For decades, the music world was captivated by a partnership that redefined pop music. It was a fusion of two creative forces: Michael Jackson, a young prodigy with a singular vision, and Quincy Jones, a legendary producer with an unparalleled ear for sound. Together, they created magic—three albums that would become the cornerstone of modern music. But after the release of Bad in 1987, the collaboration ended abruptly, and a cold silence settled between them. The public could only guess at what happened. Now, in a final, explosive interview, Quincy Jones has broken his silence and revealed the painful truth.
It all began with a chance meeting at a glamorous party hosted by the legendary Sammy Davis Jr. At the time, Quincy was already a respected producer and composer. Michael, a fresh-faced 12-year-old, was just beginning to find his own voice outside of the Jackson 5. Neither could have known that this brief introduction would lead to one of the most iconic partnerships in music history. Years passed, and by 1979, Michael was ready to take a leap of faith. He wanted to break out as a solo artist and sought Quincy’s help, asking for a referral to a producer. Quincy didn’t hesitate. He decided to produce Michael’s first solo album himself, a decision that would change both of their lives forever.
Their first project, Off the Wall, was a masterpiece of pop, funk, and soul. It was a massive commercial and critical success that proved Michael was more than a teen idol; he was a star in his own right. But that was just the beginning. In 1982, they began work on Thriller, an album that would become the best-selling album in music history. With hits like Billie Jean and Beat It, the album broke records and became a cultural phenomenon. Their studio was a place of magic, where their unique collaboration blossomed. Quincy later described their recording sessions as joyful and relaxed. He respected Michael’s vision and talent, and Michael trusted Quincy’s musical instincts. They brought out the best in each other, but the golden era couldn’t last forever.
According to Quincy, the problems began after the release of Bad in 1987. Michael, who was evolving as an artist and a global figure, wanted more control. He was no longer content with being part of a team; he wanted to lead it. He made a clear choice for his next album, Dangerous, released in 1991. He brought in new producers like Teddy Riley and Bill Bottrell, shutting Quincy out entirely. The move surprised the industry, and rumors began to spread. Some said Michael had grown tired of Quincy getting too much credit for the success of Thriller. Others claimed Michael felt overshadowed and believed people were forgetting that he was the true creative force behind the music. Quincy, in his autobiography Q, wrote that people close to Jackson felt threatened by him, making things worse.
The split was more than a simple change in musical direction; it was personal. An incident involving a failed duet with Prince for the album Bad reportedly added fuel to the fire. The collaboration was highly anticipated and had been pushed by Quincy. But it fell apart, and Prince’s public comments about why the duet never happened infuriated Michael. According to a member of the Jackson family, Michael felt betrayed not just by Prince but by Quincy for putting the idea in motion. That incident was the breaking point. The two never worked together again, and their powerful creative partnership ended in a cold silence.
After Michael’s death in 2009, Quincy stayed largely silent about their feud. But he did make a heartfelt tribute to the King of Pop, writing an op-ed for the Los Angeles Times. In it, he expressed his devastation at the news, saying Michael had “suddenly left the room.” Quincy described him as a “manchild” with a rare combination of “childlike wonder and absolute discipline.” He pushed himself harder than anyone else and always strived for perfection. Quincy also dismissed the controversies that surrounded Michael’s life, saying, “All of that is just noise.” To him, what mattered most was the music, the magic, the sound that only Michael could deliver. Quincy lost a partner and a creative soulmate, and a huge part of his own story.
However, the peace was shattered in 2017 when Quincy filed a lawsuit against Michael’s estate, claiming he was owed significant unpaid royalties. The dispute centered around music used in the posthumous concert film This Is It, as well as other audio releases and remixes. Quincy argued that the estate had altered his work and violated their contracts to avoid paying him. A jury initially ruled in his favor, awarding him $9.4 million, but an appeals court later reversed the decision, and Quincy was ordered to return $6.8 million. Publicly, Quincy maintained that the case was never about Michael but about the legal representatives who managed the estate. He insisted there was no bad blood with Michael’s relatives. But the Jackson family didn’t seem to share his views. Joe Jackson publicly criticized Quincy, calling him jealous of Michael’s talent. Another unnamed family member alleged that Quincy had been holding a vendetta against Michael since the Thriller era, bitter about being left out of later projects.
In March 2024, on his 91st birthday, Quincy sat down for an interview that would become the most explosive and talked-about moment of his entire career. After decades of carefully avoiding the real reasons behind his fallout with Michael, Quincy finally opened up and held nothing back. What had once only been whispered in the music industry was now being spoken out loud, clearly, and publicly. He started with a bombshell claim: “Michael was greedy. Straight up greedy, man.” He accused Michael of being “Machiavellian” and “evil” behind closed doors. Quincy described a long pattern of Michael taking credit for other people’s work, never giving them proper recognition or fair payment. He claimed that songwriter Greg Phillinganes wrote the entire C-section in “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” and that Michael should have given him 10 percent, but never did. Then came an even bolder claim that sent shockwaves through the room. Quincy accused Michael of stealing parts of Donna Summer’s song State of Independence and using them in his hit Billie Jean.
When asked why he had never spoken out like this before, Quincy’s voice grew quieter. “Because I wanted to believe we were bigger than all this feud,” he said. “I really wanted to think we had something deeper, something real beyond the business and the drama, but we didn’t. That truth broke me more than I ever showed.” Quincy then turned to Michael’s appearance, which had been the subject of public speculation for decades. He dismissed Michael’s public explanation for his many surgeries, saying it was because of his deep-seated insecurities. Quincy explained that Michael’s father used to tell him he was ugly and made him feel worthless. “All that talk about vitiligo and needing surgery, that was just Michael lying to himself and to everyone else,” he said. “He just couldn’t face what he saw in the mirror.”
The revelations immediately set off a storm of reactions and debates across the music world. The Jackson family responded with strong public statements, pushing back hard against Quincy’s claims. Tito Jackson tweeted that there were “factual errors and possibly some hallucinations happening.” Other family members called the interview “bitter, spiteful, and deeply disrespectful.” They accused him of waiting until Michael could no longer speak for himself. The reaction from fans was just as intense and divided. Some came to Michael’s defense, slamming Quincy for airing his claims so late in life. Others defended Quincy, saying that he had earned the right to finally speak his mind. They saw his words not as an attack, but as overdue honesty from someone who had been close to Michael behind the scenes.
On November 3rd, 2024, just a few months after his shocking revelations, Quincy Jones passed away peacefully in his sleep at the age of 92. The news hit like a wave across the globe. Tributes began to pour in from artists young and old, from chart-topping pop stars to jazz greats. Quincy wasn’t just another name in the credits; he was the name. With 28 Grammy Awards and a career that spanned more than six decades, he had truly transformed the sound of popular music. But if there was one collaboration that stood above the rest, it was his partnership with Michael Jackson. The two men created musical history, but even after their partnership ended and their relationship became strained, the work they had done together remained untouchable.
Quincy and Michael may have had their differences, but the sound they built together still defines modern music today. In the end, it was never about the drama or the headlines. It was about the music, the songs that make you feel, move, and remember. Now that both men are gone, that legacy lives on. Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson may have gone their separate ways after their legendary partnership came to an end, but together they built a legacy that will continue to inspire generations for years to come.
