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Gettin’ Quincy wit it.
Will Smith presented a tribute to the late great Quincy Jones on Sunday at the 2025 Grammys, introducing performances from Stevie Wonder, Cynthia Erivo, Janelle Monáe and Lainey Wilson.
As a four-time Grammy winner himself, Smith was a fitting choice to honor Jones, who passed away in November at the age of 91. In addition to being one of the all-time music greats — with 28 Grammy wins to his name — Jones was a prominent figure in film and TV. Among his producing credits: “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” the ’90s sitcom that rocketed Smith to superstardom.
Calling Jones “one of the most groundbreaking and influential figures of our times,” Smith said, “In his 91 years, Q touched countless lives. But I have to say he changed mine forever. You probably wouldn’t even know who Will Smith was if it wasn’t for Quincy Jones.”
The musical portion of the tribute to Jones, which was made up of songs he helped birth, began with jazz pianist Herbie Hancock playing Jones’ ’60s instrumental track “Killer Joe.” Erivo then joined Hancock to sing a rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon,” which Jones arranged, followed by Lainey Wilson treating the crowd to “Let the Good Times Roll,” before Stevie Wonder brought out his harmonica to perform the jazzy “Bluesette.”
Wonder also took time to share his own reflection on Jones’ legacy before leading a children’s choir from a school that burned down during the Palisades Fire in singing “We Are the World,” which Jones produced 40 years ago this year.
“We are still the people who will fight and die for this nation, so we definitely have to be able to celebrate each other’s cultures all the time.”
Monáe capped off the tribute with a rousing take on Michael Jackson’s classic “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough.”
Smith’s involvement in the tribute was announced by the Recording Academy in an Instagram post shared on Friday.
“A GRAMMY moment you don’t want to miss!” the music org captioned the post. “@WillSmith will present the touching tribute celebrating the life and legacy of Quincy Jones at the 67th #GRAMMYs.”
After Jones’ passing last year, Smith paid tribute to the icon in a post on Instagram.
“Quincy Jones is the true definition of a Mentor, a Father and a Friend,” he captioned a black-and-white photo of himself with Jones on the set of “The Fresh Prince.”
“He pointed me toward the greatest parts of myself. He defended me. He nurtured me. He encouraged me. He inspired me. He checked me when he needed to. He let me use his wings until mine were strong enough to fly.”
Smith’s appearance on the Grammys stage on Sunday night marked the most high-profile award show he has attended after he slapped Chris Rock, 59, at the 2022 Academy Awards over a joke the comedian made about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
Last June, he performed at the 2024 BET Awards and attended the 2023 African-American Film Critics Association Awards. Smith was originally slated to perform as part of a tribute to celebrate 50 years of hip-hop during the 2023 Grammys but ended up bowing out.
The fourth installment of his “Bad Boys” franchise, “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” hit theaters in 2024 and racked up big numbers at the box office.
The Grammys play into another planned part of Smith’s career rehabilitation: his return to music. The “Independence Day” star plans on releasing three albums in 2025 and hopes to mount a full tour.