Jimmy Scott facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jimmy Scott
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Jimmy and Jeanie Scott at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York City, September 4, 2004
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | James Victor Scott |
| Born | July 17, 1925 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | June 12, 2014 (aged 88) Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Years active | 1945–2014 |
| Labels | Savoy, Decca, Roost, Regal, Tangerine, King, Atlantic, J's Way, Sire, Warner Bros., Artists Only, Milestone, Venus |
Jimmy Scott (born James Victor Scott; July 17, 1925 – June 12, 2014) was a famous American jazz singer. People knew him as Little Jimmy Scott or Jimmy Scott. He was special because of his very high singing voice, called a contralto voice. He was also known for singing ballads and love songs with a lot of feeling.
Jimmy Scott had a rare genetic condition called Kallmann syndrome. This condition made him shorter than most people for a long time. It also kept his voice high, giving him a unique sound. After being very popular in the 1940s and 1950s, his career slowed down. But he made a big comeback in the 1990s.
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Early Life of Jimmy Scott
James Victor Scott was born on July 17, 1925. His hometown was Cleveland, Ohio, in the United States. He was the third of ten children in his family. Jimmy started singing early, often with his mother at the piano. He also sang in his church choir. When he was 13, his mother passed away, and he became an orphan.
Jimmy Scott's Music Career
The famous bandleader Lionel Hampton gave him the nickname "Little Jimmy Scott." This was because Jimmy looked young and was short. Many famous artists loved his singing style. These included Billie Holiday, Ray Charles, and Nancy Wilson.
Rising to Fame
Jimmy Scott became well-known as the lead singer for Lionel Hampton's band. He sang on the song "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" in 1949. This song became a top ten R&B hit in 1950. However, the record label only credited "Lionel Hampton and vocalists." Jimmy Scott's name was not on the song. Something similar happened later with "Embraceable You" with Charlie Parker.
Challenges and Comeback
In 1963, his girlfriend, Mary Ann Fisher, helped him get a record deal. He signed with Tangerine, which was Ray Charles's record label. He recorded an album called Falling in Love is Wonderful. But this album was quickly taken off the market. This happened because of a problem with an old contract Jimmy had. It took 40 years for the album to be released again.
By the late 1960s, Jimmy Scott's music career was not doing well. He went back to Cleveland, his hometown. There, he worked different jobs, like a hospital orderly and an elevator operator.
He returned to music in 1989. His manager helped him perform in New York City. His career got another boost when he sang at the funeral of his friend, songwriter Doc Pomus.
New Successes
In 1991, Jimmy Scott sang the song "Sycamore Trees" in the TV show Twin Peaks. The next year, Lou Reed asked him to sing on his album Magic and Loss.
A record company founder, Seymour Stein, saw Jimmy Scott sing at the funeral. He signed Jimmy to his label, Sire. In 1992, Jimmy released the album All the Way. This album was a big hit and was nominated for a Grammy Award.
He released more albums, including Dream (1994) and Heaven (1996). His 1998 album, Holding Back the Years, was very popular in Japan. It won an award for Best Jazz Album of the Year. This album included his versions of songs by Prince, John Lennon, and Elton John.
In the early 2000s, Jimmy Scott continued to record music. He released four albums with Milestone. He also released two live albums recorded in Japan. A documentary about him, If You Only Knew, aired on PBS in 2003–2004. It won several awards.
Jimmy Scott and his wife, Jeanie, moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2006. He made his final recording on May 10, 2014. He sang a song called "The 26th of May" for another artist's album.
Jimmy Scott passed away peacefully in his sleep on June 12, 2014. He was 88 years old. He was buried in Knollwood Cemetery in Mayfield Heights, Ohio. A street in Cleveland was later renamed Jimmy Scott Way in his honor.
Awards and Honors for Jimmy Scott
Jimmy Scott performed at the inaugurations of two U.S. Presidents. He sang for President Eisenhower in 1953 and President Clinton in 1993. Both times, he sang the song "Why Was I Born?". He continued to perform until he died.
He received many important awards for his music. These included:
- The NEA Jazz Masters award (2007)
- The Living Legend Award from the Kennedy Center
- The Lifetime Achievement Award from the Jazz Foundation of America (2010)
Jimmy Scott's music has also been featured in movies and TV shows. His song "If I Ever Lost You" was in the HBO movie Lackawanna Blues. He was also mentioned on The Cosby Show. In 2013, he was inducted into the R&B Music Hall of Fame.
Jimmy Scott's Discography
Here are some of the albums Jimmy Scott released:
- Very Truly Yours (Savoy, 1955)
- If You Only Knew (Savoy, 1956)
- The Fabulous Songs of Jimmy Scott (Savoy, 1960)
- Falling in Love Is Wonderful (Tangerine, 1962)
- The Source (Atlantic, 1969)
- Lost And Found (Atlantic, 1971)
- Can't We Begin Again (Savoy, 1975)
- Doesn't Love Mean More (J's Way, 1990)
- Regal Records Live in New Orleans (Specialty, 1991) – recorded in 1950
- All the Way (Sire, 1992)
- Dream (Sire/Warner Bros., 1994)
- Heaven (Warner Bros., 1996)
- Holding Back the Years (Artists Only!, 1998)
- Everybody's Somebody's Fool (Decca, 1999) – recorded in 1949–52
- Mood Indigo (Milestone, 2000)
- Over the Rainbow (Milestone, 2001)
- But Beautiful (Milestone, 2002) – recorded in 2001
- Unchained Melody (Tokuma, 2002) – recorded in 2001
- Moon Glow (Milestone, 2003) – recorded in 2000–01
- All of Me - Live in Tokyo (Venus, 2003) – live
Jimmy Scott's Filmography
Jimmy Scott appeared in these documentaries and films:
Documentaries about Jimmy Scott
- The Ballad of Little Jimmy Scott (1987)
- Why Was I Born: The Life and Times of Little Jimmy Scott (1999)
- Jimmy Scott: If You Only Knew (2003–2004)
Film and TV Appearances
- Soul! (PBS, 1971)
- Lounge-A-Palooza: "Love Will Keep Us Together" (1997)
- Scotch & Milk (1998)
- Twin Peaks, "Episode 29" (TV) (1991)
- Chelsea Walls (2002)
- Stormy Weather: The Music of Harold Arlen (TV) (2002)
- I Love Your Work (2005)
- Be Kind Rewind (2008)
- Passion Play (2011)
