Biography for
Jill Scott (II)

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Date of Birth

4 April 1972, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Nickname

Jilly from Philly
The Lady Jill Scott

Height

5' 6" (1.68 m)

Mini Biography

Born in 1972 in North Philadelphia, Jill Scott grew up in the ghetto with her mom and grandmother. A deeply loved and gifted child, she learned to talk at only eight months and was reading by age four. Always the center of attention, her principal in elementary school described her as a little butterfly.

After running from Jill's abusive stepfather, mother and child moved in with Jill's grandmother, with whom she had a very close bond. After a rough but memorable childhood, Scott attended Temple University, studying secondary education. She was planning on becoming a high-school English teacher.

When she was placed at a school as a student-teacher, her fellow professors disapproved of her unique method of teaching the kids: she often incorporated singing and melody in order to help with memorization. Due to the negative comments she was receiving, she quit.

Shortly thereafter, a friend helped her in joining a local theater troop. After some hard work, she earned a spot on the Canadian cast of Rent, began to do poetry readings and befriended some big names in the Philly artistic community, included Jeffrey A. Townes (DJ Jazzy Jeff). It was here that Scott's musical career took off.

Encouraged by Jazzy Jeff and Ahmir-Khalib Thompson (Ahmir "Questolove" Thompson) of the hip-hop group The Roots, Scott wrote several songs in only three days during the summer of 1999. One of them, entitled "You Got Me," was performed by Erykah Badu and The Roots, and won a Grammy for Best Rap Performance (Duo or Group). A few months later, after Jeff burned 100 demo CDs and marketed the soul singer, Jill Scott signed with the new label Hidden Beach. During this whole process and since then, she collaborated with Will Smith and Common, and worked on soundtracks for Down to Earth (2001), Wild Wild West (1999) and In Too Deep (1999)

Amazingly, she made 50 songs for her debut album and had a lot of trouble trimming it down. Finally, after much deliberation, "Who Is Jill Scott? Words & Sounds, Vol. I" was released in July 2000. It featured music that was youthful enough for the younger generation and soulful enough for those above 40.

Accolades came pouring in for her unique contribution to hip-hop: "Who Is Jill Scott?" was certified platinum, and she received three Grammy nominations (including one for Best New Artist), three NAACP Image rewards and one Soul Train Award for Best Female R&B Album. Her fame carried her on stage as she performed on VH1's Divas Live with Aretha Franklin; speaking of Aretha, Jill Scott was the 2001 recipient of the Aretha Franklin Award as "Entertainer of the Year" at the Lady of Soul Awards.

IMDb Mini Biography By: rmcrae

Spouse

Lyzel Williams

(2001 - 2007) (divorced)

Trivia

Originally sang the hook on The Roots Grammy winning song "You Got Me."

Was offered a role in the Broadway play 'Chicago', but turned it down.

Attended the Philadelphia High School for Girls

An only child.

Has a cat named Stacey.

Released a book of poetry entitled "The Moments, the Minutes, the Hours" in April 2005.

Originally attended Temple University to become a high school English teacher.

Performed with a Canandian touring cast in the musical 'Rent.'.

Her stepfather was abusive, so she and her mom went to live with her grandmother.

Slept in the same bed as her grandmother until the age of eighteen.

Recorded 50 songs for her debut album, but included only 18.

She quit teaching after other teachers complained about her method of singing to students to improve their memorization skills.

Founded the Blues Babe Foundation, an organization that provides scholarships to college-bound students in the greater Philadelphia area, in 2002.

Named one of People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People" in 2001.

Released her double-platinum debut album, Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1, in 2000.

Was nominated for a Grammy in Best New Artist of 2000, but did not win.

Cites Sarah Vaughan as one of her musical influences. The others are Frankie Beverly and Maze, Minnie Riperton, Donny Hathaway, Anita Baker, Roy Ayers, Stevie Wonder, Prince, and Sade.

Mother's name is Joyce Scott.

While not a single, the album track "He Loves Me," dedicated to her then-husband Lyzel became a particularly popular song in her live and televised performances.

Won a 2005 Grammy for Best Urban/Alternative R&B Performance for "Cross My Mind.".

She remains close to her mother and grandmother, nicknamed "Blue Babe", and resides in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey.

Prior to her breakthrough in the music industry, Scott worked at a variety of jobs, including a number of retail positions and stints at a construction site and an ice cream parlor.

Is a supporter of gay rights.

Favorite movie is The Wiz (1978/I).

Invented a new brand of bras for full figured women called "Butterfly" in the spring of 2008.

Personal Quotes

I am a woman, I make mistakes. I make them often. God has given me a talent and that's it.

I wanted to remind people I'm just flesh and blood. I falter. I am poor. I am blind. I am pitiable. I am naked. But I'm here and that is the blessing. The gift of life.

Married life is really good, it's a beautiful thing, I enjoy spending my life with this man; I like him, I like his personality, I like the way he treats his friends. When I'm talking about love, I'm talking about him.

All I have to do is be me on stage. But acting, I have to be someone else, and walk how they would walk and blink how they would blink. I used to talk about it bad like, 'aw man, that person made $10 million a movie?' But now I understand why they do. I get it now.

(When asked if she is religious) When I was 12, I decided that I wanted to see what else was out there. I believe that all of the religions have merit and that it's man that messes it up. I am more spiritual than religious. Sometimes I feel like a Buddhist and I need to chant; sometimes a Baptist and I need to holler and shout and sometimes I need to be a Catholic and need to purge my sins and confess. It just depends on where I am. But, I know I need to get there.

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