The legendary Quincy Jones passed away a few months ago, and his work individually and with fellow icons like Michael Jackson will live on until the sun sets for the last time on Earth. But the Academy Awards' tribute to the musical trailblazer last night (Sunday, March 2) left some MJ fans with a bad taste in their mouth. Their anger mostly manifested against Oprah Winfrey, who joined Whoopi Goldberg to introduce Queen Latifah's performance of the Wiz track "Ease On Down The Road" as a tribute to Quincy. Why are they angry? Because neither Oprah nor Whoopi made any mention of the King Of Pop in their speeches.
The reason why people are particularly mad against Oprah Winfrey is because of her After Neverland special accusing Michael Jackson of sexually abusing young boys. Many fans find that she betrayed her previous relationship with Michael on top of not believing the claims to begin with. The actress and entertainment mogul mentioned various musical legends that Quincy Jones worked with, but not his Thriller collaborator. In fact, MJ was even the one who originally performed the song (joined by Diana Ross) from The Wiz that Queen Latifah sang beautifully, and that film was one of Jackson and Jones' biggest team-ups.
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Quincy Jones' Musical Legacy
Of course, Quincy Jones' musical legacy stretches far beyond his Michael Jackson collaborations. As a producer, arranger, composer, songwriter, and general creative mastermind, he made impactful contributions not just in music, but in film. He scored The Color Purple, the Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg-starring 1985 film for which the actresses reunited to celebrate its 40th anniversary and pay tribute to Quincy.
As for Michael Jackson, we've spent a decade and a half remembering his indelible place in pop culture, entertainment, and artistry. Despite the controversies he faced, many fans feel like Oprah Winfrey should've acknowledged him. But many other folks' mileage may understandably vary on that, and it's not like this is obscure history. For what it's worth, she and Whoopi Goldberg still spoke with grace and love for Quincy Jones, and Queen Latifah's performance was one of the most vibrant moments of the night.
