Recently deceased “Godfather of Rap”, Gil Scott-Heron, will have a memoir released in January next year (Canongate) that will cover his involvement with the civil rights movement, and in addition, his time touring with Stevie Wonder in the early 80s.
You can also hear an excerpt from the memoir (below), recorded in the 90s. It goes into his reaction to hearing about the death of John Lennon on 8th December, 1980.
He died earlier this year, falling ill after a trip to Europe. He had recorded over 15 studio albums, 11 compilation albums and 9 live recordings, and artists such as Kanye West cited him as an influence. He was a voice for African-American activism and strongly protested against apartheid and nuclear power.
Jamie Byng in conversation with Gil Scott-Heron
