Bio of Jazz Singer, Jimmy Scott
A Legendary American Artist Who Overcame Adversity Through His Music
Singer who has performed and recorded with the greatest artists in Jazz, and attracted a worldwide audience for his unique and soulful interpretations of classic songs.
For more than sixty years, Jimmy Scott has been singing stories of life, love, and loss from the Great American Songbook, and more.
James Victor Scott was born in Cleveland in July 1925, one of ten children in a very close family, and showed a talent for singing from childhood. By his teenage years he was performing in shows and revues, learning his craft from fellow singers, dancers, and actors. By the late forties he was singing in nightclubs, and attracting a following of fans with his unique voice and vocal style.
Everybody's Somebody's Fool
Jimmy Scott’s big break came in 1950 when he was chosen to be the featured vocalist for the legendary Lionel Hampton band, one of the foremost Jazz acts of the era. He also made his first recordings, including his big hit “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool”, a song he still performs today and that was later covered by Michael Jackson. Jimmy signed to the Savoy Jazz label and continued to record and perform with artists such as Charles Mingus, Charlie Parker, and Stan Getz.
The 60's and Ray Charles
The 50’s rolled on but Jimmy found his career beginning to flounder as a result of the lack of investment and promotion in his music, and the low pay he was receiving from the label. By the early 60’s, he had left the company, hoping to further his career by finding more sympathetic and supportive musicians and producers to work with. Jimmy was signed by Ray Charles, who happened to be one of Jimmy’s biggest fans and once said of Jimmy “He defined what ‘soul’ is all about in singing long before anyone was using that word!”.
Falling in Love is Wonderful
In 1962, he released Falling in Love is Wonderful, an album widely regarded as his masterpiece. With Ray Charles on piano, and an array of beautifully arranged strings, Jimmy’s extraordinary voice soared like never before, as he created an album that has come to be regarded as one of the finest in Jazz Vocal recordings by many Jazz aficionados. But legal difficulties and old contractual problems prevented the album having a proper release, and it failed to make an impact on the charts.
Jimmy Scott's Legal Troubles
Jimmy made few subsequent recordings, although one great album emerged in 1969, entitled “The Source”, containing perhaps his finest recording of all, the astonishing “Day by Day”. This album too suffered from legal wrangling and became another project to fall by the wayside. Within a few years, Jimmy was all but retired, his career seemingly over.
A Second Chance
Jimmy returned to performing in the late 80’s but found the going was tough. However in 1991 he sung at the funeral of his friend, songwriter Doc Pomus, and was heard by Producer Seymour Stein who then signed Jimmy to Sire Records and kick-started the second act of Scott’s career. In 1992 he released his first album for fifteen years, the Grammy-nominated “All The Way”, and he has never looked back.
Later Years
Since 1992, Jimmy has released more than ten albums, toured and performed with some of the finest artists in Modern Jazz, and in popular music. He has won awards, travelled internationally, establishing a loyal fan base in Japan and in Europe, made several film and television appearances, and been the subject of three documentaries. At the age of 82 he continues to sing, bringing his unique voice, phrasing, and interpretation to devoted audiences all over the world, and his story remains one of the most inspiring in Jazz music.
References:
1) Faith in Time: The Life of Jimmy Scott (David Ritz, 2003)
2) Jimmy Scott's Official Website
