Quote:
Gil Scott-Heron, the poet and recording artist whose syncopated spoken style and mordant critiques of politics, racism and mass media in pieces like "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" made him a notable voice of black protest culture in the 1970s and an important early influence on hip-hop, died at a hospital in Manhattan. He was 62 and had been a longtime resident of Harlem.
During the 1970s, Mr. Scott-Heron was seen as a prodigy with significant potential, although he never achieved wide popularity. He recorded 13 albums between 1970 and 1982.
By the mid-1980s, Mr. Scott-Heron had begun to fade, and in later years he struggled publicly with addiction. Since 2001, he had been convicted twice for cocaine possession, and he served a sentence at Rikers Island for parole violation.
In interviews, Mr. Scott-Heron often dodged questions about drugs, but the writer of the New Yorker profile reported witnessing Mr. Scott-Heron's smoking crack and being so troubled by his ravaged physical appearance that he avoided mirrors.
Despite Mr. Scott-Heron's public problems, he remained an admired cult figure who made occasional concert appearances and was sought after as a collaborator.
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I had Gil Scott-Heron do a show at my college in the mid-80's - it was a really cool show.
Too bad about his drug demons...
RIP Gil Scott-Heron
ADG