Gil Scott-Heron

Gil Scott-Heron (April 1, 1949 – May 27, 2011) was an American jazz poet, musician, singer, and author, renowned for his work as a spoken-word performer in the 1970s and 1980s. He collaborated frequently with musician Brian Jackson, blending jazz, blues, and soul with socially and politically charged lyrics. His vocal style incorporated both rapping and melismatic singing, and he described himself as a “bluesologist”—a self-defined term for someone studying the roots of the blues.

Scott-Heron’s most iconic work, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, is regarded as a major precursor to hip hop and has been widely credited for its influence on rap and neo soul. His early 1970s albums, such as Pieces of a Man and Winter in America, received critical acclaim and helped shape the development of African-American music in subsequent decades.

Throughout his career, Scott-Heron remained committed to addressing issues of race, inequality, and social justice through his art. After a long hiatus, he released I’m New Here in 2010, his first album in 16 years. His memoir, The Last Holiday, was published posthumously in 2012.

In recognition of his legacy, Scott-Heron received a posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021 as an Early Influence Award recipient. His contributions are also featured in the National Museum of African American History and Culture.