SXSW: Quincy Jones tapped for keynote

The annual South by Southwest Music and Media Conference in Austin, Texas, has tapped legendary producer Quincy Jones to deliver the keynote address at the music portion of its 2009 event. The five-day conference, which is part music fest/part industry summit/part spring break party, will launch on March 18.

Jones holds the record for the most Grammy nominations with 79, and counts Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and Frank Sinatra's "Sinatra and the Sands" among his many production and arranging credits. Jones also was the conductor on "We Are the World," often referenced as the greatest-selling single of all time.

Jones will head to SXSW with a bevy of recent and new projects. He recently released the hardcover "“The Complete Quincy Jones: My Journey and Passions” and is at work on a tribute album with Usher, John Legend and Amy Winehouse, among others.

He follows Velvet Underground leader Lou Reed, who gave last year's keynote, and Neil Young, who spoke at SXSW in 2007.

--Todd Martens

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