Gil Scott-Heron

Biography

Gilbert Scott-Heron (April 1, 1949 – May 27, 2011) was an American jazz poet, singer, musician and author, known for his work as a spoken-word performer in the 1970s and 1980s. His collaborative efforts with musician Brian Jackson fused jazz, blues and soul with lyrics relative to social and political issues of the time, delivered in both rapping and melismatic vocal styles. He referred to himself as a "bluesologist", his own term for "a scientist who is concerned with the origin of the blues". His poem "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised", delivered over a jazz-soul beat, is considered a major influence on hip-hop music. Scott-Heron's music, particularly on the album Pieces of a Man and Winter in America during the early 1970s, influenced and foreshadowed later African-American music genres, including hip-hop and neo soul. His recording work received much critical acclaim, especially for "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised".

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