DURHAM -- Poet Gil Scott-Heron, whose work is considered a precursor to hip-hop and an influence on spoken-word poetry, will perform at the Carolina Theatre in Durham at 8 p.m. Feb. 5.
Scott-Heron is best known for his late 1960s and early 1970s work as a spoken word performer, which documents the major social and political changes at the time. He is also often praised for his collaborative efforts with musician Brian Jackson, which feature a fusion of jazz, blues and soul music.
Scott-Heron was born in Chicago in 1949, but spent most of his childhood living with his grandmother in Tennessee. His mother, Bobbie Scott-Heron, was a librarian and his father, Giles "Gil" Heron, was the first black athlete to play for Glasgow's Celtic Football Club. Praised for his writing as a child, Scott-Heron idolized Langston Hughes, and eventually attended college at Hughes' alma mater, Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. At Lincoln University Scott-Heron met Brian Jackson, with whom he would make some of his most highly acclaimed collaborations.
Scott-Heron took time off from college to write a pair of satirical thrillers -- "The Vulture" and "The Nigger Factory." He never returned to Lincoln University, though he later received a master's degree in creative writing from Johns Hopkins University.
Scott-Heron's first collection of poetry, "Small Talk at 125th and Lenox," was put to music and released as an album on Flying Dutchman Records. The album dealt with themes that would emanate throughout Scott-Heron's musical career, such as superficiality, mass consumerism, hypocrisy, ignorance and homophobia. On later albums, Scott-Heron followed a more conventional song structure, applying his poetry as lyrics to jazz or blues music.
His body of work includes more than 20 albums. One of his most well-known and highly acclaimed compositions is "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised."
Scott-Heron's confrontational, no-nonsense street poetry and songwriting skills have often earned him the title of the "Godfather of Rap." His music has influenced and helped engender later African-American music genres such as hip-hop and neo soul.
Tickets for the Feb. 5 concert are $30, $22 and $18 for Star Members. Tickets are available at the theatre box office, 309 W. Morgan St., or online at www.carolinatheatre.org. Call (919) 560-3030 to purchase tickets. Box office hours are weekdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. and one hour prior to show time.
