US musician and poet Gil Scott-Heron dies at 62

[Gerald]

US musician and poet Gil Scott-Heron, often called the Godfather of Rap, has died in a New York hospital aged 62.

The cause of his death is not clear, but he is believed to have become ill after returning from a visit to Europe.

Scott-Heron's material spanned soul, jazz, blues and the spoken word. His 1970s work heavily influenced the US hip-hop and rap scenes.

His work had a strong political element - one of his most famous pieces was The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.

Scott-Heron's friend Doris Nolan said the musician had died at St Luke's Hospital on Friday afternoon.

"We're all sort of shattered," she told the Associated Press.

Scott-Heron was born in Chicago in 1949 - the son of former football player in Britain - and grew up in Tennessee before moving to New York.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13582880


Note: 28 May 2011 Last updated at 07:58 GMT

[Gerald]

Gil Scott-Heron - 'Me And The Devil' (Official HD Video)

http://youtu.be/OET8SVAGELA

RIP Gil!

[vienna]

I heard a lot of his work in the 60's and 70's. I find it a little dismissive to label him as just "The Godfather of Rap". His work, while it may have influenced rap and hip-hop, was far broader in scope and had more substance than almost all that is called rap today. He was a true poet and not just a clever rhymester. Alongside the Last Poets, he had a voice that communicated beyond genres. RIP Gil...

[Sailor Steve]

I was never really familiar with his work. I followed the link and ended up listening to a lot, both old and new. It seems the day after he died he collected a new fan. :salute:

[vienna]

It's like Jimi Hendrix once said: "Once you're dead,you're made for life".