Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey reunited at the 2025 Oscars to celebrate the achievements of late Quincy Jones.
Goldberg began the speech talking about how Jones not only contributed in music with 28 Grammy awards but also “had an equally powerful impact on the world of film, as a composer and producer.”
The actresses starred in the 1985 film adaptation of Alice Walker’s novel The Color Purple, for which John served as a producer and composer.
The co-stars delivered an emotional speech, sharing how Jones had an impact on them and the entertainment industry.
“Paying tribute to him for all he has meant to our movie community is why we all honor Q’s memory tonight,” Winfrey said.
Expressing profound appreciation for the deceased, The Oprah Winfrey Show host added, “Quincy was love lived out loud in human form, and he poured that love into others and into his work. My life changed forever and for the better after meeting him.”
Winfrey said that Jones “discovered [her] for The Color Purple, which was [her] first film.”
Goldberg chimed in, “Me too. So tonight, we honour the true American legend whose music and movies continue to inspire us all.”
Listing his Oscar achievements, she noted, “In 1967, Quincy Jones was the first Black composer nominated in the Original Song category for The Eyes of Love in the film Banning.”
He also received seven nominations at Oscars for The Wiz, In Cold Blood, For Love Of Ivy and The Color Purple.
They then invited Queen Latifah on-stage for a special performance in honour of the legendry icon.
Jones passed away on November 3rd, 2024, due to pancreatic cancer in Bel Air, Los Angeles.
