[Dixielandjazz] Jimmy Scott interviewed - London Telegraph, December 2, 2011

[Robert Ringwald]

World of Jimmy Scott, Jazz Singer
The 86-year-old jazz singer talks about starting out, his dog Princess and the best
way to relax.
by Tim Burrows
London Telegraph, December 2, 2011
Jimmy Scott, 86, is one of the most gifted singers in jazz. One of 10 children, he
was born with Kallmann syndrome, a hormonal disorder that affects sexual maturity
during puberty, which has meant that Scott has always kept his alto singing voice.
His biggest hit came in 1950 with Everybody's Somebody's Fool. In 1963 what should
have been his breakthrough album, Falling in Love Is Wonderful, was withdrawn from
shops days after its release because of a legal dispute, after which Scott fell into
obscurity and took a variety of menial jobs. He was 'rediscovered' in the early 1990s
when he appeared in the David Lynch television series Twin Peaks. Soon after, Madonna
proclaimed him to be the 'only singer who can make me cry'. He has toured constantly
since, and plays with the Jazz Expressions at St Stephen's Hall in Hampstead, London,
on December 17 and 18. He lives with his fifth wife, Jeanie, in Las Vegas.
Mornings: "Every day I get up between 8.30 and 9am. My wife and I have breakfast.
I'm a cereal lover. I could eat it in the morning, in the evening and at night --
I love Cheerios. Then we'll take the doggie for a walk around Las Vegas."
Princess: "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. She's
friendly. If you get up to go she'll start barking, which I take to mean, 'Don't
leave, don't leave!'"
Beginnings: "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. She had a touring
show and we travelled all through the American South together, performing in theatres
for black people only. When we got to a town we'd have to put up the stage ourselves
before we could perform. That was my beginning, being with her and learning what
showbusiness was all about. These kids today have got it good. But they need to learn
like we did. It was hard but it gave us a determination in our work."
Birth gift: "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."
Mother: "This portrait of me was painted by an artist called Dalton in 2003. He captured
the essence of my smoking, and made the smoke form the face of my mother. I thought
that was quite unique."
Jobs: "Through the years, when there haven't been enough gigs to pay the rent, I
would take a job. I have been an elevator operator, hotel porter, worked in a bus
station. But you don't quit. You keep going."
Jeanie: "My wife is also my manager, and has given so much to my life. We met in
1999. One night I was playing a gig at Birdland in New York and she was standing
backstage. I went and stood by her, and after hearing her talk I was interested.
Apparently she had been a big fan of mine in the 1960s; she was living in New York
then with George 'Smitty' Smith of the Manhattans and would listen to my records."
Ring: "Jeanie and I got married in 2003. In addition to my wedding ring, Jeanie got
me this one for my other hand. She surprised me with it and I was shocked; it is
beautiful and just what I wanted. It has a bright blue pentagonite stone. I admire
it every day."
Louis and Ella: "This painting brings back all my memories of Louis Armstrong and
Ella Fitzgerald. In the late 1950s I was living in New York. Sometimes our gang of
musicians would go to Louis's home and play records. It was a lesson, like going
to school at night. Ella was an inspiration, too, a unique artist. When you had an
opportunity to be with people like them, you cherished it."
Famous friends: "This photograph was taken in 2004 at the Rainforest Benefit at Carnegie
Hall. Who would have thought a jazz singer like me would be hanging with Elton John,
Billy Joel or Sting? Through the years I've met many young entertainers trying to
enter the business and I have found fans in many places where I didn't expect to
find them. In the early 1990s Lou Reed asked me to tour with him. I was shocked;
I'm a jazz singer and this rock singer enjoys my music? I said a gig is a gig, so
I took it."
Relaxation: "To unwind I listen to records by people like Duke Ellington, or sometimes
classical music or one of the newcomers in showbusiness. I also watch TV. I love
game shows like The Price Is Right and The X Factor. There was a kid on there of
14 years old; he was smart, and he came out and sang a song he had written himself
about the show. He brought the house down."
Success: "I've been nominated for a Grammy but I haven't won one yet. My day will
come. Most of the awards that I have won are boxed up in the garage or in storage.
I don't believe in that showing off bit -- it gets you into trouble. You see what
happens to those who have earned the big money? Michael [Jackson] had it all but
he destroyed himself. What the heck is that?"
The future: "I don't feel that I have reached my peak yet. I always feel that it
is around the corner; it's always coming. I still believe that one day it'll come.
You are always looking towards the next gig."


--Bob Ringwald
www.ringwald.com
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