Quincy Jones Says Ray Charles Got Him Hooked On Heroin For 5 Months When He Was 15 Years Old, “The Mistakes Are What Help You Grow And Learn”

Quincy’s back at it again with the interviews! This time, #QuincyJones sat down for an episode of The Hollywood Reporter’s “Awards Chatter” podcast and spilled some more tea about his early music business rendezvous.

His friendship with the late, great #RayCharles was the topic of discussion and Jones claimed he was who got him addicted to heroin at 15 years old. He explained, “He got me hooked for five months at 15. After we finished at the Washington Social Club and a couple of other ones, we’d all go down to Jackson Street to the Elks Club. That’s where all the bebop jam sessions were. Nobody got paid. We didn’t give a damn.”

He continued, “When they finished playing they’d go over in the corner and they had it on their thumb. I just snuck in the line and got me a little hit.” Jones also said that when the band would travel to New York City, they would buy heroin in Harlem from a dealer named “Detroit Red”, later known as #MalcolmX.

Jones said his addiction to heroin didn’t last long and he was able to kick the habit after he fell down a flight of stairs. He stated while recovering, he lost the urge to use heroin and the time spent on bed rest allowed him to avoid interacting with other drug abusers. 

“The mistakes are what help you grow and learn. [If I hadn’t fallen], I would have been in New York, where I was hanging out with Charlie Parker. I would have been a junkie forever. Bird was always high. Thank God we did it and got it over with.”