Quincy Jones honored in imprint ceremony at TCL Chinese Theatre

Nov. 27 (UPI) -- Composer Quincy Jones dipped his hands and feet in slab of wet cement during a ceremony in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Jones, 85, became the first composer to have his handprints and footprints engraved outside the TCL Chinese Theatre. His career as a composer includes winning 27 Grammy Awards, an Emmy for Roots, a Tony award for The Color Purple and being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

"I was so addicted at 15 years old, I can't tell you," Jones said during the ceremony. "I used to sit in the theater and think about composing music for these films. And I was absolutely addicted. I could never have imagined that those dreams would lead me to here, to this moment, and to be honest, it is a little bit overwhelming."

The ceremony was attended by rapper Snoop Dogg, singer Usher and his daughter, actress Rashida Jones, all of whom delivered remarks on his behalf.

"Since he has had his hands and foot in everything you've ever loved, this seems like the most literal, best way to celebrate him," Rashida Jones said. "The truth is we can never honor the wonderful, unparalleled, indelible career of Quincy Jones enough."

In addition to his award winning scores, Jones famously produced Michael Jackson's albums Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad, as well as working with Lionel Richie, Will Smith and other musical acts.

He began his career as a bandleader, releasing about a dozen jazz albums, before releasing the bossa nova album Big Band Bossa Nova in 1962.

Two years later, in 1964, Jones made his way into the film industry, composing for Sidney Lumet's The Pawnbroker. In 1967, he released three more scores for In the Heat of the Night, In Cold Blood and Ironsides.

Jones' life was also chronicled in the Netflix documentary Quincy, directed by his daughter.