Scott-Heron, Gil,
1949–2011, American poet, musician, and songwriter, b. Chicago. Often
considered “the godfather of rap music,” he rejected that
title, preferring to call his work “bluesology” of simply
“black American music.” He wrote poetry with a strong social,
political, and racial content, which he spoke or sang to a strong percussive
beat or other jazz or soul accompaniment. Scott-Heron became famous for his
satiric spoken anthem “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”
(1970), which made him a spokesman for African-American protest. He recorded
more than a dozen albums, from Small Talk at 125th and
Lenox (1970) to I'm New Here (2010); his
clear, youthful voice roughened in later recordings due to alcoholism and
drug addiction. In 2007, he announced he was suffering from AIDS and his
health began to decline. Among his other well-known pieces are “Lady
Day and John Coltrane,” “The Bottle,” “Home Is
Where the Hatred Is,” and “Johannesburg.”In 2012 he was
awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award Grammy, and in 2021 he was inducted
into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
See his memoir (2017); poetry collections, The Vulture (1970),
Now and Then: The Poems of Gil Scott-Heron (2001);
biography by M. Baram (2014)
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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