Gilbert "
Gil"
Scott-Heron (April 1, 1949 – May 27, 2011) was an American
soul and
jazz poet, musician, and author, known primarily for his work as a
spoken word performer in the 1970s and 1980s. His collaborative efforts with musician
Brian Jackson featured a musical fusion of jazz, blues, and soul, as well as lyrical content concerning social and political issues of the time, delivered in both
rapping and
melismatic vocal styles by Scott-Heron. His own term for himself was "bluesologist", which he defined as "a scientist who is concerned with the origin of the blues". His music, most notably on
Pieces of a Man and
Winter in America in the early 1970s, influenced and helped engender later African-American music genres such as
hip hop and
neo soul.