Gil Scott-Heron | Artist

Gilbert Scott-Heron was an American soul and jazz poet, musician, and author, born 1949 in Chicago, Illinois. He was known primarily for his work as a spoken-word performer in the 70s and 80s, often in collaboration with keyboardist and producer Brian Jackson. Scott-Heron's mother, Bobbie Scott, was an opera singer who performed with the New York Oratorio Society, and his father, Gil Heron, nicknamed "The Black Arrow", was a Jamaican soccer player who in the 50s became the first black man to play for Celtic Football Club in Glasgow. While attending Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, Scott-Heron met Brian Jackson with whom he formed the band Black & Blues. After about two years at Lincoln, Scott-Heron took a year off to write the novels The Vulture and The Nigger Factory. Throughout his musical career he continued his literary studies and later taught literature and creative writing as a full-time lecturer at Federal City College in Washington D.C. Scott-Heron began his recording career in 1970 with the album Small Talk at 125th and Lenox. The album dealt with themes such as the superficiality of television and mass consumerism, the hypocrisy of would-be black revolutionaries, and white middle-class ignorance of the difficulties faced by inner-city residents. His next album was his first masterpiece Pieces of a Man (1971), which firmly established his musical career. The album used more conventional song structures and he was joined by Jackson, Ron Carter (bass), Bernard "Pretty" Purdie (drums), Burt Jones (guitar) and Hubert Laws (flute, saxophone). Over his career he released 16 studio albums, including the standouts Pieces of a Man, Winter in America, Midnight Band: The First Minute of a New Day, Bridges, Reflections, and the 2014 Scott-Heron/Brian Jackson compilation Anthology:Messages. Scott-Heron's career was sidelined in the late 90's due to a stint in prison for drug possession, but he bounced back in 2010 with the excellent comeback album I'm New Here. Scott-Heron, who passed away in 2011, influenced writers, academics, musicians and rappers alike. His work during the 1970s influenced and helped engender subsequent African-American music genres, such as hip hop and neo soul. He has been described by music writers as "the godfather of rap" and "the black Bob Dylan".

Artist Website: gilscottherononline.com

Featured Albums: Gil Scott-Heron

Related Artists: Brian Jackson