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The Last Holiday

3.84 of 5 stars 3.84 · rating details · 208 ratings · 49 reviews

“Dr. Martin Luther King had a dream. And Stevie Wonder had a dream. This is a book about dreams.”

In the Fall of 1980, Gil Scott-Heron was invited by Stevie Wonder to join him on a forty-one city tour across America that would end in Washington on January 15, 1981. The purpose of this tour was to raise popular support for the creation of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a natio...more

Hardcover, 384 pages

Published January 10th 2012 by Canongate Books Ltd (first published January 1st 2012)

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Jan 16, 2013 Mike Schwartz rated it 3 of 5 stars

Immortalized by so many great tunes: “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”, “Winter in America”, “Peace Be With You”, “Whitey on the Moon”, “We Almost Lost Detroit”, “Home is Where the Hatred Is’, “The Bottle”, etc. as well as some classic poetry and a civil right legacy to be proud of, Gil Scott-Heron is a hero, and his sad decline and death last year should not overshadow his great work. Fortunately, he left behind these memoirs written over the course of many years. Turns out he’s a great wr...more

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Jan 18, 2013 Tyler Jones rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: pop-music, civil-rights

While unbalanced and obviously unfinished, there is much to like. The wit and the engaging tone of voice grab you, and you feel yourself in the presence of a very special person.

But then....

But then you get the feeling that you are being played a bit. That you are hearing only part of the story - the part that casts that smart and charming narrator in the best possible light. Wait a second, you begin to wonder, could the Minister of Information possibly be feeding me some soul brother propaganda...more While unbalanced and obviously unfinished, there is much to like. The wit and the engaging tone of voice grab you, and you feel yourself in the presence of a very special person.

But then....

But then you get the feeling that you are being played a bit. That you are hearing only part of the story - the part that casts that smart and charming narrator in the best possible light. Wait a second, you begin to wonder, could the Minister of Information possibly be feeding me some soul brother propaganda? Is this the straight up truth, or am I getting the version that is most marketable for a Hollywood movie?

Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed this book but if anyone reads this without knowing anything else about Gil Scot-Heron they would not even have learned that the man had a serious drug problem. Drugs ruined Scott-Heron's career, led to multiple arrests and two jail terms and made him HIV positive - yet none of this is ever mentioned. Instead drugs only show up in little comic vignettes: Gil getting so stoned he can't get off a couch during a radio interview, or Gil finding Bob Marley smoking pot in his apartment, or the hilarious look on the face of the brother who mistook an ounce of crack for a sore throat lozenge.

Everything is kept upbeat. Sure, Gil talks a lot about the bad decisions he has made, but he never actually relates many events where he did something very wrong.

Like the drug issue, his estranged relationships with his three children is given the silent treatment, and this would have been fine with me (family is private, and none of my damn business) except Scott-Heron attempts to put a positive spin on his refusal to recognize his son by spinning a very unlikely story that it was all just a misunderstanding. If you don't want to talk about it, Gil, that's fine, but don't ask me to believe the story you tell putting the blame on the mother.

While I have no doubt almost everything in the book really happened, I get the impression it was only part -one side- of what happened and a whole lot has been left out. From a man who was known for saying the things others were afraid to say, this half truth is a little disappointing.(less)

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Apr 15, 2012 Todd rated it 4 of 5 stars

Bought at City Lights Bookstore (motto: We have no humor section!) as a reward for surviving yet another week on Earth.

I am a big fan of Gil Scott-Heron. When July 20th rolls around each year, I confess that my thoughts are more A rat done bit my sister, Nell than That's one small step for man. I may not have a red, black and green liberation jumpsuit that I have been saving for just the proper occasion, but I will occasionally refer to one. Winter In America with Brian Jackson is near the top o...more

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Feb 20, 2012 Carolyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

A book I've been waiting for since the untimely death of Gil Scott-Heron in May 2011.

Did it live up to my expectations? Yes and no. This book raises almost as many questions as it answers. Obviously, Mr Heron expected to be around a while longer to fill us in with those answers in a future volume.

Predominantly about how he came to be on the Stevie Wonder tour that culminated in a huge concert in Washington to garner support for a public holiday in recognition of Dr Martin Luther King's birthday...more

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Feb 05, 2012 Andre rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have been a fan of Gil Scott-Heron for all of my adult life. So, just to have these remembrances of Gil is exhilarating. It is not really a memoir, but more of a look at events and times of his early career. The central event of this book is the tour he did with Stevie Wonder. There is discussion of his childhood, teen years, and the beginning of his musical journey. The missing parts are of his later life, it would have been interesting to hear Gil in his humorous poetic language explain his...more

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Jan 20, 2012 Art rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's a thrill to read the memoirs of someone I respect so enormously. As it turns out, this was posthumously coddled together from twenty years of writing for a few different off-and-on projects that were never quite published. You could've fooled me; The Last Holiday is eloquent, well-structured and inspiring, every page of it. Heron mentions that "economy" is the key to good writing, and he practices what he preaches.

There's a lot about his family life and childhood. Usually I find this the m...more

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May 14, 2012 Jane rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: autobiography

This autobiography was published posthumously and while it was a project Scott-Heron was working on, it came to the publisher in drips and drabs. A superb account of the man, it's also a testament to it's editor for pulling it together. Scott-Heron wanted to write an account of Stevie Wonder's 'Hotter than July' tour that had as it's midway point the historic concert for Martin Luther King in Washington DC's Mall. He soon realised he couldn't write that story without detailing his own life story...more

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Jan 20, 2012 jeremy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: music, memoir-bio

before his death in 2011, the great gil scott-heron was enjoying somewhat of a resurgence in popularity and success. his 2010 album, i'm new here (his first in 16 years), was released to wide acclaim from fans and critics alike, and both of his novels, 1970's the vulture and 1972's the nigger factory, were about to find there way back into print. as a new generation of listeners were discovering the poet/musician/protorapper's nearly two dozen albums, scott-heron emerged from a tumultuous decade...more before his death in 2011, the great gil scott-heron was enjoying somewhat of a resurgence in popularity and success. his 2010 album, i'm new here (his first in 16 years), was released to wide acclaim from fans and critics alike, and both of his novels, 1970's the vulture and 1972's the nigger factory, were about to find there way back into print. as a new generation of listeners were discovering the poet/musician/protorapper's nearly two dozen albums, scott-heron emerged from a tumultuous decade marked by drugs and prison.

scott-heron began writing some form of the last holiday in the 90s, originally about his 1980-81 tour opening in support of stevie wonder and wonder's ongoing efforts to have martin luther king jr's birthday recognized as a national holiday. cannongate books, scott-heron's longtime uk publisher, was set to publish the book in 2003, but it never came to fruition. around the same time, scott-heron began reworking the book as a first-person narrative, keeping the stevie wonder/mlk material, but expanding it in an autobiographical vein more inclusive of his childhood and early career.

scott-heron's memoir begins with his early years in jackson, tennessee and his experiences with the racism one would expect out of the 1950's south. upon his move to the bronx just prior to his teenage years, his life appeared on the cusp of a trajectory that would lead to his success as both musician and writer. as he chronicles some of the more important events of his young life, it is evident that scott-heron, despite some adversity, was both creative and ambitious. he reflects on his time at college (as an undergrad and graduate student), especially when he, with the aid of his fellow students, closed down the campus in response to inadequate health care facilities that contributed to the deaths of at least two students.

at times, the writing in the last holiday is strong and characteristic of the talent he had displayed previously in his novels, poetry, and songs, yet elsewhere it reads as hurried and sometimes uninspired. when scott-heron allows his prose to flow, however, marked by his trademark alliteration and rhythmic incorporation of verse, his writing often shines. when describing his love and admiration for stevie wonder (whom affectionately referred to him as "aries"), it is apparent that scott-heron held him in great regard and respected his work deeply.

the last holiday, in its final form, is a somewhat disjointed memoir, full of anecdotes sometimes seemingly chosen at random. scott-heron omits almost entirely any insight into the last twenty years of his life, save for a brief chapter dealing with the passing of his mother (and the subsequent realizations he came to about his lifelong troubles dealing with love and intimacy). nowhere does he mention his problems with crack cocaine, his resulting imprisonments, or his hiv diagnosis. little insight is offered into the personal struggles that scott-heron presumably battled and often overcame. a bit more self-reflection or introspection would have perhaps revealed a side of him inaccessible from his music alone. omissions aside, the last holiday is an illuminating book about one of our greatest and most influential artists.

sociology and every other inexact approximate science of odds and oddly negative prognostication be damned. those sciences of vague, uneven basis and potential seemed to have been discovered to generalize and generally discourage humankind from being the kind of humans they could really be.

(less)

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Apr 08, 2012 Paul rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This "Memoir" of Gil Scott-Heron, which he seems to have been in the process of pulling together piecemeal before his death in 2011 is a tantalising glimpse at the life of a unique individual. Much of the focus is on the Martin Luther King/ Hotter Than July tour with Stevie Wonder and no light is shed on the drug abuse and jail terms he went through. His early life is well represented here, which accompanies some of his later musical pieces on his early life and Lily Scott, his grandmother who r...more

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Feb 17, 2012 Eric rated it 5 of 5 stars

Apparently, GSH had been writing this memoir off and on for the last twenty years or so. It covers sections of his life and is far from linear. If there is a focal point to The Last Holiday it's his involvement with Stevie Wonder in trying to get Congress to establish MLK Day in the early 80's. For me, the reflections on his childhood in Tennessee and New York up to the point he started making music full-time was the most interesting. It's very touching to read his portrayal of the maternal gran...more Apparently, GSH had been writing this memoir off and on for the last twenty years or so. It covers sections of his life and is far from linear. If there is a focal point to The Last Holiday it's his involvement with Stevie Wonder in trying to get Congress to establish MLK Day in the early 80's. For me, the reflections on his childhood in Tennessee and New York up to the point he started making music full-time was the most interesting. It's very touching to read his portrayal of the maternal grandmother that raised him until he was 12. She was a black woman who did not put up with racist, white bull shit, even in the midst of the oppressive mid-century rural South. Also, I knew that he had a strong educational background (he won full academic scholarships to both his high school and college based on his writing talents), but when you add up the fact(s) that he had published three books (two novels, one poetry collection) and was teaching graduate-level English by the time he was 24 - all before he'd even thought of being a full-time musician - his achievements become that much more impressive.

The way this memoir was written is very disjointed at times, but strangely it gave The Last Holiday a certain emotional depth that, in a way, filled the void left by huge gaps in the story of his life that were left out. I got the impression that this is what GSH felt that his fans needed to know and that anything extra would have been just that. Some of the briefest fragments of his life were among my favorites. The interactions he had with his mother were both touching and sad. She criticized him freely throughout his entire life, and while he appreciated her honesty, he admits - in a crushingly eloquent and somber self-reflection that closes the book - that he never felt that he received true love from her, and consequently, never knew how to love others in the relationships he held in life. Knowing what we know now, that he died from complications related to AIDS and that he struggled with drug addiction in the latter half of his life, this search for acceptance and self-worth takes on a greater resonance.

His life story, or what we are privy to, is truly a unique glimpse at a young, politically, emotionally, and especially intellectually aware young black man who would not, could not be manipulated into being anything else. His best music alone should ensure that he's a household name, but the fact that he didn't play the game (particularly in Nixon/Ford/Reagan white society) will probably guarantee that this will never happen. I still remember going to see him solo on a whim at the theater at the end of my alley in 2009. Though obviously very sick, he still brought the goods and maintained the charisma that oozes out of his prose. He was a true Renaissance man and his shoes cannot be filled. (less)

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Oct 15, 2012 Althea rated it 4 of 5 stars

Reading this book was like having a conversation with your favourite stoner uncle. I hadn't read any of his books hitherto but I loved his lyrical style and his use of words and had to stop and steal some of his phrases- a long tailed cat in a roomful of rocking chairs was a particular favourite. It rambled, it went in many different directions from chapter to chapter but the love he had for his grandmother and mother was in stark contrast to the rocky relationships he had with women in his life...more

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Feb 21, 2012 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoir, non-fiction

I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, since this book was published posthumously, I had low expectations. I was counting on it being mostly written by someone else. I was relieved to "hear" Gil Scott-Heron's voice in the prose. I can picture him reading this book aloud in his own voice. I learned a lot I didn't know previously; that was nice. On the other hand, this seems more like a collection of vignettes than a chronological narrative. There are long sections that cover very little ground (...more

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Mar 31, 2013 Karen Davis rated it 3 of 5 stars

I never missed Gil Scott Heron when he came to Louisville. More likely than not, I own every album he put out. It was a special call made to my sister just to tell her he had a new album out when I heard him on NPR in 2010. At the announcement of his death my soul mourned not only for the loss of his life but also for the youthful idea that all it took for change to occur was for enough people to be informed. Reading his memoir was a natural extension of my admiration and love for his work.

I lo...more

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Mar 06, 2013 Rand rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bio, music, poetry

Posthumous memoirs are a sticky thing. There are wide gaps in this story but what is there is uplifting and inspiring.
Overall a worthwhile book which should be read by those wanting a first-hand account of the Civils Rights movement between the mid 1960s through the 1980s as well as those interested in the music industry's pre-disco period of growth. Also of interest is Scot-Heron's account of getting his first book published.

There are some real insights in these pages. This bit stuck out for m...more Posthumous memoirs are a sticky thing. There are wide gaps in this story but what is there is uplifting and inspiring.
Overall a worthwhile book which should be read by those wanting a first-hand account of the Civils Rights movement between the mid 1960s through the 1980s as well as those interested in the music industry's pre-disco period of growth. Also of interest is Scot-Heron's account of getting his first book published.

There are some real insights in these pages. This bit stuck out for me:

Since I have lived in the United States of America all of my life, I have seen too many deliberate distortions of events and too many slanted pieces of our history and lives to feel that I can correct them all or even put a good seized dent into them. All I can say is that if the truth is important to you, understand that most things of value have to be worked for, sought out, thought about, and brought about after effort worthy of the great value it will add to your life.

It will come at a great price. The time and sweat invested in that pursuit may cost you in hours and days you cannot used in other directions. It may cost you relationships that you cannot use in other directions. It may cost you relationships that you cannot would give almost anything to develop, with someone who cannot stand to come in second to anything. The passion with which you commit yourself to something intangible may well turn away the very support that could sustain you.

What you will need is help that exceeds understanding. There may be disruptions on every level by those you try to touch, who shy away from you because understanding is not what you are looking for. Your only hope for stability on the levels of togetherness beyond understanding is trust. Anyone who claims to love you knows that they will not understand every element of these things you need and that is where trust must carry you two the rest of the way. The truth you are seeking to write about, to sing about, to make sense of for others is something that you pursue not because you have seen it but because the Spirits tell you it is there.

quibbles: The presentation of the text was disheartening in that (in the paperback which I read) there are three pages of accolades before the copyright page. Fine, whatever. But that none of those are attributed to individuals and most are chopped up with ellipses made me pause. There is a brief prologue which Scot-Heron wrote but it seems as more of an extension of the text than something which properly frames the narrative.

Including a reminiscence from contemporaries of his would have been nice, as would a bibliography/discography. That stuff is all on wiki, but so are all the warts which this book overlooks.

A good, easy, engaging read overall.(less)

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May 21, 2012 Graeme rated it 3 of 5 stars

I kind of think if Gil Scott Heron's books as a little bit like eating a rally delicious fish that has an awful lot of bones. Inspiring and at times incredibly humorous, though I think I wanted to know 'more' about GSH from the text if the book. But could be just me. But thoroughly dug it.

I suppose that the thing is it's not exactly a memoir in the typical sense. I guess. Not a 'this is my life' type of straight up story. It's recollections, impressions, reflections, poetry. It's wonderfully no...more

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Mar 01, 2012 LeGrand rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: biographies, nonfiction, musicians

I first heard about Gil Scott-Heron in early 2010 after reading a review of his album on Okayplayer.com. By May of 2010 I had read so many glowing reviews of his album "I'm new here" that I finally purchased it. His music had a similar energy to Jill Scotts earlier albums and I thoroughly enjoyed his ability to weave together poetry, politics, love, and life into his music. I had this album in rotation for a few months and eventually kind of just forgot about Mr. Scott-Heron altogether.

One day w...more

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Feb 26, 2012 Phil Overeem rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A disappointment. While the first half's a four-star book, when the narrative arrives at GSH's musical career, it spirals downward. Like other similarly-disappointing memoirs (Nile Rodgers', for instance), there's virtually NOTHING on the inspiration and process that leads to "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," "Home is Where the Hatred Is" (it's already been written and is being covered by Esther Phillips when we first hear of it), "Winter in America"--if you're still reading this, you know...more

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Dec 19, 2011 Will Hermes rated it 4 of 5 stars

Great musician, poet, cultural voice. Wish he was still around to do a book tour.

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Feb 29, 2012 Julia Bartholomew-king rated it 3 of 5 stars

Being a huge fan of Gil Scott-Heron ( and lucky enough to have seen him perform three times) I found this book lacked some soul and honesty. The writing steered away from being personal and instead seem to focus on GSH's "civic" achievements. I get that he was instrumental in helping Stevie Wonder bring about a National Holiday for Martin Luther King Jr., and other victories. But where was the soul, where did the inspiration for his amazing music come from? I wanted to get more of an organic sen...more

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Apr 12, 2012 Mary rated it 5 of 5 stars

I did not know about him by name until his recent death, but after
the outpouring of thoughtful comments about him then, I was glad to
have a chance to learn about his life directly from him, through this
book. I see now why he was appreciated so much, if under-appreciated
in public ways. And along with his more knowledgeable fans, I wish
his last years had not been so hard for him.

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May 15, 2013 Zubaer Khan rated it 3 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed about 2/3 of this book. There are some great stories, life lessons, and inspirational moments throughout. There's also a large amount of confusing, irrelevant, unnecessary information that gets randomly thrown at you every once in a while. Thankfully, the chapters are short, and often start on a new subject with each one, so it's not really that difficult to read.

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Feb 29, 2012 Patricia Geller rated it 3 of 5 stars

I love his music but found myself really searching to know the man himself and didn't feel this memoir helped. The parts about his childhood are compelling and then it is all about his career with little but the last few pages, where he brings in some psychological insight in his difficulties loving. Given how his life ended, I expected a more thoughtful and probing memoir.

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Dec 15, 2012 Tj rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's weird how we assume that just because we love an artist's work, that we somehow have some exclusive insight into their identity. Gil Scott dropped off the earth in the early '80s, addicted to drugs and in & out of prison. But his work from the '70's moved me. I've said that the 'real' Gil died 30 years before his body gave out, but who am I to say that?

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Jan 24, 2013 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Reads with a unmistakable rhythm, an honest voice. Great! I really liked it. He went out with quite a flourish of work, with a great album, a great remix album, and a posthumous memoir. though it is unfinished, and pasted together from work he had done over the past.couple of decades, it's still a great story of scot-heron's life and relationship with other musicians, most notably Stevie Wonder. If you like music memoir and biography this is a must read.

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Mar 05, 2012 Kayne rated it 3 of 5 stars

I expected more info about his personal life, not all the stuff about his touring/performing life. Still in all, it was interesting to read about a man considered a revolutionary, and realize through his writing that he was very calm and simply speaking out about the realities of his life and trying to address the injustices that he saw.

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Mar 22, 2012 Jayw added it

Kind of a memoir. Cover's his youth, focuses on Stevie Wonder's hotter than July tour and drive to make MLK's birthday a holiday. Plus some of GSH's later life but doesn't deal at all with his drug convictions, hiv and later decline and resurrection which would be worth a book on their own

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Feb 01, 2013 Dora rated it 3 of 5 stars

I got about halfway through and stopped. I think I will return, because I did like it and I have always found him to be a fascinating person. But at times it felt a little like your grandpa prattling on about stories from his life in an un-interesting way.

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Apr 21, 2012 Mike rated it 4 of 5 stars

I damn near cried when Gil Scott died.
I was channel surfing on the radio when I caught the tail end of one of his songs. I was surprised that he was on the radio and I was pleased, but when they followed with another Gil Scott song I knew that he had passed. Sure enough the Dj dedicated the hour to the Late Great Gil Scott Heron. I have been anticipating this book since he mentioned it at a concert he gave a couple of years ago. He said that he was working on a book about Stevie Wonder and his...more

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Nov 09, 2012 Anna rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really loved this book. I had no idea he was a pot and academic before he became a singer. He writes so amazingly well, creative, sparky, vivid, entertaining. There are huge gaps and aspects of his life that he ignores completely but what is there is fascinating and compelling.

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Jan 19, 2012 Josh rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoirs, music

A great, gritty memoir from a musician and an icon who clearly loves words. It's not his full life story-- nothing here about drugs, prison, etc.-- and in fact, much of it is not his story at all, but the story of Stevie Wonder's campaign to have MLK Day instated. But maybe that's just as well.

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About Gil Scott-Heron

Gilbert Scott Heron was born in 1949. His mother was a librarian and his father a soccer player from Jamaica. In his youth Heron displayed both sporting prowess and academic ability (he won a place at Pennsylvania Lincoln University, like his role model Langston Hughes, the Harlem Renaissance man). But he quit college after the first year to write his first novel, The Vulture (1970). While Heron w...more

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