Dr. Gene Scott R.I.P.
Dr. Gene Scott, the eccentric televangelist who smoked cigars, wore odd headgear and used profanity, has died in California at age 75 after suffering a stroke. Scott was the anti-televangelist, and I have many fond memories of watching him in the wee hours of the morning while taking care of my daughter Brittany during the mid 80s. The son of a former leader of the Assemblies of God denomination, he was a rising star in the Charismatic Christian firmament until an affair allegedly got the best of him. He retreated to a place of television, religion, aliens, pyramids and Atlantis. He was a hoot on-the-air and could talk for hours.
He had a band that was constantly being asked by his cult following to play an original version of Amazing Grace. He was a brilliant manipulator and would hold off playing the tune until a certain number of people called and pledged money. But you never knew what was going to happen with Gene. He’d deliberately and slowly take a drag off a cigar while directing the camera to zoom in for a close-up. He’d inhale, exhale and then look directly in the camera and say, “Don’t you Christians wish you could do that?”
His brand of religion was, to say the least, unusual. May he rest in peace.
Here’s a backgrounder. Here’s his Website.
