Hazel Scott

Biography

Hazel Dorothy Scott was a Trinidad-born jazz and classical pianist, singer, actress, television pioneer, and civil rights advocate. Born on June 11, 1920, in Port of Spain, Trinidad, she moved to Harlem, New York, as a child and became a celebrated prodigy, studying piano at Juilliard at an unusually young age. Known for her dazzling ability to “swing the classics,” Scott blended classical technique with jazz improvisation and rose to fame at New York’s Café Society. In Hollywood, Scott refused degrading roles and insisted on appearing as herself, using her public image to challenge racist portrayals of Black women. She also refused to perform before segregated audiences and used contract clauses to force venues toward integration. In 1950, she made television history as the first African American to host her own TV show, The Hazel Scott Show. Her career was damaged by Red Scare blacklisting after she challenged accusations before HUAC. Scott later lived and performed in Paris before returning to the United States. She died in Manhattan on October 2, 1981. Her legacy endures as a pioneering artist who fused virtuosity, representation, and activism.

Known For

The Night Affair

as Valentine Horse

The Ed Sullivan Show

as Self

The Dick Cavett Show

as Self - Guest

Rhapsody in Blue

as Hazel Scott

The Merv Griffin Show

as Self

A Bullet in the Gun Barrel

as Self / Singer of the nightclub

The Mike Douglas Show

as Self

I Dood It

as Herself

The Heat's On

as Herself

Something to Shout About

as Hazel Scott