Faith In Time : The Life Of Jimmy Scott

Born in Cleveland in 1925, "Little" Jimmy Scott lost his mother at age thirteen, the same year he was diagnosed with Kallman's syndrome. The disease stunted his growth and earned him his nickname, but it also left him with a haunting voice, a mesmerizing voice. He soon built a following as a singer touring with Lionel Hampton's great orchestra in the '40s, then performed with many of the stars of the '50s, from Lester Young to Charlie Parker to Dinah Washington, and was signed by Savoy Records. He thought he had his big break when, in 1962, Ray Charles produced what was by all accounts Jimmy's best work, Falling in Love Is Wonderful. But when it was forced off the shelves by contract disputes, Scott worked as an orderly and clerk in Cleveland for almost two decades. Fans thought he was dead-until songwriter Doc Pomus's funeral in March of 1991.As Pomus had instructed in his will, Jimmy sang over his friend's coffin. High-pitched and androgynous, his voice seemed to come out of thin air, transcending gender and age, evoking pure heartbreak. No one knew who he was-heads turned, celebrities conferred, record executives were reduced to tears-until finally Lou Reed turned around and whispered, "He's Jimmy Scott, the greatest jazz singer in the world." And so he was. By the next morning, he had a record deal with Sire that relaunched his career with the masterpiece All the Way, and he has been performing to packed clubs ever since. With full cooperation from Jimmy, his siblings, spouses, and colleagues from Ray Charles to Ruth Brown, Faith in Time is at once an intimate biography, an invaluable history of a life that spanned big band to bebop to pop, and the poignant story of a man whose voice will live forever. "The voice of Jimmy Scott is high-pitched and androgynous, transcending gender and age, penetrating the listener with pure heartbreak. It made him a jazz star in the 1950s, influenced legends from Marvin Gaye to Nancy Wilson in the 1960s, and in the 1990s thrust him back into the limelight. But the beauty of Scott's voice is hard-earned.". "Faith in Time captures the texture of Jimmy Scott's voice like no one ever has - honest, spirited, angry, laconic, cool - and in its pages he recounts his jazz life for the first time: touring as Lionel Hampton's star vocalist; playing with Lester Young, Charlie Parker, and Stan Getz; club-hopping with Billie Holiday - whose voice parallels his own. But Faith in Time is also a rare look at a music industry that cheated, strung out, and preyed on the weak. In 1960, Scott was on top of his game. Three years later, contract disputes had forced his masterpiece, produced by Ray Charles, off the shelves. Out of money and plagued by anguished relationships with women and a deep mistrust of agents and managers, he returned home to Cleveland. There, for nearly three decades, he worked quietly as a nurse's aide and a shipping clerk, wrestling with poverty and drink. Fans assumed he had died.". "Then, in 1991, Jimmy Scott's star began rising again. After singing at the funeral of his old friend, songwriter Doc Pomus, and reducing a roomful of music executives to tears, he suddenly had a new record deal. He has been recording and touring ever since, and at 77 years of age counts among his devoted fans Madonna, Lou Reed, David Lynch, and Ethan Hawke, making cameo appearances in their videos, concerts, series, and films.". "With full cooperation from Scott, his siblings, his ex-wives, and colleagues from Ray Charles to Ruth Brown, Faith in Time is at once an intimate biography, an invaluable history of the years spanning big band to bebop to pop, and the poignant story of a man whose ethereal voice refuses to fade away with time."--BOOK JACKET. The voice of Jimmy Scott is one of the world's most mesmerizing instruments, transcending gender and age. But its beauty is inextricably entwined with pain, hardship, and tragedy-yet Scott's resilience made his life a story of triumph. Born in Cleveland in 1925, Scott was orphaned as a teenager, and suffered from Kallman's syndrome, which kept his voice unnaturally high. He toured with Lionel Hampton in the '40s and recorded for Savoy Records. In 1962 Ray Charles produced and played on what many agree was Scott's best album, Falling in Love Is Wonderful , and a career breakthrough seemed imminent. But it was not to be, and Scott returned to Cleveland to work as an orderly and a shipping clerk-until he was rediscovered performing at his friend Doc Pomus's funeral in March of 1991. Acclaimed biographer David Ritz, with Scott's cooperation, has created a poignant portrait of a man whose voice cuts to the sadness and hope within us all. Faith in Time resonates like a haunting melody. A portrait of jazz performer "Little" Jimmy Scott recounts his loss of his mother and diagnosis with Kallman's syndrome at the age of thirteen, early successes with Lionel Hampton's orchestra, numerous stumbling blocks, and rediscovery at the funeral of Doc Pomus. Reprint. 25,000 first printing. Celebrates the life and accomplishments of jazz singer "Little Jimmy Scott," detailing his childhood and rise to stardom, and examining his unfortunate disappearance from the industry in the mid-1960s The first biography of one of the most influential singers in jazz, whose ethereal voice and uncanny phrasing have inspired performers from Nancy Wilson to Marvin Gaye to Frankie Valli The luminous biography of the jazz singer Jimmy Scott-"a moving, startling tale."Kirkus Reviews (starred) James Victor Scott, named for his paternal grandfather, was born in Cleveland, Ohio, July 17, 1925.