They're probably having a hell of a party in heaven about now. Famous teacher and televangelist Dr Gene Scott died on Monday, February 21, 2005 at age 75. You could really see him having a good old time arguing philosophy and theology with the saints. St Peter's probably picking up some new theological insights right now.
NEWS STORY.
HIS WEBSITE BIOGRAPHY
Lengthy 1994 Los Angeles Times profile
Gene Scott was the only preacher on tv worth watching. Over 30 years on the tube, he grew long hair and a big shaggy beard, and was usually chewing on a cigar. He came off as more of a really nutty professor rather than a preacher per se, given to reading extensively on air from obscure historical works and history books- with commentary, of course.
Then for a break, he'd talk about his fancy cars and race horses. Queue up the video, and he'd be out in the barn inspecting his prize race horses- with a couple of big-breasted model types on his arm.
This purely boyish delight in showing off his goodies and getting the goats of all the church ladies (religious and secular) naturally enraged all kinds of self-appointed guardians of public morality. He had run-ins with different official types, trying to make some kind of case of fraud or financial impropriety. The California Attorney General's office screwed with him for a couple of years in the 70s before legislative reform finally trimmed their harassment abilities.
They never got anywhere, most likely because he was clean and above board. Also, he was famously resistant to auditors. Robin Williams once imitated him, saying, "The word 'audit' does not appear in the Bible." I'd presume that Williams made that up, but it's not far from stuff I heard him actually say on a regular basis. It was also hard to really justify being indignant when his followers were sending in donations marked with statements like, "Gene Scott can do whatever he wants with this money."
Really, these attorney generals and tax folk just provided grist for his mill. Among other things, this Renaissance man was a painter. (He's said to have his own paintings displayed in his private museum alongside original Rembrandt and Monet.) At one point in the early '90s, I saw him hawking prints of an impressionist painting he'd done called "A Bureaucrat (And what to do with him)."
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - RJ
The only TV preacher I ever watch is Arnold Murray.
And only because he's such a lovable asshole. ;-)
2 - Nick Jones
Geez, we've got another Celebrity Death Cluster going - Sandra Dee, HST and Dr. Gene Scott. Didn't we have one just two weeks ago (Ossie Davis, John Vernon, Max Schmeling)?
3 - Eric Olsen
yes Al, he is the guy I thought he was - RIP
4 - Mike Kole
I really loved watching Robert Tilton about 15 years ago. His speaking in tongues shtick was a regular laff riot. Scott ranked up there, but Tilton held my attention as much as any televangelist could at 3am.
5 - Shark
He'll be quickly forgotten as a scholar and a televangelist, but if I have anything to do with it, he'll be remembered as the Christian's Cy Twombly.
Forget his paintings. I always thought Scott's illustrated blackboards were some of the greatest abstract and/or DADA art ever made. I used to watch just for a glimpse of his wacked-out drawings. Great stuff.
6 - Al Barger
All together, then, guys: one more chorus of "Kill a Pissant for Jesus."
7 - gatosammy
This guy was the best bible teacher in several generations. His quirks that made people hate him were designed to make the fools change the channel. If you waited out his folly you'd see and hear the greatest lessons in a generation. Things that the run of the mill bible thumpin piss ants could never understand or teach.
RIP DOC
8 - Al Barger
Amen, Gatosammy, preach it!
9 - abe
Dr. Scott's barrage of languages couldn't even be understood by most of his followers.
Give me that plain spoken, easy-to-understand, to the heart preacher..I believe His name is Jesus Christ, and His words are translated in more languages than Dr. Scott could ever have fit on those white boards.
10 - Al Barger
Oh Abe, don't be a party pooper. Besides, Jesus isn't volunteering to come down and actually talk to us like Dr Scott.
11 - Marlene
Dr. Gene Scott was a lost man who thought he was going to heaven upon his death...I bet he's suprised at where he really ended up. How sad that he was so blinded by his own genius and even sadder, how he deceived so many followers. The man was a wolf in sheep's clothing.
12 - Al Barger
Really Marlene, you presume to know how God would judge Gene Scott? I don't want to accuse you of Extreme Arrogance or anything, but that does seem just a wee bit presumptuous- and somewhat hateful- of you.
13 - Larry
Dr Gene Scott the only real TV Preacher we ever had or will have,his teaching were the best i ever heard. He was way a head of his time and will be greatly missed. I know he is in Heaven. His teaching will live for many years to come.
14 - frank
Only in California! Gene Scott simply validates Pt. Barnum's declaration about a sucker being born every minute. Except the birth rate has dramatically increased in recent years.
15 - Demosethena
you mean to tell me, naysayers and detractors you never understood what the heck scott taught? Ya all' still bond up in the"law"; of "do do this and don't do that's"! The actual teaching at a University level just doesn't pander to the silly secular, flesh peddling pissants pretending they are Christians.! Those who have ears to hear and eyes to see...Most so-called christians and non christian detractors, and artists in adipose orificery; arn't in correspondence with reality to begin with!
16 - thomas doubting
Demosethena: Beuatufiuly said. Today is a sad day. Peace will be his in the heaven he preached for so long i hope.
17 - Phillip Winn
Marlene, I don't know what standard you're presuming to use to determine Scott's final resting place, but everything I've seen indicates that he preached (among many other wild and crazy things) salvation by grace alone by faith in Jesus Christ alone, which tells me that he'll end up where he thought he would, idiosyncracies and all. Are you claiming to be perfect? Are you claiming perfection matters?
In my book, what Jesus has done matters and nothing we do really does, in the end.
18 - Al Barger
Well put, Phillip. Gene Scott sure seemed to be a true believing Christian, even if he was sometimes egotistical and highly eccentric.
19 - Thomas Doubting
Frankly, i thought, like i think of all heroic creatures of the creator, that he was indectructible, (but yet again he is and we are ulitimatly aren't we?) So i found out today he had finaly left us, and it seems a bit unbelivable.
Anyhow, where do these that think that he's just a clown get their rocks off? a clown don't preach the the way he preached brothers, the way he hit on target wha'ts most salient to us christians...e.i. the true nature of christ and his fathamable/unfathamable works and destiny vis a vis history.
Gene Scott a toast to you and your teachings of wayward topics like B.A. (Biblical Astrology) Godspeed with tears in my eyes towards your reward..Leononian/Virgo/Scorpio brother. Sorta like Saint Charles Bukowski was...he preached it too, in his own manner, another combo 5-6-8 in destiny's script, i hope.
Love to Scott, Buk and all, TD.
20 - Al Barger
Amen, Brother Thomas Doubting. Rev Scott of course liked to clown around some- he obviously didn't take himself entirely seriously, but he was clearly ultimately serious about his beliefs and teachings. I don't think there's anything inherently sacrilegious about a preacher actually having a working sense of humor.
21 - Marlin
In the years to come Dr. Scott's teaching will live on through the rebroadcasts and printed transcripts. Preachers will plagerize his sermons on Sunday's and hail him as a saint like other great preachers of the past.
He will become more mainstream as the years go by and memories of his "cigar" and "independent" style fade. But they were what made the man real. They will try to "sanitize" him like all the great ones who at the time didn't fit in with the religious establishment at the time.
The truth is in the teaching. Rest in peace Dr. Scott, and thanks for the encouragement to put trust in God while you were here.
22 - Thomas Doubting
Following a great uplifting quote....
He bestowed upon my heart. the gift of limitless faith.
So that in these final days i could carry out his divine work.
& even tho i have not led a life of perfection. i am not ashamed in his sight, & give unceasing thanks to him.
for he has been lenient with me, a careless fool, and lifted me up beyond all measure, even thou i was unworthy and the least of his servants.
i, patrick, a sinner, a most unlearned man, tirelessly i give thanks to god, whom in his divine power, has shown himself to me, the least amoung his faithfull, and an unworthy man, despised by many.
Quote from St. Patrick. Patron Saint of Ireland.
Title of the film St. Patrick Patron Saint of Ireland as i saw it on EWTN.
Eternal Word Television Network. Catholic Cable Channel.
The approximately 40min. film will repeat this Saturday March 12' 05 from 8:00-9:00PM on EWTN.
23 - MikeyP
To read more about Dr. Gene Scott, and participate in more discussion, try this site
24 - Al Barger
Thanks Mikey, I'll have to check that out.
Any idea where I could get an mp3 of "Kill a Pissant for Jesus"?
25 - John Charles
I had the great opportunity of working for Dr. Gene Scott in the "Purple" church in Orville, CA called Westscott Christian Center. I enjoyed Dr. Scott's teaching and was happy to get him to get his sax out of the moth balls and start jamming with his Dad (Pop Scott) and me on Sunday mornings. Gene, his wife Betty and Mom & Dad Scott made me feel very much a part of the team.
The Sunday that Dr. Scott announces that Betty had filed for divorce was my last Sunday for a few years. Then one of his staff called me offering me a multi task job as the Music Director,Christian Book store keeper, TV art/backdrop (painted at the Sun Set Mosaliem) and piano player/singer for TV tapings in San Jose.
The last time I saw Gene was at Pop Scott's memorial at the SSM where we joked with each other about our weight gain. I loved his smile - he was always very kind to me.
John Charles (formerly Cram)