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 Didn't Know What Time It Was
Jimmy Scott Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Danced with Jim and Paul and kissed some other chaps
Once I was young, but never was naive
I thought I had a trick or two up my imaginary sleeve
And now I know I was naive
I didn't know what time it was
Then I met you
How sublime it was too!
I didn't know what day it was
Then you held my hand
Warm like the month of May it was
And I'll say it was grand
Grand to be alive, to be young
To be mad, to be yours alone
Grand to see your face, feel your touch
Hear your voice say I'm all your own
I didn't know what year it was
Life was no prize
I wanted love and here it was
Shining out of your eyes
Once I was old, twenty years or so
Rather well preserved, the wrinkles didn't show
Once I was old, but not too old for fun
I used to hunt for little girls up my imaginary gun
But now I ain't for only one
I'm wise and I know what time it is now
I'm wise and I know what time it is now
I'm so wise and I know what time it is now
The lyrics of Jimmy Scott's song "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" describe the journey of a person who lived a life filled with experiences, but who never understood what true love was until they met someone special. The song starts with the singer reminiscing about their youth, where they had fun with Jim, Paul, and other people, kissed some other chaps, and thought they had a lot of tricks up their imaginary sleeves. However, as they got older, they realized how naive they were.
The singer, who had been through so much and had given up on finding love, meets someone who changes their perspective. They didn't know what time or day it was before they met this person, but everything changed when they held hands. They felt alive, young, and madly in love. They saw their partner's face, touched them, and heard their voice tell them that they were theirs alone. For the singer, it was grand to have found love after so long.
The song closes with the singer stating that they are now wise, and they know what time it is. They have gained experience and perspective and found true love. Overall, "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" is a song about the journey of self-discovery and finding true love.
Line by Line Meaning
Once I was young, yesterday, perhaps
I used to be young, but looking back it seems like a lifetime ago.
Danced with Jim and Paul and kissed some other chaps
I used to have fun and flirt with different guys named Jim and Paul.
Once I was young, but never was naive
Although I was young, I wasn't foolish or inexperienced.
I thought I had a trick or two up my imaginary sleeve
I believed I was clever enough to handle any situation.
And now I know I was naive
Looking back, I realize how inexperienced I actually was.
I didn't know what time it was
I wasn't aware of the true nature of things around me.
Then I met you
Meeting you changed everything for me.
Oh, what a lovely time it was
Being with you was a beautiful and wonderful experience.
How sublime it was too!
The experience with you was truly awe-inspiring and transcendent.
I didn't know what day it was
I had no sense of time or direction before meeting you.
Then you held my hand
Your touch brought clarity and direction to my life.
Warm like the month of May it was
The feeling of your hand was comfortable and inviting.
And I'll say it was grand
Being with you was wonderful and amazing.
Grand to be alive, to be young
Being alive and young feels exhilarating and fantastic.
To be mad, to be yours alone
Being crazy in love and devoted to you is a beautiful thing.
Grand to see your face, feel your touch
Seeing your beautiful face and feeling your touch is an amazing experience.
Hear your voice say I'm all your own
Hearing you say that I belong only to you is a romantic and meaningful moment.
I didn't know what year it was
I was lost in time before you came along.
Life was no prize
My life lacked excitement and significance before meeting you.
I wanted love and here it was
I yearned for love and found it with you.
Shining out of your eyes
The love I found with you radiates from your eyes.
Once I was old, twenty years or so
I used to think 20 years old was old.
Rather well preserved, the wrinkles didn't show
Despite my age, I still looked good and didn't have any wrinkles.
Once I was old, but not too old for fun
Even though I was considered old, I still knew how to have a good time.
I used to hunt for little girls up my imaginary gun
I used to playfully flirt with younger women.
But now I ain't for only one
I am devoted and faithful to one person now.
I'm wise and I know what time it is now
Because of you, I am more knowledgeable and have a better sense of time and direction.
I'm so wise and I know what time it is now
I have gained so much wisdom and understanding because of you.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind