Spoken word poet, jazz musician, godfather of Hip Hop Gil Scott Heron dead at 62...
Legendary jazz and soul musician Gil Scott-heron has died at the age of 62.
The iconic artist, poet and activist passed away in New York on Friday afternoon May 27 after falling sick following a trip to Europe.
Born in Chicago, Illinois to Jamaican soccer player Gilbert Heron and singer Bobbie Scott, the star spent his early years in Jackson, Tennessee before moving to New York with his mother following his parents' divorce.
He began his recording career in 1970 with his debut album Small Talk at 125th and Lenox, a disc containing songs about social and political topics of the time, including the spoken-word piece The Revolution Will Not Be Televised. The track, which was regularly used for black power campaigns, is credited with influencing some of the biggest names in hip-hop, including rappers Common, Talib Kweli, Mos Def and Kanye West, who sampled Scott-Heron on his latest, critically-acclaimed album My Beautiful Twisted Dark Fantasy.
