Quincy Jones enjoyed a booming career as a top-tier music and film producer with more than 60 years in the business. Born in Chicago in 1933, the late multifaceted artist rose through the ranks in the music industry after dropping out of Berklee College of Music in Boston and starting his touring career. By 1964, he was named a vice president of Mercury Records, making him the first Black man to hold such a heavy position at a white-owned record company, per the American Academy of Achievement. To date, he has 28 Grammy awards to his name, one Emmy, and seven Oscar nominations. Plus, he has worked with some of the biggest names of all time, such as Michael Jackson and Frank Sinatra.
Quincy also enjoyed a bustling private life. He was married three times and had seven children between five women. So, who are the women who once held they key to the music industry icon’s heart? Read on to learn about Quincy Jones’ three previous wives.
Actress Jeri Caldwell and Quincy Jones were married between 1957 and 1966 and welcomed one child, a daughter named Jolie, together. Jeri has one acting credit to her name, for an appearance in 1994’s Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult. There is not much known about their relationship due to it being more than 50 years ago, but Quincy did once reveal how they got together in high school during an interview with Oprah Winfrey.
“Jeri hit on me first. Back then I was dogging it up, and Jeri and her sister were the hotsy-totsies at school,” he recalled. “I noticed that she stopped at the water fountain every day — the dog squad is real good at noticing patterns. My daughters have since taught me that guys think their rap is so strong that women can’t resist — but that’s not it: A girl has a guy spotted a year before he even knows she’s there!”
Quincy was 19 years old when he married Jeri, but admitted she wasn’t his first true love — just the first love he married.
Quincy married Swedish model and actress Ulla Andersson one year after his divorce from Jeri was finalized. They welcomed a daughter, Martina, and a son, Quincy III, during their union. Sadly, their marriage was over within years and was finalized in 1974 so Quincy could go on to marry his third wife, Peggy Lipton.
Aside from being a successful magazine model, Ulla dipped her feet into acting and even music. Her debut album, No Time No Space No Age No Race That’s Nifty!, was released in 1979. In 2007, she released an autobiography called Red Carpet Blues.
