Courtesy of the artist

Jill Scott
April 4, 1972

Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter

Jill Scott was born on April 4, 1972, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is an only child by her mother Joyce Scott. In her early years, she had a passion for writing. Her alma mater, Temple University, bestowed upon Jill an Honorary Doctorate degree the title “Doctor of Humane Letters. She is a poet, singer, Songwriter, actress, and activist. Her 2000 debut, Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1, went platinum, and the follow-up Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2 (2004) and The Real Thing Words and Sounds Vol. 3 (2007) both achieved gold status. She made her cinematic debut in the films Hounddog and Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married? in 2007. She also appeared as the lead role in the BBC/HBO series The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. Her first feature film appearances occurred in 2007 when Scott appeared in Hounddog (as Big Mama Thornton) and in Tyler Perry’s movie, Why Did I Get Married? The next year, in 2008, Scott appeared as Precious Ramotswe in Anthony Minghella’s film adaption of Alexander McCall Smith’s series of books The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency playing a detective. Scott then filmed additional episodes for the series in Botswana in late 2008, co-funded by the BBC and HBO, that were broadcast as a seven-part series on BBC1 in March 2009; and on HBO, which debuted on March 29, 2009. BBC and HBO are contemplating whether to produce a second round of episodes of the series. In 2010, she voiced Storm of the X-Men on the BET series Black Panther. On March 24, 2010, Scott guest-starred in an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. She reprised her role as Sheila in Why Did I Get Married Too? (2010). The movie was shot in August 2009 and received an April 2, 2010 release. That same year, Scott starred in the Lifetime Movie, Sins of the Mother, as Nona, an alcoholic mother confronted by her estranged daughter, whom she neglected. At the 42nd NAACP Image Awards, Jill Scott was awarded Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special for her role in Sins of the Mother.

In May 2012, Jill Scott appeared on VH1 Storytellers. Scott performed a few of her most notable songs such as “Golden” and “He Loves Me.” With wig as well as costume changes, Scott created characters to fit each song in order to convey the message of the song. Later in 2012, she starred alongside Queen Latifah, Alfre Woodard Phylicia Rashad Adepero Oduye, and Condola Rashad in Steel Magnolias, a remake of the 1989 original for Lifetime. She played the role of Truvy Jones, which was originated by Dolly Parton. In December 2012, Scott appeared in “The Human Kind”, the eighth episode of the fifth season of Fringe. Scott starred alongside Paula Patton and Derek Luke in Baggage Claim (2013), the film adaptation of playwright David E. Talbet’s 2005 novel of the same name. Jill Scott was married once to Lyzel Williams in 2001-2007. Jill later was engaged but never married and conceived a son on June 23 rd 2009. The child was a boy named Jett Hamilton Roberts his father is Li’l John Roberts. Scott has established the Blues Babe Foundation, a program founded to help young minority students pay for university expenses. The Blues Babe Foundation offers financial assistance to students between the ages of sixteen to twenty-one and targets students residing in Philadelphia, Camden, and the greater Delaware Valley. Jill has donated100,000 to help start the foundation. The foundation was named after Jill Scott’s grandmother, known as “Blue Babe.” The foundation is a firm supporter of the commitment to education, In the Spring of 2003, the Blues Babe Foundation made a donation of more than $60,000 to the graduating class of the Creative Arts School in Camden, New Jersey. Presently she is furthering her acting and musical career and raising her child.