Gil Scott-Heron autobiography on the way

Following the passing of influential spoken word artist Gil Scott-Heron, Canongate is set to publish an autobiography called The Last Holiday: A Memoir in January. The literary piece will offer a recount on Scott-Heron’s involvement with the civil rights movement and his experience touring 41 cities with Stevie Wonder in 1980-81, where he and Wonder successfully campaigned to have Martin Luther King’s birthday recognized as a national holiday.

After launching his recording career in 1970, Gil Scott-Heron’s art embraced soul, jazz, blues and the spoken word while also maintaining a rather strong political note, as can be heard on his arguably most known song “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.” The Last Holiday: A Memoir hits shelves on January 16, 2012.