Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg reunite to honour late Quincy Jones

Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg just honoured the late legend Quincy Jones at the 2025 Oscars.

Both the stars, who were also nominated for the Oscars by the grace of their performances in the 1985 adaptation of The Color Purple, delivered a sentimental speech for Jones.

“When one hears the name Quincy Jones, one's first thought is musical genius, and for good reason,” Winfrey said at the beginning of the tribute.

“28 Grammy Awards, arranger and conductor for legends like Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Ray Charles, and the driving force behind ‘We Are The World,’ but the man, our beloved Q, had an equally powerful impact on the world of film, as a composer and producer,” the veteran talk show host added.

Joining in, 69-year-old Goldberg stated, “When we talk about Black excellence, we're talking about Quincy,” adding, “In 1967, Quincy Jones was the first Black composer nominated in the Original Song category for The Eyes of Love in the film Banning. 1967 was the first time, just keep that in mind.”

She continued, “And Quincy was also nominated that year for original music score for In Cold Blood. He received seven Oscar nominations for The Wiz, In Cold Blood, For Love Of Ivy and The Color Purple, which me and Oprah were part of."

“Paying tribute to him for all he has meant to our movie community is why we all honor Q's memory tonight. 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, recalling how Jones “discovered me for The Color Purple, which was my first film.”

“Me too. So tonight, we honor the true American legend whose music and movies continue to inspire us all,” Goldberg added as they proceeded to invite Queen Latifah on stage to perform in honor of the legend, Quincy Jones, who passed away in November 2024.