Babydaddy
The sonic architect behind Scissor Sisters, crafting glitter-dusted pop anthems that smuggled disco and glam rock back into the 21st century charts.
Born 1976 (age 50)·American musical artist·Birthday: September 1·Generation X
Biography
As Babydaddy, Scott Hoffman provided the foundational groove, sly hooks, and studio savvy that turned Scissor Sisters from a downtown New York curiosity into a global pop phenomenon. While frontpeople commanded the spotlight, Hoffman was the band's multi-instrumentalist backbone and chief sonic conspirator, shaping their audacious blend of 70s Elton John, Bee Gees falsetto, and electroclash energy. His production and songwriting, often in collaboration with Jake Shears, resulted in songs that felt simultaneously nostalgic and utterly fresh, like the irresistible "Take Your Mama" and the UK number-one "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'." Operating with a musician's precision and a pop fan's heart, Hoffman helped create a space where flamboyant, queer-positive music could achieve massive mainstream success, making the 2000s dance floor a much more fabulous place.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Babydaddy was born in 1976, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Babydaddy Was Born
The biggest hits of 1976
#1 Movie
Rocky
Best Picture
Rocky
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Babydaddy's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1976Born
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1981Started school
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1989Became a teenager
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1992Could drive
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1994Could vote
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1997Turned 21
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2006Turned 30
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 40
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 50
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-wrote and produced "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'," which became a global hit, topping the UK charts for four weeks in 2006.
- Won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically for "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'" in 2007.
- Provided the musical direction and production for Scissor Sisters' self-titled debut album, which became the UK's best-selling album of 2004.
- Co-wrote the band's hit "Take Your Mama," which introduced their signature sound to international audiences.
Did You Know?
He is the older brother of comedian and musician Ben Hoffman (H. Jon Benjamin's brother in real life).
He is a trained cellist, an instrument he occasionally incorporated into Scissor Sisters' recordings.
Before Scissor Sisters, he was in a band called Stretch Princess with future bandmate Del Marquis.
“Pop music is the highest form of art when it's done with a wink.”
