Jimmy Scott Quotes

Powerful Jimmy Scott for Daily Growth

About Jimmy Scott

Jimmy Scott (July 17, 1925 – June 12, 2018) was an American jazz vocalist known for his unique vocal style and four-octave range. Born as James Oliver Scott in Cleveland, Ohio, he developed a distinctive singing technique due to his congenital laryngeal condition, which made him unable to sing above a soft whisper. Scott's musical journey began in the 1940s when he started performing with local bands in Cleveland. His big break came in 1956 when he was discovered by bandleader-arranger Quincy Jones, who helped him secure a recording contract with Capitol Records. Scott released his debut album, "Jimmy Scott Sings Standards," the same year. Throughout the 1950s and '60s, Scott struggled with substance abuse and spent several years in prison for drug-related offenses. However, he continued to perform and record sporadically during this period. In 1982, his life took a turn when he was discovered by British jazz enthusiast Alan Howard, who became his manager and helped revive Scott's career. In the late 1980s and '90s, Scott enjoyed renewed success, touring extensively and releasing critically acclaimed albums like "All the Way" (1989) and "Golden Legacy: The Atlantic Recordings" (1997). He collaborated with a variety of musicians, including Pat Metheny, Wynton Marsalis, and Wayne Shorter. Jimmy Scott's music was characterized by his emotive, melancholic delivery and his ability to stretch the boundaries of traditional jazz vocalism. His unique style influenced a generation of singers, including Morrissey and Jeff Buckley. Despite facing numerous challenges throughout his life, Scott's resilience and artistic brilliance solidified his place as one of the most influential jazz vocalists in history.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"The notes I sing are the notes I live."

Jimmy Scott's quote, "The notes I sing are the notes I live," suggests that his music and his life were deeply intertwined. He lived intensely through the emotions he expressed in his singing, pouring his experiences and feelings into every note. It implies a profound connection between his art and his inner self, where one was an extension of the other. This quote is insightful because it highlights that for Scott, music was not just entertainment, but a form of deep, personal expression and a means to share his unique perspective on life.


"Life is a series of hellos and goodbyes."

This quote by Jimmy Scott suggests that life is a continuous journey marked by encounters and partings, moments of connection and separation. It implies that every stage of our lives brings new experiences, people, and opportunities, which we greet as "hellos," and inevitably must say farewell to, often marking the end or transition of a phase in life. The quote underscores the transient nature of existence, encouraging us to cherish each encounter while embracing change as an inherent aspect of the human experience.


"Music is the language of the spirit. It cuts through all the noise and touches the essence of our humanity."

The quote emphasizes that music transcends ordinary communication, reaching into the core of human existence. Its universal nature allows it to bypass superficial barriers, accessing emotions and sentiments shared among all people, irrespective of culture or language. In essence, music serves as a powerful medium for expressing our deepest feelings and connections, speaking directly to the spirit within each individual.


"When you're singing, it's like a dream, like you're in another world."

Jimmy Scott's quote suggests that when one sings, it creates an ethereal experience akin to dreaming, as if the singer is temporarily transported into another realm or dimension beyond the physical world. This perspective underscores the transformative power of music, allowing artists to express themselves and share emotions in a way that transcends ordinary reality.


"I just want to bring joy to people's hearts. That's what music is for, to help us forget about our troubles for a little while and feel good."

Jimmy Scott's quote emphasizes that music should be a source of happiness and relief, helping individuals momentarily escape their difficulties and find joy in the moment. Music serves as a powerful emotional outlet, connecting people through shared experiences and lifting spirits during challenging times. This perspective highlights the healing power of music and its ability to foster positive emotions and promote overall well-being.


I project stronger. If you notice the old records - they're much lighter - vocally much lighter in sound than the records that I'm doing today.

- Jimmy Scott

Doing, Old, Records, Lighter

There were times, I could say, later in the career, that I wished that my voice would be deeper for materials that I might've wanted to select to do. But that's the style of my voice. There's nothing I can do about the height of my voice. And so I learned to deal with it.

- Jimmy Scott

Voice, Career, Deal, Materials

I've learned that music is such a healer.

- Jimmy Scott

Music, Learned, Healer

In show business, generally you don't retire. If you love it, that is, you're in it forever anyway.

- Jimmy Scott

Love, Business, Show, Retire

Show business has always been my life. I love it. I've shared the ups and downs. So it will still be my life. It is a big piece of your life because this is all you know. It just seems like it takes you to such great heights in your life.

- Jimmy Scott

Love, My Life, Shared, Ups

Jeanie McCarthy is the love of my life. She's the only woman who really understands me, my music, and my heart. It took me a long time to find my soul mate, but thank God I found her before I moved to the other side of time.

- Jimmy Scott

Love, My Life, Other, Mate

I'm a cereal lover. I could eat it in the morning, in the evening, and at night - I love Cheerios.

- Jimmy Scott

Love, Lover, I Love, Cereal

I was born with Kallmann syndrome. I have never complained about it, as I can't do anything to change it - and I wouldn't have acquired the voice that I have.

- Jimmy Scott

Voice, Born, I Was Born, Syndrome

I was living in New York. Sometimes, our gang of musicians would go to Louis Armstrong's home and play records. It was a lesson, like going to school at night. Ella Fitzgerald was an inspiration, too, a unique artist. When you had an opportunity to be with people like them, you cherished it.

- Jimmy Scott

Play, Artist, Records, Ella

As a singer, I've been criticized for sounding feminine. They say I don't belong in any category, male or female, pop or jazz. But early on, I saw my suffering as my salvation.

- Jimmy Scott

Singer, Belong, Been, Category

I've had statements made - 'Who in the heck wants to hear a 60-year-old singer?' That statement was made - it's disheartening, you know, because you say, 'Well, hey, why should a guy feel like that about it?'

- Jimmy Scott

Singer, Why, About, Hey

I started out in the 1940s, singing around the clubs of Cleveland, Ohio, where I grew up. There was a woman in showbusiness, a contortion dancer called Estelle 'Caldonia' Young - she was named after the song Caledonia Caledonia.

- Jimmy Scott

Woman, 1940s, Named, Cleveland

I decided to sing again after settling in Newark in 1982. I had a burning desire to sing and lots of encouragement from my new wife, Earlene.

- Jimmy Scott

Desire, New, Newark, Settling

I've taken regular gigs, I've worked in grocery stores, worked as a dishwasher, a porter in different places, all for survival. I don't feel bad about doing it. I wished I could have done better. And still do.

- Jimmy Scott

Doing, Bad, Different Places, Porter

We had a teacher in school who would organize dramatic shows. And she decided to put on a show about - I don't know whether you remember - 'Ferdinand the Bull', the comic script. However, she decided, you're going to sing Ferdinand, me, as a role.

- Jimmy Scott

Role, However, Ferdinand, Organize

There's times, in certain songs, that I might be in my own world, and who cares about who's out there, you know? You have a job to do, so you do that job of singing that song or telling that story because that's what you're doing.

- Jimmy Scott

Doing, Own, Telling, Who Cares

I love show business. It's my life, honey, and I try to enjoy it.

- Jimmy Scott

Love, Business, My Life, Honey

My pug dog, Princess , is something else; she's my baby. I've had her for about 14 and a half years. They usually don't live any longer than 15, but I don't believe that. As long as you treat them right, they will live a long time.

- Jimmy Scott

Treat, Half, Something Else, Princess

When the gig ain't there, you still got to pay the rent. I learned that a long time ago.

- Jimmy Scott

Gig, Still, Learned, Rent

Earlier I had been in New York, which was my first time to New York, and I got booked in the Baby Grand up in Harlem there. I was booked there for a week; they kept me there for about a month. That's where Doc Pomus and myself became very close friends and start running together around town and what not.

- Jimmy Scott

Close Friends, Very, Became, Harlem

All I needed was the courage to be me. That courage took a lifetime to develop.

- Jimmy Scott

Me, Needed, Took, Lifetime

I'm a singer, and I never lost sight of that.

- Jimmy Scott

Lost, Sight, Never, Singer

As long as I could sing my songs, I wasn't as angry about what had happened, about being shoved back for this or shoved back for the other.

- Jimmy Scott

Other, Could, About, Angry

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