(April 1, 1949 – May 27, 2011)
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Download: Gil Scott-Heron – “Beginnings”
Last year, I had to privilege of seeing what would be Gil Scott-Heron’s final performance in Los Angeles, at the El Rey. Gil was 61, but a lifetime of hard living made him appear years older than that. At times his singing was strained, and for several songs, he insisted we sing along with him, since the high notes just weren’t there any more. And yet that voice, that singularly deep, raspy texture, and the warmth and humanity he seemed to radiate were simply undeniable. He joked cynically about politics, and spoke about the unifying power of music. He cycled through an almost exhaustive list of classics. From the moment he walked on stage, and rested his lanky frame at the keyboard in front of him, you could tell you were in the presence of a legend.
When the band finally launched into “The Bottle”, a lament of alcoholism and addiction, and perhaps Gil’s best known song, he told us that despite the serious subject matter, that this song would be a celebration. He told us that despite the problems we might face on a daily basis, that celebrating life was essential. So in that spirit, I feel like today is a day to celebrate Gil Scott-Heron. To celebrate a poet, an artist, an activist, an author, a revolutionary, and an inspiration. To learn more about his life and work, look here.
One Comment
I was very sad to hear of his passing. His songs will definitely transcend to the following generations for a very long time.
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[...] Last year, the world lost a true revolutionary. It seemed that only in the years leading up to his death, had greater pop culture begun to realize the true impact and importance Gil Scott-Heron had had on its own landscape. Though hip-hop and jazz historicists, vinyl collectors and political minds had been singing his praises for decades, it seemed that the last few years of his life saw that well-deserved reverence reaching an unprecedented level. The release of his final album, I’m New Here, a collaborative effort with XL Recordings founder Richard Russell, and the posthumous Jamie xx remix project, We’re New Here served to further cement his place as a luminary of modern music and culture. [...]