Gil Scott-Heron

American soul and jazz poet, musician, and author (1949–2011)

Person · Open Library

Born: 1949
Died: 2011-05-27
Works: 13

via Open Library + Wikidata

Film & TV

Acting · Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

Gilbert "Gil" Scott-Heron was an American soul and jazz poet, musician, and author, known primarily for his work as a spoken-word performer in the 1970s and 1980s. His collaborative efforts with musician Brian Jackson featured a musical fusion of jazz, blues, and soul, as well as lyrical content concerning social and political issues of the time, delivered in both rapping and melismatic vocal…

Known for

Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music — Self (archive footage)2025
1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything — Self (archive footage)2021
Popular Voices at the BBC — Self (archive footage)2017
Who Is Gil Scott-Heron?2015
Gil Scott-Heron: Me and the Devil — Self2010
Gil Scott-Heron & Amnesia Express: The Paris Concert — Himself2007
How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It)2005

Article

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". AllMusic's John Bush called him "one of the most important progenitors of rap music", stating that "his aggressive, no-nonsense street poetry inspired a legion of intelligent rappers while his engaging songwriting skills placed him square in the R&B charts later in his career."