Hazel Scott | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Scott in a 1947 publicity photo | |
| Born | Hazel Dorothy Scott June 11, 1920 Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago |
| Died | October 2, 1981 (aged 61) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Classical and jazz pianist and singer |
| Known for | The first black American to host her own TV show, The Hazel Scott Show |
Hazel Dorothy Scott (June 11, 1920 – October 2, 1981) was a Trinidadian jazz and classical pianist and singer. She was an outspoken critic of racial discrimination and segregation. She used her influence to improve the representation of Black Americans in film.[1]
Born in Port of Spain, Scott moved to New York City with her mother at the age of four. Scott was a child musical prodigy, receiving scholarships to study at the Juilliard School when she was eight. In her teens, she performed at Café Society while still at school.[2] She also performed on the radio.
She was active as a jazz singer throughout the 1930s and 1940s. In 1950, she became the first black American to host her own TV show, The Hazel Scott Show.[3] Her career in the United States faltered after she testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1950 during the era of McCarthyism. Scott subsequently moved to Paris, France, in 1957 and began performing in Europe, not returning to the United States until 1967.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:1was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ McHugh, Jess (April 24, 2022). "Hazel Scott, pioneering Black star, used her fame to fight Jim Crow". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
- ^ Chilton, Karen (October 15, 2009). "Hazel Scott's Lifetime of High Notes". smithsonian.com. Smithsonian. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
...the first black performer to host her own nationally syndicated television show.