comes back and says, ‘George, can you play it back for me one more time?’ So George did, and Ringo says, ‘That didn’t sound so bad.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, m———– because it ain’t you.’ Great guy, though.”

05of 09

Quincy Jones’ Claims About Marlon Brando’s Sex Life

Quincy Jones and Marlon Brando.Tara Ziemba/WireImage; United Artists/Archive Photos/Getty

Jones was first to allege that the duo had a sexual relationship, claiming that Brando would “f— anything. Anything! He’d f— a mailbox. James Baldwin. Richard Pryor. Marvin Gaye.”

Later, Pryor’s widow Jennifer confirmed the rumor, telling TMZ that her late husband was always open about his bisexuality with friends and would not be ashamed that the relationship was revealed publicly.

Pryor’s daughter Rain Pryor and Brando’s son Miko Brando both disputed the claims.

06of 09

Quincy Jones Says He ‘Knows’ Who Killed JFK

Quincy Jones and John F. Kennedy.Don Paulsen/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty ; NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

When asked during his talk with Vulture if there was anything he wish he didn’t know, Jones said ” who killed Kennedy.”

The music industry icon went on to allege that mobster Sam Giancana was behind the 1963 assassination.

“The connection was there between Sinatra and the Mafia and Kennedy,” he said. “Joe Kennedy — he was a bad man — he came to Frank to have him talk to Giancana about getting votes.”

Jones then stated, “We shouldn’t talk about this publicly.”

07of 09

Quincy Jones Shares a Memory of Working with Judy Garland

Quincy Jones and Judy Garland.A&M Records/Archive Photos/Getty; Getty

Jones once recalled a cheeky interaction he witnessed of Judy Garland when working with her at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1961.

“We were playing the evening show with Duke Ellington, and she came out and the wind was in the mic, so Phil Ramone, the engineer, came out and put a condom on the microphone — to keep the wind away,” he told THR. “And when Judy came out, she did like this.” [Writer Seth Abramovitch described a motion like performing oral sex.]

“I never let her forget it,” Jones added.

08of 09

Cyndi Lauper Was Difficult to Work with on ‘We Are the World’

Quincy Jones, Cyndi Lauper and Billy Ocean.Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty

In his 2018 interview with Vulture, Jones was asked about an anecdote in his memoir about some of the rockstars asked to be included in “We Are the World” complaining about the song. Jones shared that it was one star in particular who appeared to have an issue with the tune.

“It wasn’t the rockers,” he explained. “It was Cyndi Lauper. She had a manager come over to me and say, ‘The rockers don’t like the song.’ I know how that s— works. We went to see Springsteen, Hall & Oates, Billy Joel, and all those cats and they said, ‘We love the song.’ So I said [to Lauper], ‘Okay, you can just get your s— over with and leave.’ And she was f—— up every take because her necklace or bracelet was rattling in the microphone. It was just her that had a problem.”

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Quincy Jones Says He Once ‘Dated’ Ivanka Trump

Quincy Jones and Ivanka Trump.Emma McIntyre/Getty; Ethan Miller/Getty

After calling his former acquaintance Donald Trump a “megalomaniac, narcissistic” and “crazy m———–” Jones added as an aside, “I used to date Ivanka, you know.”

“Wait, really?,” Vulture’s David Marchese asked.

Jones went on to claim that he and Ivanka dated 12 years ago — when they would have been 72 and 24 respectively — after she asked Tommy Hilfiger to set up a dinner for them.

Jones recalls telling Hilfiger at the time, “No problem. She’s a fine m———–.”

“She had the most beautiful legs I ever saw in my life,” he continued. “Wrong father, though.”