Hazel Scott(1920-1981)
- Actress
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Originally from Trinidad and Tobago, classical and jazz musician Hazel
Scott became one of America's premier pianists of her time. Born on
June 11, 1920, this child prodigy first started tickling the ivories at
age 3 under the guidance of her mother. She moved with her family to
the U.S. in 1924 where she started performing in New York City and
receiving scholarships to study classical music at the Juilliard School
of Music -- all of this by age 8. Her mentors in jazz technique were
Art Tatum and
Teddy Wilson. Topping her talents
off with a warm singing voice to complement her glamorous presence, she
was a club and radio star by the late 30s and performed with such
notables as Count Basie. She gained some
attention for her swinging versions of classical themes. Hazel appeared
in the productions "Singing Out the News" and "Priorities of 1942" on
Broadway and played twice at Carnegie Hall. As a sometime actress,
Hazel became a noted specialty performer in musical motion pictures,
including "Something to Shout About" (1943), "I Dood It" (1943) and
"Broadway Rhythm" (1944) during the war-era while releasing dozens of
albums during her prime. Her most famous hit was "Tico Tico" and her
catchy boogie-woogie style proved quite popular during the 40s, while
her versatility and ability to shift from jazz to classical to blues
was incomparable. Hazel married the Rev.
Adam Clayton Powell Jr., noted
Congressman, preacher and editor in 1945. She became the first black
woman to host her own television show in 1950 but, within months, the
show was canceled. An outspoken personality all her life, she was
subsequently accused of being a Communist sympathizer. She refused to
perform in segregated theaters and became a vocal critic of both
McCarthyism and racial injustice. Following her divorce from Powell,
she lived in Paris where she performed and enjoyed racial freedom
during the 1960s. Her return to the U.S. marked a second career on TV
with guest parts on such shows as
Julia (1968) and
The Bold Ones: The New Doctors (1969)
coming her way. Scott continued to perform in clubs until her death
from cancer in 1981.
