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.
I'm Afraid the Masquerade Is Over
Jimmy Scott Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And my dreams are drifting away
Your eyes don't shine like they used to shine
And the thrill is gone when your lips meet mine
I'm afraid the masquerade is over
And so is love, and so is love
They were once inspired, now they're just routine
I'm afraid the masquerade is over
And so is love, and so is love
I guess I'll have to play Pagliacci
And get myself a clown's disguise
And learn to laugh like Pagliacci
With tears in my eyes
You look the same, you're a lot the same
But my heart says "no, no, you're not the same"
I'm afraid the masquerade is over
And so is love, and so is love
I guess I'll have to play Pagliacci
And get myself a clown's disguise
And learn to laugh like Pagliacci
With tears in my eyes
You look the same, you're a lot the same
But my heart says "No, no, you're not the same"
I'm afraid the masquerade is over
And so is love, and so is love
The lyrics of Jimmy Scott's "I'm Afraid the Masquerade Is Over" speak about the end of a relationship or the end of a luring facade that masked the relationship's true nature. The falling apart of this mask has caused the singer's dreams and hopes to slip away, leading to a blue horizon that is turning grey. The person he once loved and shared a connection with has changed, and the spark is gone when they meet. The words that once held such meaning have now become routine and uninspired.
The phrase "I'm afraid the masquerade is over" is repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the end of the deception or facade. The singer admits that the love is over, and that he must move on. The lines "I guess I'll have to play Pagliacci and get myself a clown's disguise, and learn to laugh like Pagliacci with tears in my eyes" refer to the Italian opera, where the character of Pagliacci is seeing his world crumble around him, but must put on a show, pretending all is well. The singer suggests that he must rely on the same premise, putting on a brave face even when his heart is breaking.
Overall, the song highlights the pain of losing a loved one and trying to continue on while holding on to remnants of love that may no longer be there. It's a reminder that sometimes, we must face the truth, even when it causes pain.
Line by Line Meaning
My blue horizon is turning grey
The happy and bright future I envisioned is fading away and becoming dull and sad.
And my dreams are drifting away
The things I hoped and wished for are slipping out of my grasp and disappearing.
Your eyes don't shine like they used to shine
I can see that the sparkle and joy that used to reflect in your eyes has disappeared.
And the thrill is gone when your lips meet mine
The excitement and passion that we used to feel when we kissed is gone.
I'm afraid the masquerade is over
I fear that the false pretenses and act we've been putting on to fool ourselves and others is coming to an end.
And so is love, and so is love
Our relationship and the feelings we had for each other are also ending as the truth is revealed.
Your words don't mean what they used to mean
The things you say do not carry the same weight and honesty that they once did.
They were once inspired, now they're just routine
Your words used to evoke strong feelings in me, but now they feel empty and unimportant, like rehearsed lines.
I guess I'll have to play Pagliacci
I feel like I have to pretend to be someone else, like the tragic clown Pagliacci, to hide my true feelings.
And get myself a clown's disguise
I need to put on a facade and pretend to be happy when I am actually sad.
And learn to laugh like Pagliacci
I need to hide my pain behind jokes and humor, even though I feel like crying.
With tears in my eyes
Despite my attempts to appear happy, I am still sad and emotional on the inside.
You look the same, you're a lot the same
Although you appear to be unchanged on the surface, I can feel that something is different and wrong.
But my heart says "no, no, you're not the same"
My intuition and emotions are telling me that you have changed and our relationship is no longer the same.
I'm afraid the masquerade is over
I am scared that the facade we have been putting on to hide our true feelings and maintain our relationship is coming to an end.
And so is love, and so is love
As the truth is revealed and the act is over, our love for each other is ending as well.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION
Written by: Allie Wrubel, Herbert Magidson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Terry Sanders
Yes, he was a marvelous singer. A great voice to remember and I'm sure a wonderful and humble man. 🙏❤️
Terry Sanders
OMG! Mr Scott had such a heavenly voice... I can remember as a teenager hearing him sing. I was always amazed of his tone. He was truly a master of songs. Continue to RIP Sir 🙏❤️
Mrs. Jimmy Scott - Jazz Wife 1
Jimmy had the hit with this 45 in 1960. It was the first song I remembered by him when we met. Thanks for loving the greatest voice! Jeanie Scott ***************
Kevin Williams
Different yes good in different
Anita Taylor
As far as I can tell, I have to say that Jimmy Scott had magic in all he ever sang....his own style and deliveries of a lyric was always amazing......."They " just never took him serious...until....it was too late ...God had a plan for him.....those of us that knew ,can still enjoy his craft..
Mrs. Jimmy Scott - Jazz Wife 1
@Anita Taylor Dear Anita, well said. Jimmy is now a true Angel. Some of us already knew he was while on earth. ~
13loomisst
Little Jimmy Scott, as he used to be called, is an unbelievably intense singer. Actually, as he got a bit older, say, when he enjoyed a big revival about 20 years ago, it was sometimes hard to listen to him for too long because it was simply too emotional.
Maddie
One of the BEST vocalists/song stylist to ever walk the earth!! My Mother and Aunt introduced me to his music and I'm forever afan. May you RIP...
Jesse West
Beautiful!!! I was introduced to this song by David Porter's version. I am stuck on his version because he made it so funky!!! Plus B.I.G. sampled the break down for "Who Shot Ya". Rza sampled it too. This man here has a great voice and I am glad I found this version.
Uri DeYoung
Wow! A Jimmy Scott recording that actually moves along. Not upbeat, mind you. But, it's quite listenable. And the orchestration, along with Rudy Van Gelder's engineering, is also top-notch.