Bobby Scott (musician)
Robert William Scott (January 29, 1937 – November 5, 1990) was an American musician, record producer, and songwriter.
Bobby Scott | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Robert William Scott |
| Born | January 29, 1937 Mount Pleasant, New York, U.S. |
| Died | November 5, 1990 (aged 53) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, record producer, songwriter |
| Instruments | Piano, vibraphone |
| Labels | ABC, Verve, Atlantic, Mercury |
Biography
Scott was born in Mount Pleasant, New York, and became a pianist, vibraphonist, and singer, and could also play the accordion, cello, clarinet, and double bass. He studied under Edvard Moritz at the La Follette School of Music at the age of eight, and was working professionally at 11.[1] In 1952 he began touring with Louis Prima, and also toured and performed with Gene Krupa, Lester Young, and Tony Scott in the 1950s. In 1956 he hit the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 with the song "Chain Gang", peaking at #13.[2] (This was not the same song as the 1960 pop hit "Chain Gang" by American singer/songwriter Sam Cooke.) It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.[3]
Career and Grammy Award
As a bandleader, he did sessions for Verve, ABC-Paramount, Bethlehem, and Musicmasters. As a songwriter, he won a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition for the song "A Taste of Honey".[4] In addition to "A Taste of Honey", Scott also co-wrote the song "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother".[5] In the 1960s he became a music teacher and studied again under Moritz, but occasionally recorded as well, including a Nat King Cole tribute album released in the 1980s. He also composed film soundtracks, including the scores to Slaves (1969), Joe (1970), and Who Says I Can't Ride a Rainbow! (1971). During the 1980s he composed music for classical guitar, harp, and piano. He also arranged for jazz and easy listening musicians such as Les and Larry Elgart.
Death
Scott died of lung cancer in New York City, at the age of 53.[6]
Discography
As leader
- The Compositions of Bobby Scott (Bethlehem, 1955)
- Scott Free (ABC-Paramount, 1955)
- Bobby Scott and 2 Horns (ABC-Paramount, 1956)
- Serenta (Verve, 1957)
- Bobby Scott Plays the Music of Leonard Bernstein (Verve, 1959)
- The Compleat Musician (Atlantic, 1960)
- A Taste of Honey (Atlantic, 1960)
- Joyful Noises (Mercury, 1962)
- When the Feeling Hits You! (Mercury, 1963)
- 108 Pounds of Heartache (Mercury, 1963)
- I Had a Ball (Mercury, 1964)
- My Heart in My Hands (Columbia, 1967)
- Star (Columbia, 1969)
- Robert William Scott (Warner Bros., 1970)
- From Eden to Canaan (Columbia, 1976)
- Forecast: Rain with Sunny Skies (Columbia, 1978)
- For Sentimental Reasons (MusicMasters, 1990)
- Slowly (MusicMasters, 1991)
- Bobby Scott Sings the Best of Lerner and Loewe (LPTime, 2010)
As sideman
- Chet Baker, Baby Breeze (Limelight, 1965)
- Buddy Emmons, Steel Guitar Jazz (Mercury, 1964)
- Quincy Jones, Golden Boy (Mercury, 1964)
- Quincy Jones, Quincy Plays for Pussycats (Mercury, 1965)
- Quincy Jones, In the Heat of the Night OST (United Artists, 1967)
References
- Wynn, Ron. "Bobby Scott Biography". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
- Whitburn, Joel (2000). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits (7th ed.). ISBN 978-0823085545.
- Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 86. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- "Bobby Scott Grammy Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
- Pareles, Jon (August 26, 1982). "Pop: Bobby Scott Returns". The New York Times. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
- "Bobby Scott, 53, Dies; Composer and Singer". The New York Times. November 10, 1990. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
