James Victor “Jimmy” Scott was born July 17, 1925 and died June 12, 2014. He was also known as “Little” Jimmy Scott. His unusually high contralto voice was due to Kallmann’s syndrome, an extremely rare genetic condition. From Wikipedia James Victor Scott was born in Cleveland on July 17, 1925. After his mother’s death in a car accident, Scott was the third of 10 children and lived in foster homes and orphanages. After performing in nightclubs for a while, he moved to New York City in 1945 and joined Estella Young’s vaudeville-style show. Estella is a dancer, contortionist, and dancer. In 1947, he moved to New York City and joined Lionel Hampton’s band one year later. Hampton’s 1950 recording of “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool”, which he recorded with Hampton, set the tone for his later work. The song, a mournful ballad about love gone wrong, was delivered with intense intensity and an idiosyncratic behind-the-beat phrasing. Although the record was a success, it was only credited to “Lionel Hampton vocal with orchestra”, which was not the correct credit. Few people knew that Scott was the singer. His name was established later in the decade with recordings for the Roost label and Savoy label. He had a style that was somewhere between rhythm and blues, and a voice that was somewhere between male and feminine. It was difficult for him to establish a foothold on the market. It was not easy due to the vagaries in the record business. He recorded an album for Ray Charles’s Tangerine record label in 1962 that featured Charles on piano and a string band. This album was radio-played and received national distribution from ABC Records. Savoy Records owner Herman Lubinsky threatened legal action to stop its release. He claimed that he still had Scott under contract. Seven years later, “The Source”, an album Mr. Scott recorded for Atlantic, suffered a similar fate. Scott was frustrated and had returned to Cleveland where he worked as a cook, hotel clerk, and nurse’s assistant for nearly two decades. He still performed occasionally and recorded an album for Savoy in 1974. He told The New York Times Magazine that even if the gig isn’t there, it was still necessary to pay rent. “It was something I learned a long while ago,” Scott said. In 1984, he moved east to begin booking nightclubs in Newark and New York City. In 1990, he released his own album. His music career was still in decline until 1991 when his performance of “Someone to Look Over Me” at the funeral for Doc Pomus, a friend, helped him to be signed to Sire Records. His first Sire album, “All the Way”, featured him singing classic love songs by Gershwin and Porter, with the accompaniment of first-ranking jazz musicians. It received strong reviews and sold well. The album was also nominated for a Grammy Award. Scott was never content with his job. In 1993, he sang at President Bill Clinton’s inaugural ball. He was a well-known concert attraction in Japan and Europe. He was a singer on “Philadelphia’s” soundtrack and also acted in “Chelsea Walls”, an independent film, in 2001. Scott also appeared on an episode of “Twin Peaks,” a cult television series. Scott continued recording into the 21st Century, most notably for Milestone and to perform. He last performed at the Blue Note in Greenwich Village in June 2012. He was named a Jazz Master in 2007 by the National Endowment for the Arts, and a Living Jazz Legend in Washington by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Jeanie McCarthy was his fifth wife. He is survived by his son Tracy Porter, three sisters, Betsy Jones, Elsa Scott, and a brother Roger Scott. Scott, who was in high demand half a century after his first performance in front of an audience, was both grateful and philosophical. He said that he appreciated the fact that “these things are finally happening to me” in Cleveland’s Plain Dealer 1997. However, he also admitted that “in showbusiness, generally, you don’t retire.” If you love it, that is, you’re in it forever anyway.” from http://www.nytimes.com
