Faith In Time: The Life Of Jimmy Scott [Hardcover]

David Ritz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 17, 2002

Born in Cleveland in 1925, "Little" Jimmy Scott lost his mother at age thirteen, the same year he was diagnosed with Kallman's syndrome. The disease stunted his growth and earned him his nickname, but it also left him with a haunting voice, a mesmerizing voice. He soon built a following as a singer touring with Lionel Hampton's great orchestra in the '40s, then performed with many of the stars of the '50s, from Lester Young to Charlie Parker to Dinah Washington, and was signed by Savoy Records. He thought he had his big break when, in 1962, Ray Charles produced what was by all accounts Jimmy's best work, Falling in Love Is Wonderful. But when it was forced off the shelves by contract disputes, Scott worked as an orderly and clerk in Cleveland for almost two decades. Fans thought he was dead-until songwriter Doc Pomus's funeral in March of 1991.As Pomus had instructed in his will, Jimmy sang over his friend's coffin. High-pitched and androgynous, his voice seemed to come out of thin air, transcending gender and age, evoking pure heartbreak. No one knew who he was-heads turned, celebrities conferred, record executives were reduced to tears-until finally Lou Reed turned around and whispered, "He's Jimmy Scott, the greatest jazz singer in the world." And so he was. By the next morning, he had a record deal with Sire that relaunched his career with the masterpiece All the Way, and he has been performing to packed clubs ever since. With full cooperation from Jimmy, his siblings, spouses, and colleagues from Ray Charles to Ruth Brown, Faith in Time is at once an intimate biography, an invaluable history of a life that spanned big band to bebop to pop, and the poignant story of a man whose voice will live forever.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Ritz, who has helped Ray Charles and Laila Ali write their autobiographies, now turns his attentive eye to the life of singer "Little" Jimmy Scott. Born in Cleveland in 1925, Scott grew up in a town bursting with clubs and theaters that showcased the touring jazz greats, from big band to the then-nascent bebop. While still a teenager, Scott finagled his way from a job as an usher at a Cleveland theater into singing a few numbers after Lester Young had performed. The audience was transfixed by his unearthly voice and clamored to know if he was a man or woman. Scott suffered from Kallman's Syndrome, which meant that his testicles never descended and his genitals never fully developed, keeping his voice in a high, haunting register. Never fully welcomed into the jazz world, Scott performed wherever and whenever he could over the decades. He sang with Lionel Hampton and Charlie Parker, recorded an album with Ray Charles and influenced a generation of singers from Frankie Valli to Marvin Gaye. But such occasional gigs never paid the bills and Scott kept taking odd jobs to support himself and his many poorly chosen spouses. A brief renaissance that came in the early 1990s offered the strange sight of the diminutive singer touring with Lou Reed and singing on an episode of Twin Peaks. Ritz keeps his distance, letting people like Reed, B.B. King, Quincy Jones, and especially the odd and feisty Scott himself, tell the story of a man caught between worlds and almost lost in time.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

With the release of the album All the Way in 1992, Jimmy Scott, then 66, finally got his due and was recognized as a master interpreter of vocal jazz. Ritz, who has written acclaimed biographies of Marvin Gaye, B.B. King, and Aretha Franklin, offers the first profile of the singer, written with the full cooperation of Scott, his family, and his colleagues. Refreshingly, Ritz refuses to sensationalize subjects that he could easily hype: Scott suffers from Kallman's Syndrome (a hormone deficiency that stunted the growth of his testicles), which resulted in his famous alto, and he has struggled with drinking. Instead, Ritz focuses on Scott's remarkable resiliency. Over the course of his 60-year career (which included a stint with Lionel Hampton's orchestra), he has overcome shady businessmen and personal crises with a stoic joie de vivre. This trait is very likely the reason he has been able to rely on friends over the years, to work jobs not related to music, and to realize he has a musical gift that will be acknowledged every so often. These career fits and starts would frustrate even the strongest person, so Scott's life is a fine example of a way to use talent while making a way in the world. Considering he began his career in the 1940s and continues to sing to this day, his story is intriguing and inspiring. Recommended for any library with healthy music holdings. William Kenz, Minnesota State Univ., Moorhead
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press; First Edition edition (September 17, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306810883
• ISBN-13: 978-0306810886
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,142,721 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #85 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Arts & Literature > Composers & Musicians > Jazz

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A gripping biography which reads like a novel, November 14, 2003

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Faith In Time: The Life Of Jimmy Scott (Paperback)

Musicians will also enjoy David Ritz's Faith In Time, a survey of the life of Jimmy Scott. Orphaned as a teen and suffering from a syndrome which kept his voice unnaturally high, he toured with Lionel Hampton in the 1940s and achieved a career breakthrough twenty years later - then went back to being an orderly and shipping clerk. Faith In Time recounts his rise and fall, providing a gripping biography which reads like a novel with its action and insights.

4.0 out of 5 stars Jimmy's Life, Jimmy's Records, February 15, 2010

By 

Andrey Starobin "andrei starobin" (santa fe, NM) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Faith In Time: The Life Of Jimmy Scott (Paperback)

Having read the book, I begin to wonder who exactly is collecting on Jimmy's late earned fame. The Amazon has 9 records for sale and yet the man himself barely made ends meet all his life. Read the book, and wonder for yourself ...

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This is my introduction to Jimmy Scott, September 30, 2005

By 

Henry Cooper ""Still One Me"" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Faith In Time: The Life Of Jimmy Scott (Hardcover)

Lemme say I was not that big nor was a fan to Jimmy until I got to know instanly. This marks as a first-time lover or beginner to the legendary of Jazz, Blues and all other types of music, Mr. Jimmy Scott. Everybody's been talking 'bout him. 'Cuz he sure has a sweet and sensational voice, one's whose range that can stand tall from anybody. Nobody gonna get this or learn more about the man unless they read this book 'cuz it'll take further than is has. I once dug him while singing a song on David Sanborn's CD "Pearls" and it's pretty amazing on how he sounds 'cuz I thought at 1st it was a lady singing like Oleta Adams or so but now it's a male who can sing like a lady blues singer or a jazz singer. I'm talkin' bout Jimmy Scott man!!! To me, I've been thinking 'bout bein' a journalist or writer somehow in the future if that's what's on my mind a minute ago. 'Cuz I'ma be like the black version or next coming of David Ritz, Gary Giddins, Quincy Troupe, Mike Dyson, Nelson George, among others.

Bravo to Bro. David Ritz for doing such a good job on this extradionary book. I wish more from him in the future.