Gil Scott-Heron, Voice of Black Culture - Poet, Musician, Social Critic - Dies at 62

I first discovered Gil Scott-Heron when I heard "Angel Dust" in the 70's while still in high school. The song, recorded with Brian Jackson, made a strong impact on me as his lyrics conjured the destructive loss of control and violent chaos that the street drug was wreaking on many of its users. I stayed away from Dust and that was likely the result of listening to what became one of my favorite songs over and over again. What I didn't realize until reading his obituary was that Scott-Heron had been a novelist at the age of nineteen, and I now see a strong literary influence and story-telling aspect in all his music. Of course, it's tragic that Gil Scott-Heron succumbed to the nightmare of addiction several times over the years, and that we lost a couple of decades of his work in this way, but I will always regard Gil as a brilliant voice speaking truth to power and I hope he will always be remembered that way. In the mid-80's I saw Gil Scott-Heron perform at a small club in Detroit, we were just a few rows away, and it was thrilling to see the man do his thing up close. I don't remember the show well, we were all pretty toasty and it was 25 years ago, but I do recall that the man had a lot to say that night. The fight goes on, in a timeless sort of continuum filled with the words and music of Gil Scott-Heron, a troubled man in a troubled world, and one of my heroes. The Revolution will not be televised...
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/29/arts/music/gil-scott-heron-voice-of-black-culture-dies-at-62.html?hp

WRTC Radio Archive Tribute to Gil Scott-Heron
http://rel5.wrtc.streamrewind.com/bookmarks/listen/20284
http://rel5.wrtc.streamrewind.com/bookmarks/listen/20285

I just added this link as it's the first thoughtful and detailed piece I've seen on GSH and his influence. This one transcends an obituary.
Gil Scott-Heron's Revolution
http://www.thenation.com/blog/161025/gil-scott-herons-revolution


Gil Scott-Heron - The Bottle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_b2F-XX0Ol0&feature=share


Gil Scott-Heron, Poet and Musician, Has Died
http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2011/05/27/136731274/gil-scott-heron-poet-and-musician-has-died?ps=cprs

Spoken Word Musician Gil Scott-Heron Dies in New York
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2011/05/28/us_obit_gil_scott_heron/index.html

Gil Scott-Heron - Poet, Musician, Social Critic - Dies at 62
http://www.thenation.com/blog/161021/gil-scott-heron-poet-musician-social-critic-dies-62

A link to several performance clips of Gil Scott-Heron going back to the 70's.
http://www.commondreams.org/further/2011/05/28

Truthdigger of the week: Gil Scott-Heron

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/truthdigger_of_the_week_gil_scott-heron_20110603/?utm