Quincy Jones on Amy Winehouse: "Amazing Lady...Straighten Up"

Legendary producer Quincy Jones' new album, "Q: Soul Bossa Nostra," features big modern stars reinterpreting his past hits.

One cut on the CD is a Jones collaboration with troubled songstress Amy Winehouse.

Her version of the 1963 Lesley Gore hit "It's My Party" is Winehouse's first song to be released since 2006 (see audio clip below.) 

Quincy Jones joined On Point on Wednesday, and told the story of how he first met Winehouse, at the London concert for Nelson Mandela’s 90^th birthday.

Jones told guest host Anthony Brooks,

After I got off the stage, a nice man came over and said, ‘Would you mind saying a few words to my daughter?’ I said, ‘Sure.’ And this little girl came over, and she was on her knees and she kissed my hand and said, ‘I know every record you made back to the "The Swingin' Miss 'D'" with Dinah Washington, which you did when you were my age, 24.’ And I looked down and I said, ‘Amy Winehouse.’ And we stood there and talked for a long time. The three of us, her father and I, were holding one another on the shoulder.

And Jones said that he had some advice for the popstar, whose career has been plagued by problems with drug and alcohol addiction:

It was the most amazing conversation, because she’s very smart, very aware – an amazing lady. I was trying to tell her to straighten up a little bit, because I’ve got a few kids that I see the good in and the brilliance in. And she said she understood and everything else. I read her a letter my daughter at 35 sent to me. And she was moved. She couldn’t finish it. She almost cried. And she said, ‘I understand, Mr. Jones.’ And she went out on the stage and sang the song, and then [in her subsequent concert] punched out one of the girls in the audience. But she’s going to be O.K., man, this is a smart kid. We’ve got to take the time and love and be there for her until she gets it together.