Scott
Fagan
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.....was
a brilliant wild child from the Virgin Islands.
‘De white man from de black lan’ who was “banned
from the biz" in 1971.... |
“Ah…my
mother my sister and I were among the poorest people that I had
ever seen. Still, I was never without love or hope. I saw that
many people were, I felt these things and I began to sing.”
And sing he did. In August 1964 Scott stepped off a 50-foot sailboat
just south of Coconut Grove, FL. By September, (on his first day
in New York City), Scott was signed by the legendary Doc Pomus
(Save The Last Dance For Me, Teenager In Love, Viva Las Vegas)
and in October he was signed to Columbia Records. By way of warning,
Doc said "Scott, it's gonna be rough, you sing too good!"
Here's
what some others had to say:
- Cashbox
Magazine:
Spinal Tap melodies…His range is phenomenal
- Billboard:
"A Poet"
- William
Krasilovsky, Author, THIS BUSINESS OF MUSIC, l & ll:
"Scott Fagan is a genius. I'll certify that."
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Scott's first albums "South Atlantic Blues" (ATCO 1968)
(immortalized by Jasper Johns as "Scott Fagan Record")
and Many Sunny Places (RCA 1976) created the "Contemporary
Caribbean" or "Caribilly" genre so widely popularized
by Jimmy Buffet, Kenny Chesney and others. (See Nothin' But Love,
Carnival's Ended and South Atlantic Blues) ( Many Sunny Places,
Archipelago Man, Cherrigo Sad, La Beiga Carosuel/Tutsie)
In
1971, Scott wrote the first Rock Opera (SOON) produced on Broadway.
The cast included…Peter Allen, Vicki Sue Robinson, Richard
Gere, Nell Carter, Leata Galloway, Pamela Pentony, Pendelton Brown,
Dennis Belline, Joe Butler, Marta Heflin, and Marion Ramsey.
"SOON
was our attempt to "bring to light" the absurdity and
cruelty of the music business, and it's destructive effects on artists
and society".
- Here's
what Martin Brookspan had to say:
"The tide of Rock musicals reaches it's high water mark in
SOON… an inventive, imaginative, brilliantly realized creation."
- Emory
Lewis said:
"SOON is a hallelujah blessing, glorious music easily the
best score of the season… I loved every rocking minute."
- And
John Schubeck:
"Staggering shots of meaning. Dynamite in so many ways."
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The Music Industry was not amused, SOON closed immediately and Scott
Fagan was blacklisted. Did the blacklist work? Have you ever heard
of him? Scott is one of very few artists to have taken a public
stand against the exploitive, destructive and all but omnipotent
music industry… A daring act for which he has paid dearly.
And
now, because of the digital revolution, the meltdown of the music
industry, and after 34 years of being blacklisted, a new chapter
begins. You have the opportunity to discover him, his beautiful
singing, his timeless writing and his independent, innovative and
original points of view, at www.scottfagan.com and at www.lilfishrecords.com.
Once you've met him, you'll never forget him.
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