Quincy Jones gave a candid interview with GQ magazine, where he touched on a variety of topics, including having a lot of girlfriends. He also discussed the public perception that he only likes white women.
“I got 22 girlfriends,” admitted the 84-year-old. “Hell yeah, everywhere. Cape Town, Cairo, Stockholm — she’s coming in next week. Brazil, Belo Horizonte, São Paulo and Rio. Shanghai — got a great girl over there from Shanghai, man. Cairo, whew.”
He then said the ages of the women range from 28 to 42, and they all know about each other.
“I don’t lie and it’s amazing,” explained Jones. “Women get it, man. Don’t you ever forget they’re 13 years smarter than we are. Don’t you ever forget it.”
Despite now having nearly two dozen girlfriends, the longtime music man has been married three times — first to his high school sweetheart Jeri Caldwell, then to actress, model and singer Ulla Jones, then to actress Peggy Lipton. But he admitted to being a “dog” his entire life.
On top of that, Jones said that growing up without a mother led to his philandering ways since she was committed to a mental institution when he was just seven years old. He said being a famous jazz musician contributed towards that lifestyle as well.
“Probably because I didn’t have a mother,” said Jones about why he’s lived a playboy lifestyle. “And the big bands, that’s like the school of the dogs. Traveling bands? Every f—ing night it was like the girls coming through Neiman Marcus: ‘Oh, I like trumpet players,’ ‘I like sax players,’ ‘I like guitar players’… Rita Hayworth, all of them. It was unbelievable, man.”
There have been plenty of experts who’ve researched the bond — or lack thereof — between mother and son and how it affects a boy’s future relationships.
According to Ph. D and Child Psychologist Kenneth Condrell, if a boy doesn’t have his mother in his life, he misses out on the first real connection with a female.
“That child has lost his primary teacher in life, his companion and best friend, his cheerleader, advocate and rescuer,” wrote Condrell. “For little boys, mom is the first woman he falls in love with; for girls mom is a role model.”
Although Jones’ mother would eventually be properly diagnosed and treated for her illness, he admitted to never having a bond with her, even in his adult years.
He also said there was abuse in the home before his mom was taken to a mental hospital, which could also lead to one having problems with monogamy, say researchers from Science Daily.
Furthermore, a 2011 study published in the journal Child Development, reveals that a mother-son bond is directly related to a boy’s “sense of morality,” particularly during his teenage years. It can also impact not only his future romantic relationships but his friendships as well.
In another part of the interview, Jones talked about being married to white women and getting criticized for it.
He also said that marrying white woman at the time had a lot to do with rebellion and making a statement about doing whatever one pleased. But he scoffed at the idea that he doesn’t like women from all racial backgrounds.
“I had three wives, white wives and they stereotype,” stated Jones. “But they wrong like a motherf—er, man. You ever see ‘Black Orpheus?’ That was my old lady, Marpessa Dawn. Gorgeous lady, man … I don’t give a f–, because they think that’s all you like, but that’s stupid, man.”
“Here’s what you’ve got to understand,” Jones continued. “The interracial thing was part of a revolution because back in the ’40s and stuff they would say, ‘You can’t mess with a white man’s money, don’t mess with his women.’ We weren’t going to take that sh–. Charlie Parker, everybody there, was married to a white wife … It was freedom, man. Do what you want to do, and nobody can tell you what to do.”
In regards to Jones’ self-admitted playboy ways, it doesn’t appear he’ll be slowing down anytime soon, and he’s convinced that his thirst for a lot of women comes from childhood.
“For a son, the worst thing that can happen to you is not to have a mother,” he said.
