Saddened tonight by news of the death of legendary poet and spoken word/rap pioneer Gil Scott Heron.
I had the opportunity to see him perform many times, back in Chicago and after I moved out to LA in the mid-'80's.
He was one of the most inspiring performers in concert that I ever had the pleasure to see up close - not the greatest voice, nor a virtuoso, but someone who was utterly transparent, soulful, musical in every gesture, and smart with the kind of x-ray vision that certain truth-tellers possess.
His struggles are famous and it seems he lead a very hard life. Hope he is in a better place now.
william
I stood in the freezing cold of a Michigan February in the mid '80s for over an hour after the scheduled start time of one of the last concerts at Joe's Star Lounge to see Gil. It's still up there in the top three concert experiences I've had (the other two: Miles Davis & Eddie Harris).
Posted by: PamV | May 28, 2011 at 06:16 PM
Gil Scott-Heron really got the talent of poetry...his words are truly amazing and he's not just composing poetry but he's inspiring thousands of people with his works.
Posted by: PE Teacher Course | December 28, 2011 at 02:03 AM