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*Quincy Jones is now weighing in on the downward spiral of “Simple Life” star Nicole Richie, the daughter of his close friend and music colleague, Lionel Richie.
The super producer blames the 25-year-old’s recent DUI arrest and other personal turmoil on the pressures of being in the public eye.
"You get caught up in the peer pressure and the hoopla – it's a media frenzy. It's insane. Success doesn't help," Jones, 73, told People Thursday at a benefit performance of the Debbie Allen Dance Academy's new musical, The Bayou Legend, in Los Angeles.
He continues: "I try to tell the young kids there are two cardinal rules: You should approach creativity with humility and have your success with grace. It's a gift from God. You don't deserve it. You are a vehicle of a higher power. Don't abuse it."
Jones, who goes way back with Nicole, remembers a time when her goals were less superficial.
"I adore Nicole," he said. "I've known her since she was a baby. She's a very smart girl. When she was younger she worked eight hours a day for eight years to become an Olympic figure skater. She's a very talented girl."