Gil Scott-Heron:Peace go with you,brother (1949-2011)

I'd be lying if i said anything other then sheer guilt was the catalyst for me starting this blog today.I'd be fooling myself more than i already have in years past if i didn't recognize the sad irony that it took the death of a man, in order to have the desire to speak again.

I woke up this morning to learn that one of the larger influences in my writing and music had passed away.There's alot i could say about Gil Scott-Heron, but over the course of 62 years in life i think he said all one needs to know about him.What i will say about him is that he was very much so mis-understood and his  words were often used to fuel agendas that had little to nothing to do with what he was really trying to work toward.He was no role model in the sense of how to live life and he was in his own words a failure, coward and prisoner in life.The thing is, he was being brutally honest with himself in ways many are far too afraid of, and that... is the beauty of him.

He spent his life pushing for people to raise their level of consciousness and understanding.His songs and poems were penetrating and in a style and passion rarely seen in artistry.As a young man who searched in the deepest levels for...himself, Gil's words always spoke to me and showed me that i wasn't alone this respect.As a person who's own father was addicted to heroin and pretty much abandoned his own family, i often saw many similarities between Gil and my father - valid or not.I think Gil Scott-Heron helped me to understand many of the why's regarding that and gave me a glimpse into my father's situation. In the end, i think it made it much easier for me to not only understand but forgive.It is with great sadness that mourn the loss of Gil today.It is with great appreciation that i had the painful pleasure of journeying with him.

Thank you for your time and effort Gil.Regardless of what may have been your many failures,you are a true warden of humanity.

"What my life really means,is that the songs that i sing,are just pieces to a dream that I've been building" - Gil Scott Heron (Track:Willing,Album:1980)