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From left: Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey speak onstage during the 97th Annual Oscars at Dolby Theatre on March 2, 2025 in Hollywood, California.
Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey reunited on stage at the 2025 Oscars to honor late legend Quincy Jones.
The Color Purple costars, who were both nominated for Oscars for their performances in the 1985 adaptation of the Alice Walker novel, delivered an emotional message honoring Jones. The creative visionary served as a producer on the film and also wrote its score.
“When one hears the name Quincy Jones, one’s first thought is musical genius, and for good reason,” Winfrey, 71, began. “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.”
“When we talk about black excellence, we’re talking about Quincy,” Goldberg, 69, added. “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. “
“And Quincy was also nominated that year for original music score for In Cold Blood,” she continued. “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.”
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Quincy Jones attends Netflix’s “Quincy” New York Special Screening on September 12, 2018 in New York City.
Related: Elton John, Whoopi Goldberg, LL Cool J and More Pay Tribute to ‘One of a Kind’ Quincy Jones
The pair went on to share how Jones impacted both the entertainment industry — and them personally.
“Paying tribute to him for all he has meant to our movie community is why we all honor Q’s memory tonight,” Winfrey said. “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.”
She added that 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 responded before they introduced a performance by Queen Latifah in honor of the legend.
After Jones died on Nov. 3, 2024, both actresses took to social media to honor the music producer.
Goldberg, who broke through with her role as Celie, wrote on Instagram: “Quincy Jones was my friend, and was one of a kind. I was lucky enough to have him in my life for all these years.”
In a Nov. 4 Instagram post, Winfrey shared, “My beloved Q. The world’s beloved Q. The one and only Quincy Jones ‘discovered’ me for ‘The Color Purple’ movie in 1985. My life changed forever for the better after meeting him.”
She continued her admiration for Jones saying, “He was love lived out loud in human form and he was the first person I ever loved unconditionally. That’s how we signed all our notes to each other, ‘Unconditionally…’”
During the speech, Winfrey detailed how Jones “discovered” her early in her acting career. The TV personality previously told PEOPLE that the film was the “most important thing that had ever happened to me.”
Related: Quincy Jones’ 7 Children: All About His Sons and Daughters
She added: “It’s as big a miracle as my whole life has been, because I didn’t know one single soul in the business.”
On The Oprah Winfrey Show and in interviews, Jones confirmed that he considered casting Winfrey after watching her on a Chicago television news station.
The film was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress for Goldberg, and Best Supporting Actress for Winfrey. Jones also received nominations for Best Original Score and Best Original Song for “Miss Celie’s Blues (Sister).”
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See PEOPLE’s full coverage of the 97th annual Academy Awards, hosted by Conan O’Brien and airing on ABC.
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