Televangelist Gene Scott dies at 75

AP ^ | 2/22/05

[Borges]

LOS ANGELES -- Gene Scott, the shaggy-haired, cigar-smoking televangelist whose eccentric religious broadcasts were beamed around the world, has died. He was 75.

Scott died Monday after suffering a stroke, family spokesman Robert Emmers said.

For three decades, Scott was pastor of Los Angeles University Cathedral, a Protestant congregation of more than 15,000 members housed in a landmark downtown building.

In the mid-1970s, Scott began hosting a nightly live television broadcast of Bible teaching. His nightly talk show and Sunday morning church services were aired on radio and television stations to about 180 countries around the world by his University Network.

In some of his speeches, he would use chalkboards covered with Greek and Hebrew and deliver complex lectures on the Biblical languages to make points about the meaning of faith.

"It's a college-level classroom in the Bible," he once said.

Scott did take stands on other controversial subjects, including the war in Iraq, which he supported.

"Iraq is a threat to the world," he said in a 2003 Web address. "So kick the hell out of 'em, George."

Scott was most recognizable by his mane of white hair and scruffy beard. He also never stuck to a conventional format for his show - he once wore glasses with eyes pasted on them and sometimes smoked on the show. On his Web site, he simply said about himself, "What you see is what you get."

Scott also was a philanthropist. He was involved with Rebuild LA, the Richard Pryor Burn Foundation and the Southwest Museum. In 2002, Scott gave $20,000 that helped save Museum in Black, which has some 5,000 items from the slave and civil rights eras, from eviction.

Born in Idaho in 1929, Scott later moved to Northern California and earned a doctorate in philosophies of education from Stanford University in 1957, according to his Web site. He was the author of more than 20 books and also was a painter.

Scott is survived by his wife, Melissa.

Services were pending.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Yeah, I would class Scott as one who was more of a Biblical scholar.

[Hank Rearden]

Man, I miss those monkeys!

Also miss the wacky Pyramid lectures, and his chalkboard/whiteboard that would start out pristine and empty, but by the end of his rant would be totally covered, to the point of being opaque and unintelligible, with his squiggles, lines, diagrams and words, with the most-recent gibberish often written directly on top of that which came but minutes before.

"Weird, wild stuff" - Johnny Carson

[BigSkyFreeper]

I'd been checking the alt.fan.gene-scott these past several months, reading the latest comments [re his illness] from ex-devotees. He had prostrate cancer and it was only a matter of time.

I was reading through some of the posts of the last several weeks and you're right. Sounds like he had it before and tried to fool his flock that he would beat it again. Many of the ex-devotees are of the thinking that the church might be lucky to last one more year.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Yeah, the passing interest with the paranormal is what got me hooked onto him. Pyramids, ancient civilizations like the Mayans, the Incas, even talking about UFO's. Like I said up thread, he was doing the Art Bell schtick before Art Bell become famous.

[DumpsterDiver]

I loved that wild-eyed madman.

Same here. Here's a couple of paragraphs from an online biography of Gene.

These days, with a Costa Rican cigar wedged in his mouth and a necktie bandana wrapped 'round his head, Dr, Scott looks a bit more like Kenny Rogers. Only instead of singing about knowing when to fold, he plays the saxophone, taking time out to call lesser musicians like Bill Clinton "honkers."

Sometimes, he'll preach about his cigar recommendations. "Not the least of the reasons I like Costa Rican cigars is the ease with which you can remove its label. How many times have you removed a label in order to smoke the last part of the cigar (the best part) and had it tear the cigar wrapper? Try one with the Maduro wrapper for a rich mellow taste. And remember: never inhale cigar smoke."

Source

[Stultis]

Now it's all on Art Bell to discover and disseminate the hidden secrets of the Illuminati!

[VA is for Freepers]

20 years ago or more I remember seeing him. He wanted money. He had a quartet of men singing a song that went something like:

"I want to know if Jesus welcomes me there... I do not want to be bad... let hear the (I forgot the words here)... that's enough for me to know"

Because people were not pledging as much as he wanted he said he was going to have the quartet sing the song over and over again. They must have sung the song 30+ times and the diddy is stuck in my head to this day.

Anyone else remember that show/song?

[Happy2BMe]

Televangelist? What gospel?

[doosee]

When I still had my old big satellite dish, I used to tune him in for some amusement. He would at times call his flock idiots and morons for not volunteering enough. HIs answer to people who wanted to know what he was doing with the money sent in, "none of your business". The wife is a knockout probably 30 years younger than him. She cant sing worth a dime though but is easy on the eyes. Usually with a gang like this, the tribe will fight over the spoils. Any predictions.

[null and void]

Televangelist? What gospel?

Art Bell meets, uhhh, meets, uhhh ummm, darned if I know!

[Dawgreg]

I used to watch him way back when.......was somewhat taken aback by his manner and wondered if he was for real and by coincidence saw him on a local TV station when we were on vacation. He had kinda "trimmed up" but still irreverent as ever. He was a hoot to watch. RIP.

[null and void]

Sort of like LDS meets LSD, maybe?

Interesting and very odd tilt on the Bible, and ancient myths...

[Happy2BMe]

LoL . .

Mat 24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

[null and void]

Does this mean I should get rid of my copy of "Great Pyramid, Proof of God"?...

[DumpsterDiver]

He had a quartet of men singing a song that went something like:

I don't remember the words to the song but if you click here and scroll down a ways you will find a picture of the quartet.

[Dawgreg]

Yep...........I have to admit, I watched him because I was shocked by his presentation........is this guy for real? I never really took him seriously and figured he owed me no explanation but one day he would HAVE to account to the Almighty.

[BigSkyFreeper]

That song was "I Wanna Know" by the Statesmen. In this MP3 file you'll hear Doc say "Play it again!", and that old Doc Scott Favorite "I Wanna Know" will start playing.

[Semaphore Heathcliffe]

Dang. This guy's sermons seemed to come with their own hit of LSD. Sad to see him go.

[Ghengis]

My only thought on this guy every time that I saw a portion of his show: Is this guy for real?

My most vivid memory of his show was a clip of a bikini clad blonde rollerblading on the sidewalks of his estate. That must have been his wife.

[Semaphore Heathcliffe]

Gene and LSD bttt