Gil Scott Heron RIP

[Bridie]

Passing of the great musician



RIP

[RDR]

Indeed but a life cut short by his various 'addiciton' problems.
Also probably meant he would have produced more music, than he did.

[Bridie]

true and sad.

Beautiful songs with heartfelt lyrics

[Josef]

His books were ok, too. Edinburgh's Canongate republished a couple of them a few years back.

[RDR]

true and sad.

Beautiful songs with heartfelt lyrics

Yes, his lyrics were very good and of course he did produce poetry as well.
Of course, his father, who he saw very little of in childhood, played for a scottish football team.

[Bridie]

true and sad.

Beautiful songs with heartfelt lyrics

Yes, his lyrics were very good and of course he did produce poetry as well.
Of course, his father, who he saw very little of in childhood, played for a scottish football team.

"The military and the monetary,
get together whenever they think it’s necessary."

"..whatever happened to the people who give a damn..."

I only just found out that fact about his father - a good piece here by a reporter and lifelong fan who went over to visit Gil in NY when his father died in 2008 with a piece of music written by the Dundee musician - Michael Marra called The Flight of the Heron" ( can't find the song or even the lyrics anywhere)

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/ ... 298520.ece

[Bridie]

His books were ok, too. Edinburgh's Canongate republished a couple of them a few years back.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/ma ... jamie-byng

[RDR]

true and sad.

Beautiful songs with heartfelt lyrics

Yes, his lyrics were very good and of course he did produce poetry as well.
Of course, his father, who he saw very little of in childhood, played for a scottish football team.

"The military and the monetary,
get together whenever they think it’s necessary."

"..whatever happened to the people who give a damn..."

I only just found out that fact about his father - a good piece here by a reporter and lifelong fan who went over to visit Gil in NY when his father died in 2008 with a piece of music written by the Dundee musician - Michael Marra called The Flight of the Heron" ( can't find the song or even the lyrics anywhere)

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/ ... 298520.ece

I've seen that piece by Gerry Hassan and I thought it was well written and conveyed Gil's persona, well.
There was a sort of inner sadness there and of course his own demons were well known. I don't think he ever conquered them.
Then agan that was him and maybe without those flaws he wouldn't have written the lyrics and prose he did.

[Bridie]

Thats a sad irony for some.
Just been listening to more of his lyrics and they are so powerful.

"A junkie walking through the twilight / I'm on my way home / I left three days ago, but noone seems to know i'm gone / Home is where the hatred is.."

What were his demons - did he ever explain anything?

[fiain]

"See that sista, sho wuz fine 'fore she
started drinkin' wine
from the bottle."

I was fortunate enough to see GSH at the Jazz Cafe in Camden a few years back, one of my all time favourite gigs.
RIP sir.

[Dexter St. Clair]

he was bitten on his European tour and with his weakened immune system he died. Any comments from Glaswegians about his demons are laughable considering he managed to reach 62 which is unimaginable in Calton.

[RDR]

Thats a sad irony for some.
Just been listening to more of his lyrics and they are so powerful.

"A junkie walking through the twilight / I'm on my way home / I left three days ago, but noone seems to know i'm gone / Home is where the hatred is.."

What were his demons - did he ever explain anything?

Some of his demons seem to be related to his upbringing and also the relationship (or lack of) with his father.
Some to the racsim in the USA in the 60's.
As a general observation it seems that addictive personalities go hand and hand with creative ones at times, John Martyn being another example.

Dexter while as usual being facile makes a good point. 62 is still young to die, especially when you live in an affulent society and the same applies to the east end of Glasgow where the average age of death is way younger than say Bearsden or Newton Mearns. Both are wrong and drugs aren't all to blame, poverty still plays a major role.

[hungryjoe]

Thats a sad irony for some.
Just been listening to more of his lyrics and they are so powerful.

"A junkie walking through the twilight / I'm on my way home / I left three days ago, but noone seems to know i'm gone / Home is where the hatred is.."

What were his demons - did he ever explain anything?

Some of his demons seem to be related to his upbringing and also the relationship (or lack of) with his father.
Some to the racsim in the USA in the 60's.
As a general observation it seems that addictive personalities go hand and hand with creative ones at times, John Martyn being another example.

Dexter while as usual being facile makes a good point. 62 is still young to die, especially when you live in an affulent society and the same applies to the east end of Glasgow where the average age of death is way younger than say Bearsden or Newton Mearns. Both are wrong and drugs aren't all to blame, poverty still plays a major role.

I believe Dexter may just have been Dextered

I only looked in to see if anyone had mentioned that his dad played for Celtic.

[InkMan]

Dotun Adebayo was very upset when announcing the breaking news of Heron's death on his Radio5Live Up All Night show on Saturday morning. He paid further tribute during the World Music discussion section of his following programme.

Both should be available online now.

Shuggy

[Dexter St. Clair]

Some to the racsim in the USA in the 60's.
As a general observation it seems that addictive personalities go hand and hand with creative ones at times, John Martyn being another example.

Aye sure. Both of them went to good schools anaw. Is that a link?

I believe Dexter may just have been Dextered ::):

I only looked in to see if anyone had mentioned that his dad played for Celtic.

After he was interviewed on STV in the company of Bob Crampsey I thought everyone knew that. According to Bertie Auld when Johhny Heron arrived at Parkhead Charlie Tully described his outfit as a snap brim fedora , a zoot suit and a pair of big yella brogues.