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Bobby Scott (musician)

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For other people named Robert Scott, see Robert Scott (disambiguation).
Bobby Scott
Birth nameRobert William Scott
Born(1937-01-29)January 29, 1937
Mount Pleasant, New York, U.S.
DiedNovember 5, 1990(1990-11-05) (aged 53)
New York City, New York, U.S.
GenresJazz
Occupation(s)Musician, record producer, songwriter
Instrument(s)Piano, vibraphone
LabelsABC, Verve, Atlantic, Mercury

Robert William Scott (January 29, 1937 – November 5, 1990)[1] was an American musician, record producer, and songwriter.

Biography

Scott was born in Mount Pleasant, New York, United States,[1] 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.[2] In 1952, he began touring with Louis Prima, and also toured and performed with Gene Krupa, Lester Young, and Tony Scott in the 1950s.[1] In 1956 he hit the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 with the song "Chain Gang", peaking at number 13.[3] (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.[4]

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".[5] In addition to "A Taste of Honey", Scott also co-wrote the song "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother".[6] 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.[7]

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

References

  1. ^ a b c Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. pp. 2207/8. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
  2. ^ Wynn, Ron. "Bobby Scott Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
  3. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2000). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits (7th ed.). ISBN 978-0823085545.
  4. ^ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 86. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
  5. ^ "Bobby Scott Grammy Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
  6. ^ Pareles, Jon (August 26, 1982). "Pop: Bobby Scott Returns". The New York Times. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  7. ^ "Bobby Scott, 53, Dies; Composer and Singer". The New York Times. November 10, 1990. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
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