RIP: Gil Scott-Heron
I was just posting some Gil Scott-Heron song titles that came to mind on Facebook and it made me want to say something about the poet/prophet. I’ve never really done anything like this before, so here goes…
It’s honestly hard for me to describe exactly what Gil Scott-Heron’s music and legacy mean to me. He is one of the first artists I truly felt something from. In my opinion, his work is just as important to American music as Bob Dylan or Woody Guthrie’s. He’s been described as “The Godfather of Rap” and “A mixture of politics and poetry”. His music was nothing short of ground-breaking. Since I’ve never really written about someone’s passing, the best I can do now is talk about how I ‘found’ Gil Scott-Heron.
Sometime around 1999 I picked up a reissued copy of Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson Midnight Band: First Minute of a New Day. It Killllled me. The song that stands out the most is Winter In America. I was in love with that laid back, jazzy vibe and the lyrics just spoke to me. Even as a 20 year old punk, I immediately empathized with what this man was going through. He was political and proud.. he was enthusiastic about his culture. It was Jazz, Blues, and Soul. A self-named “blusician”
The tracks leading up to WIA: Liberation Song; Must Be Something; SUPERMAN; and the spoken word, We Beg Your Pardon… they were all just setting me up for that song AND teaching me something about life I hadn’t heard before. That album blew me away and it sincerely changed my view of the world. I don’t pretend to know what is was like being alive and a black man in the early 70’s, but I’ll be damned if he didn’t make me understand just a little bit.
I had the pleasure of seeing him preform 2 years ago here in Charlotte and I am so happy that I did. He was a frail, the songs were reworked for a modern sound, and I was high… but I sat in my seat the entire time with my eyes glued to him. Part of me knew that this was probably the only time I would see him preform.
I can only hope his passing will bring people to discover his music and help spread his message. I just want to say something…. God rest his soul.
