Quincy Jones launches lifestyle brand
June 19, 2007
NEW
YORK -- Quincy Jones has announced a joint venture with the Robert Thorne Co.
to launch a new lifestyle brand and digital media platform based on his
six-decade career. The new company also has hired the Firm, Jones' first-ever
management agency, to help develop a new slate of film and TV projects.
The new company, called Quincy Jones Enterprises, has brought on Brand Central
as its licensing agency to develop a broad array of merchandise ranging from
professional and consumer audio to fashion apparel reflecting Jones'
"well-regarded style, taste and panache" to men's health and grooming
products as well as home furnishings and music education books. The
merchandising program will launch at the Licensing Show, which opens today in
New York.
"My work in music, film, television and currently on Broadway with 'The
Color Purple' has been embraced by so many over the decades, and my new slate
of film and television projects continues in that tradition," Jones said.
"My initiatives in lifestyle branding and digital media will be the next
chapter along with my continuing priority of helping children of all
cultures."
Jones will jointly own the new company with Robert Thorne -- credited with
building the Olsen twins into a multibillion-dollar entertainment and
merchandising brand -- and his business partner Greg Redlitz. Jones will serve
as chairman, Thorne as CEO and Redlitz as president.
"Our new company will be building a brand extension of Quincy, which in
conjunction with Brand Central ... will be seizing all the history and legacy
of Quincy Jones," Thorne said. "What the brand licensing program will
do will be to encapture all the hip and cool aspects for Quincy Jones and the
familiarity and popularity of what he's done and all the A-listers he's done it
with and turn that energy into a program of products."
Thorne will be overseeing Jones' entertainment projects, licensing program and
Web initiative, which will launch in the fall at QuincyJones.com. The site will
offer access to Quincy's Vault, featuring rare and previously unreleased
outtakes of Jones' work with such acclaimed artists as Frank Sinatra, Michael
Jackson, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin and Celine Dion. It also
will feature digital replicas of Jones' original scores and rare behind-the
scenes photos of Jones at work as well as "Quincy's Academy" of music
education and social networking aimed at aspiring artists, producers and
entertainment industry professionals.
As part of the overall plan to build the Quincy Jones brand, Jones has hired
the Firm as his first management company. He continues to be represented by
Sean Perry of Endeavor.
"What really drew us to work with him was how appealing his projects were
and their quality in both the past and the present," said Adam Shulman, a
manager in the Firm's film and television department. "He has some great
projects we're going to help him get made. Quincy Jones truly is a legend, and
we're really overjoyed and honored to be working with him."
Jones' TV projects in development include a special celebrating his upcoming
75th birthday in March, his participation as ambassador of next year's Grammy
Awards 50th Anniversary TV special and a documentary series chronicling the
history of American music through Jones' eyes. His film projects include a
feature about his life based on his autobiography; the recently announced
"Brazil Carnaval," being directed by Brett Ratner; "Mammy
Pleasant," based on the life of a freed slave who became the first black
female millionaire; and "Policy
Kings," based on a book about black gangsters in
Chicago in the 1920s-40s.
Co-chairmen Rick Yorn and Jeff Kwatinetz will lead the Firm team along with
Shulman, Constance Schwartz and Kai Henry.
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