Entertainment industry legend Quincy Jones will receive the Celebration of Service to America Leadership Award from the NAB Education Foundation at the 10th annual Celebration of Service to America Gala on June 9.
The Leadership Award, NABEF's highest honor, is presented to an individual who has performed extraordinary public service in bettering the lives of others.
Jones is being recognized for his humanitarian work in establishing the Listen Up Foundation and the We Are the Future Foundation, both dedicated to helping underprivileged youth. He has also served as a committed leader in preserving and promoting African-American art through the Institute for Black American Music and the Black Arts Festival.
"For decades, Quincy Jones has served as a tireless advocate on behalf of underprivileged children throughout the world," said NAB President and CEO David K. Rehr. "The NAB Education Foundation is proud to honor him for his unwavering dedication to building a pathway toward a better future for all children in need."
Jones is being honored for public service but is world-famous for his musical career. Born in Chicago in 1933, Jones played trumpet behind the legendary vibraphone master and bandleader Lionel Hampton. But his mark lies forever on popular culture as the producer of "Thriller," the hit-packed Michael Jackson album that has sold more copies worldwide than any other album, with 104 million sales so far. He also produced history's most successful single, the landmark "We Are the World" in 1985, which raised money for Ethiopian famine relief.
In all, Jones has received 27 Grammy Awards and has a record 79 Grammy Award nominations. He was the first African-American producer to be nominated for an Oscar in the category Best Picture for "The Color Purple," and received the French Legion d'Honneur medal in 2001.
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