RIP Gil Scott-Heron...

There are many musicians who touch our lives through their art. Maybe they inspire us to feel better or be proud of who we are. Some inspire a social awareness that makes us want to help our fellow man and be better individuals. Then there are those artist that represent a shared bond to a loved one that has handed down their music to the next generation.
For me I lost a little of all the above with passing of legend Gil Scott-Heron. He was poet, scholar and prophet whose music still reigns as loud and true as it did in the 1970's when he recorded a large portion of his work. I became introduced to Gil Scott-Heron by my father Keith Holt Sr at a very young age. It gave me a foundation to the hip hop music that I was growing up with and gave me an awareness to social issues.

About Gil Scott-Heron

For those of you not familiar with Gil Scott Heron let me give you a little background. Gil Scott-Heron was born in Chicago, Illinois. To parents Bobbie Scott-Heron, sang with the New York Oratorio Society. Scott-Heron's Jamaican father, Gil Heron, nicknamed "The Black Arrow", was a soccer player who, in the 1950s, became the first black athlete to play for Glasgow Celtic Football Club in Scotland. After his parents separated he moved to Jackson, TN to live with his grandmother Lillie Scott. After the death of his grandmother Heron moved to New York City.

Scott-Heron attended Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, because of his biggest influence Langston Hughes also attended. At Lincoln he met Brian Jackson with whom he formed the band Black & Blues. He left school after 2 years and wrote the novels The Vulture and The Nigger Factory. Scott-Heron returned to New York City, settling in Chelsea, Manhattan. The Vulture was published in 1970 and well received. Although Scott-Heron never received his undergraduate degree, he received a Master's degree in Creative Writing in 1972 from Johns Hopkins University. His 1972 dissertation was titled Circle of stone.

Pieces of a Man


Regarded by a lot of people as "The Godfather of Rap" even though he rejected the title Gil's music influenced many hip hop and neo soul artist such as Mos Def, Public Enemy and Kanye West.

Gil began his recording career in 1970 with the album Small Talk at 125th and Lenox. The piano was played by long time partner Brian Jackson. Winter in America has been regarded by many critics as the two musicians most artistic effort. His most famous song is the anthem "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised". Has been sampled in many other songs, movies and for commercials.

Discography

Studio albums

Year	Album	Label
1970	Small Talk at 125th and Lenox	Flying Dutchman Records
1971	Pieces of a Man	Flying Dutchman Records
1972	Free Will	Flying Dutchman Records
1974	Winter in America	Strata-East Records
1975	The First Minute of a New Day	Arista Records
1976	From South Africa to South Carolina	Arista Records
1976	It's Your World	Arista Records
1977	Bridges	Arista Records
1978	Secrets	Arista Records
1980	1980	Arista Records
1980	Real Eyes	Arista Records
1981	Reflections	Arista Records
1982	Moving Target	Arista Records
1994	Spirits	TVT Records
2010	I'm New Here	XL Recordings

Live albums

Year	Album	Label
1976	It's Your World	Arista Records
1990	Tales of Gil Scott-Heron and His Amnesia Express	Castle Music UK/Peak Top Records
1994	Minister of Information: Live	Peak Top Records
2004	The Best Of Gil Scott-Heron Live	Intersound
2004	Tour De Force	Phantom Sound & Vision
2004	Save The Children	Delta Music
2004	Winter In America, Summer In Europe	Pickwick
2005	Greatest Hits Live	Intersound
2008	Live At The Town & Country 1988	Acadia / Evangeline Records

Compilations

Year	Album	Label
1974	The Revolution Will Not Be Televised	Flying Dutchman
1979	The Mind of Gil Scott-Heron	Arista Records
1984	The Best of Gil Scott-Heron	Arista Records
1988	The Revolution Will Not Be Televised	Bluebird Records
1990	Glory: The Gil Scott-Heron Collection	Arista Records
1998	The Gil Scott-Heron Collection Sampler: 1974–1975	TVT Records
1998	Ghetto Style	Camden Records
1999	Evolution and Flashback: The Very Best of Gil Scott-Heron	RCA Records
2005	Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson – Messages (Anthology)	Soul Brother Records
2006	The Best of Gil Scott-Heron	Sony/BMG
2010	Storm Music (The Best of Gil Scott-Heron)	Phantom Sound & Vision