Scoreload

American musician who fused scat singing with electronic dance music, overcoming stuttering to become a global 1990s icon.Born in California, Larkin worked as a jazz pianist for decades before reinventing himself at age 53 as Scatman John. His 1995 single 'Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)' sold over 6 million copies globally. He became an advocate for stutterers before dying of lung cancer at 57.

• Severe stuttering since childhood made Larkin socially isolated; he only found fluid speech through scat singing
• His manager initially rejected the Scatman concept, fearing audiences would mock his stutter
• The lyrics of 'Scatman' directly addressed his speech impediment: 'If the Scatman can do it, so can you'
• Despite massive European success, he remained virtually unknown in his native United States
• Diagnosed with lung cancer in 1998, he recorded final album 'Take Your Time' while undergoing chemotherapy