Scott was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to Authur and Justine Stanard Scott, the third in a family of ten. As a child Jimmy got his first singing experience by his mother's side at the family piano, and later, in church choir. At thirteen, he was orphaned when his mother was killed by a drunk driver.
He first rose to national prominence as "Little Jimmy Scott" in the Lionel Hampton Band when he sang lead on the late 1940s hit "Everybody's Somebody's Fool", recorded in December 1949, and which became a top ten R&B hit in 1950. Credit on the label, however, went to "Lionel Hampton and vocalists", so the singer's name did not appear on any of the songs. This omission of credit was not only a slight to Scott's talent but a big blow to his career. A similar professional insult occurred several years later when his vocal on "Embraceable You" with Charlie Parker, on the album One Night in Birdland, was credited to female vocalist Chubby Newsome.
Lionel Hampton gave him the stage name of "Little Jimmy Scott" because he looked so young, and was short and of slight build. However, it was his extraordinary phrasing and romantic feeling that made him a favorite singer of fellow artists such as Billie Holiday, Ray Charles, Frankie Valli, Dinah Washington, and Nancy Wilson.
In 1963, it looked as though Scott's luck had changed for the good. He was signed to Ray Charles' Tangerine Records label, under the supervision of Charles himself, creating what is considered by many to be one of the great jazz vocal albums of all time, Falling in Love is Wonderful.
Owing to obligations on a contract that Scott had signed earlier with Herman Lubinsky, the record was yanked from the shelves in a matter of days, while Jimmy was honeymooning. Forty years later this cult album became available to the public again. Scott disputes the "lifetime" contract; Lubinsky loaned Jimmy out to Syd Nathan at King Records for 45 recordings in 1957–58. Another album, The Source (1969), was not released until 2001.
Scott's career faded by the late 1960s and he returned to his native Cleveland to work as a hospital orderly, shipping clerk and as an elevator operator in a hotel.
Scott eventually resurfaced in 1991 when he sang at the funeral of his long-time friend Doc Pomus, an event that single-handedly sparked his career renaissance. Afterwards Lou Reed recruited him to sing back-up on the track "Power and Glory" from his 1992 album Magic and Loss, which was inspired, to an extent, by Pomus's death. Scott was seen on the series finale of David Lynch's television series Twin Peaks, singing "Sycamore Trees", a song with lyrics by Lynch and music by Angelo Badalamenti. Scott was featured on the soundtrack of the follow-up film, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me.
Also in attendance at Pomus's funeral was Seymour Stein, founder and operator of Sire Records, who released Scott's 1992 album All The Way, produced by Tommy Lipuma and featuring artists such as Kenny Barron, Ron Carter, and David "Fathead" Newman. Scott was nominated for a Grammy Award for this album.
He followed this up with the album Dream in 1994 and the jazz-gospel album Heaven in 1996. His next work, a critically acclaimed album of pop and rock interpretations entitled Holding Back The Years was produced by Gerry McCarthy and Dale Ashley. Released in the US on Artists Only Records in October 1998, it peaked at #14 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. In Japan, it won the prestigious Swing Journal Award for Best Jazz Album Of The Year (2000). The title track marked the first time in his career that Scott overdubbed his own harmony vocal tracks. Holding Back The Years features cover art by Mark Kostabi, liner notes by Lou Reed, and includes critically acclaimed versions of "Nothing Compares 2 U" (written by Prince), "Jealous Guy" (John Lennon), "Almost Blue" (Elvis Costello) and "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word" (Elton John & Bernie Taupin).
In 1999, Scott's early recordings on the Decca label were re-released on CD, as were all of his recordings with the Savoy Label between 1952 and 1975 in a three-disc box set. In 2000, Scott signed to the Milestone jazz label, and recorded four critically acclaimed albums, each produced by Todd Barkan, and featuring a variety of jazz artists, including Wynton Marsalis, Renee Rosnes, Bob Kindred, Eric Alexander, Lew Soloff, George Mraz, Lewis Nash, as well as Jimmy's own touring and recording band "The Jazz Expressions". He also released two live albums, both recorded in Japan, featuring the Jazz Expressions.
In 2012, he joined the 11th annual Independent Music Awards judging panel to assist independent musicians' careers. For some years a new album entitled I Remember You was mentioned via various official channels, including Jimmy's official website.
He died on June 12, 2014, aged 88.
Legacy
Scott's career spanned sixty-five years. He performed with Charlie Parker, Sarah Vaughan, Lester Young, Lionel Hampton, Charles Mingus, Fats Navarro, Quincy Jones, Bud Powell, Ray Charles, Wynton Marsalis, and Peter Cincotti. He also performed with a host of musicians from other genres of music, such as David Byrne, Lou Reed, Flea, Michael Stipe, and Antony & The Johnsons.
Scott performed at President Dwight Eisenhower's (1953) and President Bill Clinton's (1993) inaugurations, where he sang the same song, "Why Was I Born?". Later, Scott appeared in live performances with Pink Martini, and continued to perform internationally at music festivals and at his own concerts until shortly before his death.
In 2007, Scott received the 2007 NEA Jazz Master Award. He also received the Kennedy Center's "Jazz In Our Time" Living Legend Award, and N.A.B.O.B.'s Pioneer Award in 2007. In September 2008 he did a "two-day video interview" at his Vegas home with the "Smithsonian Institute for the National Archives". Scott and his wife Jeanie lived in Las Vegas, Nevada after 2007, having previously living in Euclid, Ohio, for 10 years.
Little Jimmy Scott's "If I Ever Lost You" can be heard in the opening credits of the HBO movie Lackawanna Blues. He was also mentioned on The Cosby Show, when Clair and Cliff Huxtable bet on the year in which "An Evening In Paradise" was recorded. On August 17, 2013, at Cleveland State University in his hometown, Cleveland, Ohio, he was inducted into inaugural 2013 of the R&B Music Hall of Fame.
Everybody's Somebody's Fool
Jimmy Scott Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The world is the biggest school
As you live, you learn though a torch will burn
Everybody's somebody's fool
You go through life making fools of others
Pretending you're giving them love
But remember sister or brother
It's beautiful to watch love begin
But oh so sad when it ends
As you got through life remember this rule
Everybody's somebody's fool
It's beautiful to watch love begin
But oh so sad when it ends
As you got through life remember this rule
Everybody's somebody's fool
The lyrics of Jimmy Scott's song Everybody's Somebody's Fool speak about the universal human experience of love, heartbreak and vulnerability. The first line, "Everybody's somebody's fool," implies that everyone is capable of falling for someone who may not feel the same way or who may take advantage of their emotions. The following line, "The world is the biggest school," suggests that life is a learning experience, and love is one of its most profound lessons. The line "As you live, you learn though a torch will burn" reinforces this idea that painful experiences can be valuable teachers.
The second verse speaks to the temptation to manipulate and deceive others in the name of love. The line "You go through life making fools of others, pretending you're giving them love" suggests that people may hurt others in their pursuit of romantic fulfillment. However, the line "But remember sister or brother, you all have to answer to the one you above" suggests that there is accountability for our actions and that a moral conscience is ultimately responsible for our choices.
The final verse returns to the theme of the transience of love, describing its beauty and sadness. The repetition of the line, "It's beautiful to watch love begin, but oh so sad when it ends" emphasizes the bittersweet nature of romantic relationships. The final line, "As you go through life remember this rule, everybody's somebody's fool" seems to serve as a cautionary reminder that we should treat others with empathy and kindness, recognizing that we are all vulnerable to being "fools" for love.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody's somebody's fool
Everyone has been foolish or naive at some point in their life
The world is the biggest school
The world is full of lessons to be learned
As you live, you learn though a torch will burn
Learning through hardships can be painful, but it is a valuable experience
You go through life making fools of others
People often deceive or mislead others for their own benefit
Pretending you're giving them love
Sometimes people manipulate others by pretending to care for them
But remember sister or brother
Remember that everyone is connected, and what you do to others will come back to you
You all have to answer to the one you above
Everyone is accountable for their actions and will have to answer for them one day
It's beautiful to watch love begin
The start of a relationship can be a wonderful thing
But oh so sad when it ends
Endings can be painful and difficult
As you got through life remember this rule
Remember that everyone is susceptible to making mistakes and being naive
Everybody's somebody's fool
Everyone has been foolish or naive at some point in their life
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BUNZO MUSIC CO, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Gladys Hampton, Regina Adams, Stanley Adams
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind