Gil Scott-Heron dies at 62 – The Revolution Will Not Be Televised | Chocolate City: The Best African American Blog

Gil Scott-Heron dies at 62 – The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

Gilbert “Gil” Scott-Heron, 62-year-old, died today at a hospital in New York. Scott-Heron, the poet, singer, songwriter and author. Scott-Heron is described as one of the most influential figures in the music industry. To understand him is to understand his work. His music featured a crossroad of jazz, blues, soul music and addresses issues such as social-economic and political issues.

Born in the Windy City of Chicago, Scott-Heron spent his early childhood in Jackson, Tennessee with his maternal grandmother Lillie Scott. His father Scott-Heron was a Jamaican and nicknamed "The Black Arrow" after a soccer player who, in the 1950s, became the first black athlete to play for England's Glasgow's Celtic Football Club.

Scott-Heron was a good writer and was granted a full scholarship to study English at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. He did not graduate but took a year off to write his novel The Vulture and The Nigger Factory. The book was published in 1970 and well received. Although Scott-Heron never received his undergraduate degree, he completed his Masters degree in Creative Writing from Johns Hopkins University.

Scott-Heron reportedly was challenged by substance abuse and sometime in prison for possession of cocaine, and again for violating his plea deal by leaving a drug rehab clinic when the clinic allegedly refused to supply him with HIV medication. Despite his drug challenges, it is reported that he had an excellent work ethic.

Some of his best songs includes – The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, We Almost Lost Detroit, Johannesburg, The Bottle, The Get Out Of The Ghetto Blues, Inner city blues, and Angel Dust.

In February 2010, Scott-Heron released “I’m New Here”, his first album in thirteen years.

The Bottle