NASHVILLE, Tenn (WTVF) — A Nashville theater legend lost his battle to cancer. Barry Scott was known across Music City for his great acting skills and deep voice.
But it was his voice for the community that people say they’ll miss the most. His friends tell us Scott was privately fighting stage IV colon cancer.
Scott brought many characters to life on the stage, lending his voice for commercials and spoken word. Many know Scott as the voice for TNA and Impact wrestling, a role he did for many years.
"Barry’s reputation was for excellence, it was for being a visionary, it was about building institutions, it was about empowering and enabling particularly artist of color," said Jeff Carr.
Carr of Infinity Fellowship knew Scott for most of his life. He says Scott gave him his first acting role.
"Barry is somewhere now creating plays and inspiring artist all over the world while he was walking on this earth."
Scott was the founder and producing artistic director of the American Negro Playwright Theatre at Tennessee State University.
He was a playwright, director and producer. His work blessed many Nashville stages from the Nashville Repertory theatre, the Nashville Children’s theatre and Shakespeare festival.
"There was just so much power in his love that he didn’t just encourage people, he pushed us, he pushed so many of us toward making ourselves better than what we felt we could be," said Denice Hicks, Artistic disrector of the Nashville Shakespeare Festival.
Hicks says there’s no doubt Barry Scott will be missed. "If we remember Barry’s voice we’ll still get the benefit of his spirit and his push."
Scott was 65-years-old, he is survived by his wife and children.
