Talk:Gil Scott-Heron/Archive 1

Archive 1

The Bottle

Actually, "The Bottle" was produced by Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson and was originally released in 1974 on an the album, "Winter in America". The 1978 version was a live version of the tune which was released on the album, "It's Your World", and was also produced by Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 4.43.252.133 (talk) 05:19, 15 March 2003 (UTC)

Other Roles

Gil Scott Heron was also a noted teacher and spokesman at the Federal City College in Washington, DC which later became The University of The District of Columbia

True; I can contact one of his former bandmates here in Washington, D.C. (he'll be back in town by the end of October, 2008), and see if he kept any articles or newsclippings from that period of time. If I'm not mistaken, he performed often at Howard University, or the Howard Theatre, and I (probably am wrong, I was a teenager, but thought he was a guest lecturer at Howard University as well.--leahtwosaints (talk) 18:15, 17 October 2008 (UTC)

Brian Jackson

Is the Brian Jackson who worked with Gil Scott-Heron the same person as the Sociologist linked to in this article (Brian Jackson)? --Camipco 01:43, 14 October 2005 (UTC) Don't think so - especially since I don't see a sociologist link there. He is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Jackson_(musician). (I was a fellow schoolmate, and later a bandmember, with both Scott-Heron and Jackson.) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.16.148.13 (talk) 06:57, 18 August 2009 (UTC)

Prosecution Counters What?

"On July 5, 2006, Scott-Heron was sentenced to two to four years in a New York State prison for violating a plea deal on a drug-possession charge by leaving a treatment center. Scott-Heron said he is HIV-positive and claimed the in-patient rehabilitation center stopped giving him his medication. The prosecution countered that Scott-Heron had once skipped out for an appearance with singer Alicia Keys.[3] Scott-Heron's sentence will be complete on July 13, 2009, but he will be eligible for parole two years before that date. He was paroled on May 23, 2007.[4]"

I'm not sure what Alicia Keys has to do with the text that precedes it or follows it. Am I missing something? Also the link there is broken. Before I fix this, can someone explain what skipping out on an Alicia Keys concert or being denied HIV meds has to do with leaving a treatment center? Quag7 18:51, 3 July 2007 (UTC)

Perhaps the "appearance with singer Alicia Keys" was an attempt by the prosecution to point out the flaw in Scott-Heron's argument for leaving treatment. That is to say, Scott-Heron once left the rehab center to go perform with Alicia Keys (not that he skipped out on a performance with her)... was it absolutely necessary to leave treatment to go perform with Alicia Keys? This is just a guess, but I'm thinking the prosecution was trying to establish that Scott-Heron wasn't fully committed to recovery/rehab. Shanlb (talk) 17:20, 30 January 2010 (UTC)Shanlb

WikiProject class rating

This article was automatically assessed because at least one WikiProject had rated the article as start, and the rating on other projects was brought up to start class. BetacommandBot 15:47, 10 November 2007 (UTC)

Amnesia

Check the album credits.

Carl Cornwell, who met Gil in their Freshman year at Lincoln University in 1967, toured with the band from 1978 through 1982 (contributing horn arrangements on 1980, Real Eyes, and Moving Target). Ron Holloway was brought into the band (AFTER his tenure with Dizzy) because Cornwell's teaching schedule did not permit his full-time presence in the Amnesia Express that he and Scott-Heron established in the years following the demise of the Midnight Band. Cornwell rejoined the band from 1989 through 1997 (while maintaining a career as a software consultant for numerous Federal agencies) and led a spin-off ensemble - UNIT CIRCLE - that met with some critical acclaim in the Mid-Atlantic region from 1990 thru 1998. Ccfromdc (talk) 05:50, 26 June 2009 (UTC)

Daddy Loves You

I've removed the following content from the Personal life section:

Gia was the subject of Scott-Heron's song "Your Daddy Loves You," which appeared on his Real Eyes album from 1980. (I'm afraid that's incorrect my friend. I recently heard on a Radio 4 interview Scott-Heron decline any connection between the song and his daughter. He infact wrote the poem before his daughter was born.)

The original source cited was an Amazon product description, which is not the sort of reliable source we should be citing for something like this. --JN466 14:28, 6 February 2010 (UTC)

Genre: Spoken Word Soul ??

The article on spoken word soul says it's a movement that began in the 90s. If so, how can GSH be known for his spoken word soul of the 70s and 80s? This seems to be an anachronism: attributing to him something that happened later. Hult041956 (talk) 18:51, 21 February 2010 (UTC)

Homophobia

Scott-Heron spoke out against homophobia within the black community, but I can't see of a way to classify him. If he's not a gay-lesbian rights activist, is there a way that he might get credit for this? I saw this myself; D.C. is a very happening place for the gay community, and has been so since the early 1970s that I know of, personally, possibly earlier, but in the African-American community it was still a sore point with a lot of people. I think Gil should somehow get credit for bringing it up in concerts. Is there a way? --leahtwosaints (talk) 18:21, 17 October 2008 (UTC)

Why the need to classify him? You could work on a presentation of him as a spokesman for a segment of his audience, or society, that needed expression...a voice in the forefront of awareness of a lifestyle that was, at the time, just getting its voice...a harbinger of what was to come...a diplomat, a conversationalist, a door-opener, a foreshadower, a mischief maker...etc. Get the idea?--Buster7 (talk) 02:27, 31 January 2009 (UTC)

His The subject was faggots is certainly not a pro-gay piece. I never heard of Scott-Heron in any way distancing himself from this clearly homophobic work. I would be happy to see a verifiable citation that he stood with the LGBT community. Pjefts (talk) 15:21, 28 May 2011 (UTC)

Well it's certainly not pro-dragon, but that's not uncommon for gender-conformant male homosexuals. Read (what purported to be) the lyrics after a quick google, and don't see them as necessarily expressing homophobia, as opposed to the dislike many masculine homosexuals have for effeminate ones. Homophobia as such would be inconsistent with GSH's overall political orientation and the lyrics as I read them were consistent both with his work overall and that orientation. Are you reacting to the use of faggot by an artist who pioneered the use of nigger in his works? Did you actually read the lyrics? 72.228.177.92 (talk) 14:27, 29 May 2011 (UTC)

I wouldn't have posted this if I wasn't familiar both with the lyrics and the performance on the 1970 album. The lyrics such as they are reproduced on the 'net do seem tame. Scott-Heron's performance of them is what I perceive today and did in the hub-dub of gay lib in 1970 as "nasty". If one of the previous posters could show me to a source that Scott-Heron spoke out for the LGBTQ community I would be very pleased. Eldridge Cleaver had a progressive political orientation and was more than just mildly anti-gay. Pjefts (talk) 18:24, 29 May 2011 (UTC)

Dunno about the overall matter of fact, just responded to the specific work cited. As far as Cleaver is concerned, doesn't seem a valid comparison. SFAIK, GSH never betrayed his original political orientation. Also "doesn't actively support LGBT rights" ≠ "homophobic". I don't support PETA but that doesn't mean I advocate inhumane treatment of animals. If you think that the equation is valid and especially if you are a white bourgeois, I can see how you might interpret the lack of such support, and the playing to various black cultural sensibilities that way. 72.228.177.92 (talk) 19:57, 29 May 2011 (UTC)

Since this page is intended for the discussion of the article and not for a general discussion, I will not try and answer you. I have no verifiable citation as to GSH being homophobic merely my own observations. If you have some verifiable sources to prove otherwise please cite them. WP:NICE Pjefts (talk) 00:52, 30 May 2011 (UTC)

Reports of death

Please don't add any reports of death that do not have a reliable source attached. Cheers. 122.57.57.108 (talk) 01:26, 28 May 2011 (UTC)

NPR is now [| running the story. ] — Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.92.149.24 (talk) 01:45, 28 May 2011 (UTC)

Someone should add some details of his struggles over the past few years - namely being almost homeless, in jail, being HIV positive and his struggle with cocaine addiction. His struggles were very real and were evident on his appearance later in life. He is a talented artist, but his struggles are well documented. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.8.24.67 (talk) 06:19, 29 May 2011 (UTC)

Gil Scott Heron's surviving children

Other surviving children include a son, Rumal Rackley, and two daughters, Nia Kelly Heron and Chegianna Newton.Lrackley (talk) 03:19, 31 May 2011 (UTC)

Source? -- Eraserhead1 <talk> 06:33, 31 May 2011 (UTC)

Named survivors are now sourced. Marrante (talk) 17:18, 2 June 2011 (UTC)

Live at the Bottom Line

"Live at the Bottom Line" (with Brian Jackson) was never released as an album. According to this blog about it, the blogger made up the album cover himself.

I am therefore removing the album from the discography. – Fayenatic London 18:28, 30 October 2012 (UTC)

Refute of reference no. 36

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2011/05/20115287194489734.html

"(...) the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel circulated a letter and started a Facebook campaign, citing Scott-Heron's commitment to social justice (...) not to play apartheid Israel. (...) A few weeks later, Scott-Heron cancelled his Tel Aviv show."

This "campaign" conveniently cited by "Al Jazeera" seems to be questionable in itself and as a source. The concert should not have been cancelled on such a premise. Has it actually been cancelled for this reason or were there other reasons such as health?

"In addition to the struggle against South African apartheid and for Palestinian rights, Scott-Heron's activism ranged from Black liberation struggles to anti-nuclear campaigns."

The author goes on to formulate the supposedly established link of Scott-Heron and the Middle East conflict, one which lacks any direct quote by Scott-Heron himself or a management representative as a fact written with an unacceptable pathos. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 188.63.52.123 (talk) 23:19, 2 February 2014 (UTC)

Picture

Could someone find a better picture of him for the infobox? The one there now makes him look like a muppet. ... discospinster _talk 04:27, 28 May 2011 (UTC)

The pieces of a man cover was the one that I thought of before seeing this thread: http://www.spinningwax.com/gil/pieces.jpg . Should be possible to get a fair use copy. Lycurgus (talk) 05:30, 28 May 2011 (UTC)

Already in so changing. Lycurgus (talk) 05:40, 28 May 2011 (UTC)

Surely, that cover was dated 1971, not c. 1971? So unless why want the caption to read "Heron, on the cover of Pieces of a Man, c. 1971, we leave out the c? Thanks. Martinevans123 (talk) 08:34, 28 May 2011 (UTC)

No clue what you are talking about. When I placed it I put c. 1980. At least that horrible pic the creep placed has been whisked away. Lycurgus (talk) 18:12, 28 May 2011 (UTC)

I am talking about the 1971 album cover. Who was the creep? Whar was horrible and why? The current picture is fine, if a little "subdued"? Martinevans123 (talk) 18:16, 28 May 2011 (UTC)

Pieces of a man is '71 had it confused with Gil Scott Heron / Brian Jackson which is '80. 72.228.177.92 (talk) 18:48, 29 May 2011 (UTC)

Doesn't really matter now we have the 2010 Flickr picture, although the previous potrait photo, from the 1971 album cover, looked fine to me and in some ways seemed more vibrant and perhaps "typical" of GSH's early success. Martinevans123 (talk) 18:57, 29 May 2011 (UTC)

I agree. Gil was a beautiful man. Don't think it is good to use the present photo after years of drug abuse to epitomize him. --74.229.102.208 (talk) 22:12, 30 May 2011 (UTC)

Due to our requirements for the use of copyrighted files, we can't use that image. The fact that a free image of him exists means that it would be a violation of policy to use a fair use image. --Guerillero | My Talk 22:20, 30 May 2011 (UTC)

How about using this free image instead? Perhaps it shows Scott-Heron in a more favorable light, not a "muppet"? Also shows him performing, which is what he is most known for. Dan56 (talk) 22:48, 30 May 2011 (UTC)

I just dug out an old pic that I took of Gil at the WOMAD festival in 1986 and added that. Robman94 (talk) 01:29, 13 March 2014 (UTC)

"I don't recall being present at the event"

I remember a great comment by Gil when he was asked about being the father of rap. He said he wasn't saying he wasn't the father of rap, but he just didn't recall being present at the event. Amazingly this quote doesn't seem to be anywhere on the internet. Does anyone have a hardcopy of it? It's one of my favourite Scott-Heron quotes.--Deke42 (talk) 22:03, 5 September 2016 (UTC)

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