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 Needs Somebody
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" convey the universal experience of being heartbroken and feeling like a fool in love. The singer laments about the immense pain and sadness caused by unrequited love, explaining that his tears for his love interest could fill an ocean. However, despite being led on and hurt, he cannot bring himself to leave the person who is causing him so much heartache. He accepts that everybody is someone's fool and that there are no exceptions to this rule, highlighting the shared experiences and emotions that come with being in love.
The second half of the song finds the singer trying to move on from the relationship, realizing that forgetting his love interest may be the best option. Despite such resolution, he admits that he would still feel deeply saddened without the person who broke his heart. The song ends with a message of empathy and understanding as the singer warns his former lover that they too will experience heartbreak at some point in their life.
Overall, the lyrics of "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" sensitively and poignantly explore the pain of heartbreak and unrequited love in a way that is relatable to many people. It conveys the idea that everyone has experienced heartbreak at some point in their lives, and that we should treat each other with kindness and understanding as a result.
Line by Line Meaning
The tears I cried for you could fill an ocean,
I cried so much for you that if you tried to measure it, you wouldn't be able to because it was too much.
But you don't care how many tears I cry
You don't care how much I hurt, even if I cry myself a river.
And though you only lead me on and hurt me,
You played with my feelings and hurt me, even though you knew how I felt about you.
I couldn't bring myself to say goodbye
I couldn't leave you, even though I knew you were hurting me.
Cause everybody's somebody's fool
Everyone has been in a situation where they've been hurt by someone they care about.
Everybody's somebody's plaything
People play with each other's emotions and don't always prioritize the other person's feelings.
And there are no exceptions to the rule
This happens to everyone and there are no exceptions to it.
Yes, everybody's somebody's fool
Everyone has been foolish in the past due to their emotions.
I told myself it's best that I forget you,
I decided it was best to forget you and move on.
Though I'm a fool, at least I know the score
Even though I made a mistake by falling for you, I understand the situation and where I stand.
Yet darlin', I'd be twice as blue without you
Even though you've hurt me, I would still feel sad if you weren't in my life.
It hurts, but I'd come running back for more
Even though you hurt me, I would still come back to you because I have feelings for you.
Someday you'll find someone you really care for
One day, you will find someone who you truly care about.
And if her love should prove to be untrue,
If that person's love turns out to be untrue, you will feel the same pain I felt.
You'll know how much this heart of my is breakin'
You will understand the pain I felt when you hurt me.
You'll cry for her the way I cried for you
You will feel the same sadness that I felt when you hurt me.
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
F Brown-Williams
Jimmy Scott is truly a great singer, who should have received more exposure. I first heard him about 2 years ago, and wondered why I never heard his music before, I just happen to luck up on him by listening to WBGO 88.7 in NY, now I am listening to him on WDNA 88.1 Miami.
Radix Reuel
Little Jimmy is Legend ❤️ 🙏🏽 ✨
mutleybird
Budd Johnson (tenor saxophone) Howard Biggs (piano, arranger) Mundell Lowe (guitar) Charles Mingus (bass) Rudy Nichols (drums).
eddiejazz100
one of the greatest, a true master of melody and phrasing.Its a shame that savoy recods jerked him aound so many years.Still it took nothig away. he sounds great always have and always will.....All the cats love you...........
Margaret Roddey
Never heard him until today!I am hooked!!
Jarvis Moorehead
The best SINGER EVER!
Sherwin Bartholomew
you can't help love jimmy scott
Daniel Aguilera
GRACIAS , AMO A ESTE CANTANTE UN ABRAZO DESDE CHILE
bodder777
the very coolest. Man this cat can do. These legends.
Dee530 Luvz2BeLoved
Marvelous... new to me, with great photos, thanks for posting right to my faves... the Legend that is Mr. Jimmy Scott, M xox Wonderful~ warm regards, Marcie & Dee*