Jill Scott the Singer. Photo by Alphonse – Wikimedia

10 Outstanding Facts About Jill Scott The Singer


 

Jill Heather Scott is an American singer, songwriter, model, poet, and actress. She is famous for excellent poetry and great songwriting. Jill comfortably wears many artistic hats, not to mention her talent for creating music that attracts a wide range of audiences.

Her slow, sensual music, with anthems of self-empowerment and pride, has made her one of the most respected and acclaimed musicians in the R&B industry. Her creativity has earned her three Grammy Awards plus many other accolades.

Jill uses film and music to highlight the life and experiences of African American women. Over the years, she has proven to be multitalented, and whatever she puts her mind and effort into succeeds. Here are 10 outstanding facts about Jill Scott the singer.

1. Jill Was Raised In Philadelphia And Wanted To Be A Teacher 

Jill Scott was born on 4th April 1972 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  She was Joyce Scott’s only child.  She was raised by her mum and grandmother, Blue Babe, in a loving home full of warmth as a Jehovah’s Witness.

Those days, it took a village to raise a child and she remembers growing up around protective teenage boys in the North Philadelphia neighborhood who looked out for her and made sure she got home safe from school. Sadly, most of those boys died from gunshot wounds.

After graduating from the Philadelphia High School for Girls, Jill went to Temple University. She had planned to become a high school teacher and had begun working as a teacher’s aide. She did not graduate because she dropped out of college to pursue acting. 

Read about the top 10 famous singers from Pittsburgh here.

2. She Did Various Odd Jobs Before Her Breakthrough 

Jill Scott. Photo By Simba Madziva – Wikimedia Commons

Jill worked various jobs before her breakthrough in the film and music industry. She worked multiple jobs while in high school, including different retail positions. Apart from working as a teacher’s assistant, she also worked in an ice cream parlor and at a construction site.

Did you know Jill did a little bit of voice acting and stage plays? In the end, she decided to quit all of this and started with music as her profession. The decision paid off big time.

3. Jill Began Her Career As A Spoken-Word Poet 

Jill, who is always upright and honest in her approach, began her career as a spoken word poet. She would appear at live poetry readings to perform her work. She was eventually discovered by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson of the Roots, who produced her first album. 

Jill is a soprano who combines jazz, opera, R&B, spoken word, and hip-hop in a style often called neo-soul.

Another poet you can read about is Gerrit Komrij.

4. Water Is Therapeutic For Jill

Whenever Jill wants to relax and forget about all her troubles, she finds a water body. Water helps her take a real break from her activities and is one of her favorite things to do.

Jill can float in the pool for hours, just letting the water carry and rock her. She also enjoys interior decoration on the side and always has something that constantly reminds her of her hometown, Philadelphia.

5. This Poet Loves To Read 

Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

Jill is an avid reader. Some of the books she loves to read repeatedly are Octavia E. Butler’s “Wild Seed” and J. California Cooper’s “The Wake of the Wind.” 

Apart from relaxing in the water, another pastime activity for her is reading. Jill has also made it a habit to make her bed nice and tidy every morning which makes her feel like a lady.

While away on tour or vacation, she turns on a slide show of photos of her son Jett, family, and friends to help her settle in and feel at home even on the road.

Jill is an author too and she released a poetry book in 2005 titled, ‘The Moments, the Minutes, the Hours: The Poetry of Jill Scott.’

6. She Is A Loving Mother 

Jill’s first marriage was with Lyzel Williams in 2001. They had dated for seven years before they got married and called it quits six years after the wedding. They had no children.

She moved on and dated her drummer Li’l John Roberts. They got engaged in 2008 and were blessed with a son, Jett Hamilton Roberts, in April of the following year. 

Jill broke up with Robert in 2009, but they remain friends and are wonderful co-parents.

Check out these fascinating facts about Trevor Noah.

7. Jill Was Named As One Of The Most Beautiful People In The World 

Jill Scott the Singer. Photo by Alphonse – Wikimedia

Jill is naturally beautiful. It was no surprise that she was featured on the People Magazine list of the “50 Most Beautiful People in the World”.

This poet is proud of her natural image and knows how to dress her body shape. She chooses what to wear and rarely does expensive designer clothes. She avoids a lot of makeup and jewelry. For her, less is definitely more.

8. She Designed A Comfortable Butterfly Bra For Plus Sized Women

Jill designed a new style of bra, the ‘butterfly’ for full-figured women, specially designed to be comfortable and secure. The bras come in various sexy sizes, styles, and colors for every season and occasion.   

She advocates for self-confidence in women and so a comfortable bra will definitely boost a woman’s positive vibes all day. Jill hates how black women are portrayed in hip-hop songs and music videos and would like the narrative to change.

9. Jill Has Won Many Awards Including Grammys

Jill has been nominated for the Grammy Awards 14 times and won 3 times since 2001. Her first win was in 2005 when she won the “Best Urban/Alternative Performance” category for the track “Cross My Mind.” She won the second Grammy in 2007 for Best Traditional R&B Performance for “God Bless the Child”. Her third win came in 2008 for Best Urban/Alternative Performance in “Daydreamin”. 

Other awards that this poet has won include the Billboard Music Awards, Soul Train Music Awards, the NAACP Image Awards, and the Lady of Soul Awards.

10. Jill Is Philanthropic 

Jill Scott. Photo By Mikamote – Wikimedia

Jill loves giving back to the community. She established a foundation named after her grandmother-the Blues Babe Foundation, which assists young and minority students with their University expenses. 

She donated $100,000 to start the foundation. The program offers financial aid to students between the ages of 16 and 21, focusing on those residing in Philadelphia, the greater Delaware Valley, and Camden. Any students who maintained a 3.2 GPA qualified for assistance. 
 

Here is our list of famous singers from San Diego.

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