Biography

“Little” Jimmy Scott (b. 1925) is a U.S. jazz singer.

Scott has Kallmann’s syndrome, a genetic condition which stunted his growth at five feet and prevented him reaching puberty, leaving him with a high, boy-like voice. However it was his phrasing and romantic feeling that made him a favorite singer of fellow artists like Billie Holliday, Ray Charles, Dinah Washington, and Nancy Wilson.

Scott was born on 17th July 1925 in Cleveland, Ohio, to Authur and Justine Scott in a family of ten. As a child he got his first singing experience in a church choir. He first rose to national prominence in the Lionel Hampton Band when he sang lead on the late 1940s hit “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool”. Scott’s career faded by the late 1960s, and he returned to his native Cleveland to work in a hospital and as an elevator operator.

He resurfaced in 1991 when he sang at the funeral of his long-time friend Doc Pomus. Afterwards Lou Reed recruited him to sing backing vocals on the track “Power and Glory” on his album 1992 album Magic and Loss, partially inspired by Pomus’ death. Afterwards, Scott was featured on the soundtrack of the film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me. This brought him to the attention of the music industry and he has enjoyed significant success since then, singing and recording.