Gil Scott-Heron, Cultural Influencer and NYC Music Icon, Dies at Age 62

The revered poet and recording artist Gil Scott-Heron has passed away at the age of 62. A resident of Harlem, he became ill after returning from a trip to Europe and died on Friday, May 27 at St. Luke’s Hospital in Manhattan.

RIP Gil Scott-Heron, an NYC musical pioneer.

Born on April 1, 1949, Scott-Heron was a writer and poet whose early work won him a scholarship to the Fieldston School in the Bronx. He exploded on the international music scene on the strength of his landmark recording “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”, which was originally recorded at NYC’s RCA Studios on April 19, 1971.

An electrifying mixture of funk and soul, the politically-charged song – along with other of Scott-Heron’s early work – was part of a portfolio that points to him as a progenitor of hip hop and rap. Scott-Heron himself was not receptive to this distinction, preferring to view himself as a “bluesologist” drawing off of jazz, blues, and Renaissance poetry influences.

Later in his career, Scott-Heron had his fair share of setbacks, including two convictions for cocaine possession, and a stint at Rikers Island prison for violating his parole. Nonetheless, he always retained his cult-figure status among a devoted fan base, and in 2010 released the Richard Russell-produced I’m New Here on XL.

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