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.
Unchained Melody
Jimmy Scott Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've hungered for your touch a long, lonely time,
Time goes by so slowly and time can do so much.
Are you still mine?
I need your love, I need your love,
God speed your love to me.
Lonely rivers flow to the sea, to the sea
Lonely rivers sigh,
"Wait for me, wait for me"
"I'll be coming home, wait for me!"
Are you still mine?
I need your love, I need your love,
God speed your love to me
The lyrics to Jimmy Scott's song "Unchained Melody" speak of a deep, longing love that has endured the test of time. The song's opening lines set a romantic and pining tone, with the singer expressing his desire for his beloved's touch after a long and lonely period of separation. The second line repeats the sentiment of the first, expressing the depth and intensity of this longing for physical and emotional connection. As time seems to move slowly, the singer questions if his love is still reciprocated, asking "Are you still mine?" This question carries a sense of both desperation and doubt, as if the singer fears their love may have faded or been lost over time. However, the singer affirms their need for love, pleading for it to be sent their way with the lyric "God speed your love to me."
The rest of the lyrics suggest that the singer is far away from their loved one, as lonely rivers flow towards the sea with an urgent yearning to be reunited with their source. The singer pleads with the river to wait for them, promising to return home to their love. The repeated lines "Are you still mine?" and "I need your love" emphasize the singer's fears and desires, and the song ultimately ends with a hopeful plea for the return of their love.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, my love, my darling,
Addressing his lover with affection and admiration.
I've hungered for your touch a long, lonely time,
Expressing how he has yearned for the physical connection with his lover for an extended period of time, which has left him feeling lonely.
Time goes by so slowly and time can do so much.
Reflecting on how slowly time passes when he is separated from his partner, and how much it can affect him emotionally.
Are you still mine?
Expressing insecurity about whether his lover still feels the same way about him and if they are still together.
I need your love, I need your love,
Conveying the importance of his partner's love and how he feels incomplete without it.
God speed your love to me.
Asking for a divine intervention to bring his lover's love back to him as soon as possible.
Lonely rivers flow to the sea, to the sea
Utilizing a metaphor of rivers flowing to the sea to convey the notion that love will eventually find its way back home.
To the open arms of the sea
Continuing the metaphor by portraying the sea as a welcoming entity ready to embrace and accept the rivers into its open arms.
Lonely rivers sigh,
Humanizing the rivers by attributing emotions to them as if they are yearning for their home in the sea, which is similar to how he yearns for his lover's love.
"Wait for me, wait for me"
Mimicking the rivers, he begs his lover to wait for him with the assurance that he will return soon.
"I'll be coming home, wait for me!"
Reassuring his lover that he will come back, he urges them to wait for him, as at the end of the day, their love is his true home.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, UNCHAINED MELODY PUB LLC
Written by: Alex North, Hyman Zaret
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rob Francis
A great song, lots of heart, soul and little jimmy Scott, a truly transcendent experience...
XxBabyGurlLovexX
I love this song and this version is simply BEAUTIFUL. What an amazing voice Mr. Jimmy had. R.I.P sir!
kqwerty1080
So much emotion I love the way he projects off confident and assertive and descends into to sheer desperation and weariness, not sure if he does that on purpose but this is the way this song is meant to be sung, best version ever!
Laura
Such beauty! Such a wonderful voice/performer!
Lin Ross
This song has now been done to PERFECTION!
DROP THE MIC!
Rest in Peace "Mr. Jimmy."
One Love.
Lin
Antonio Lirio de Olievira
Lin Ross. Yes
Mike Freedman
youu have always sung with the angels...your voice lives on
Assunta Parente
All I can say is WOW WOW WOW what a voice!😍
jdptulsa
I'm retired and have time on my hands now. Wife was at work, and clicked on YouTube just to listen to some songs. I was lucky enough to stumble upon this guy Jimmy Scott; he was singing "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", and I'm thinking this guy can sing, and must be in his eighties, but he has a good voice, but sounds a little like a woman. Then I read his bio and all the problems he went through. Then I listened to the song again. I cried like a baby.
Francis Porter
i felt the same when i first heard him in the nineties