Sylvester James Jr. (Septiembre 6, 1947 a 1916 diciembre de 1988), conocido mononymously como Sylvester , fue un cantautor estadounidense. Principalmente activo en los géneros disco , rhythm and blues y soul , era conocido por su apariencia extravagante y andrógina, su voz en falsete y sus singles disco a finales de los setenta y ochenta.
Silvestre | |
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Nació | Sylvester James Jr. 6 de septiembre de 1947 Watts, Los Ángeles, California , EE. UU. |
Fallecido | 16 de diciembre de 1988 San Francisco, California, EE. UU. | (41 años)
Causa de la muerte | Complicaciones relacionadas con el SIDA |
Lugar de descanso | Cementerio de Inglewood Park , Inglewood, California , EE. UU. |
Ocupación |
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Carrera musical | |
Géneros | |
Instrumentos |
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Años activos | 1962–1988 |
Etiquetas | |
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Nacido en Watts, Los Ángeles , en una familia afroamericana de clase media, Sylvester desarrolló el amor por el canto a través del coro de gospel de su iglesia pentecostal . Al salir de la iglesia después de que la congregación expresó su desaprobación por su homosexualidad, encontró amistad entre un grupo de travestis negros y mujeres transgénero que se llamaban a sí mismas The Disquotays. Mudarse a San Francisco en 1970 a la edad de 22 años, Sylvester abrazó la contracultura y se unió a la vanguardia de arrastrar compañía Cockettes , la producción de segmentos individuales de sus espectáculos que fueron fuertemente influenciados por las mujeres azules y jazz cantantes como Billie Holiday y Josephine Baker . Durante la gira criticada por los Cockettes por la ciudad de Nueva York, Sylvester los dejó para seguir su carrera en otra parte. Llegó al frente de Sylvester and his Hot Band, un grupo de rock que lanzó dos álbumes comercialmente sin éxito en Blue Thumb Records en 1973 antes de disolverse.
Centrándose en una carrera en solitario, Sylvester firmó un contrato de grabación con Harvey Fuqua de Fantasy Records y obtuvo tres nuevos coristas en la forma de Martha Wash e Izora Rhodes - el " Two Tons O 'Fun " - así como Jeanie Tracy . Su primer álbum en solitario, Sylvester (1977), fue un éxito moderado. A esto le siguió el aclamado álbum disco Step II (1978), que generó los sencillos " You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) " y " Dance (Disco Heat) ", ambos éxitos en Estados Unidos y Europa. Alejándose del género disco, grabó cuatro álbumes más, incluido un álbum en vivo, con Fantasy Records. Después de dejar este sello, firmó con Megatone Records , la compañía orientada al baile fundada por su amigo y colaborador Patrick Cowley , donde grabó cuatro álbumes más, incluido el exitoso tema Hi-NRG de Cowley, " Do Ya Wanna Funk ". Sylvester, activista que hizo campaña contra la propagación del VIH / SIDA , murió por complicaciones derivadas del virus en 1988, dejando todas las regalías futuras de su trabajo a organizaciones benéficas contra el VIH / SIDA con sede en San Francisco.
A finales de la década de 1970, Sylvester se ganó el sobrenombre de " Reina de la discoteca " y durante su vida obtuvo un reconocimiento especial en San Francisco, donde se le otorgó la llave de la ciudad . En 2005, fue incluido póstumamente en el Salón de la Fama de la Música Dance , mientras que su vida se registró en una biografía y fue tema de un documental y un musical.
Vida temprana
1947-1960: infancia
- Silvestre [1]
Sylvester James nació el 6 de septiembre de 1947 en el distrito Watts de Los Ángeles, California, [2] en una familia de clase media. [3] Su madre, Letha Weaver, se había criado cerca de Palestina, Arkansas en una familia afroamericana relativamente rica que poseía sus propias tierras de cultivo. [4] La madre biológica de Letha, Gertha Weaver, no estaba casada y estaba demasiado enferma para cuidar a su hijo, por lo que la hermana de Gertha, Julia, conocida en la familia como JuJu, se convirtió en la madre adoptiva de Letha. [2] A fines de la década de 1930, Julia y su esposo participaron en la Gran Migración de Afroamericanos fuera del Sur de los Estados Unidos y se mudaron a Watts. [2]
Fue aquí donde Letha se crió en gran medida y donde conoció y se casó con su primer marido, Sylvester "Sweet" James, y la pareja se mudó a una pequeña casa de campo propiedad de los padres de Letha. Su primer hijo, llamado Sylvester en honor a su padre, fue seguido por el nacimiento de John Wesley en 1948 y Larry en 1950. [5] Sylvester y sus hermanos se hicieron más conocidos en su comunidad predominantemente afroamericana por sus apodos, siendo Sylvester " Dooni ". [6] Sylvester consideraba que su padre era un "maleducado" porque era un adúltero y dejó a su esposa e hijos cuando los niños aún eran pequeños. [7] Letha y sus tres hijos se mudaron a un proyecto de viviendas en el centro de Aliso Village antes de regresar a la casa de sus padres en 114th Street en Watts. [8]
Letha era una devota adherente de la denominación pentecostal del cristianismo, y asistía regularmente a la Iglesia de Dios en Cristo de Palm Lane en el sur de Los Ángeles . Sylvester y sus hermanos la acompañaron a los servicios de la iglesia, donde desarrolló un interés particular por la música gospel . [9] Habiendo sido un ávido cantante desde la edad de tres años, Sylvester participaba regularmente en presentaciones de gospel; cantó la canción " My Buddy " en el funeral de uno de los otros niños de la congregación de Park Lane. [10]
El joven Sylvester fue acusado a menudo de afeminamiento y reconoció su propia homosexualidad desde una edad temprana. A la edad de ocho años, fue abusado sexualmente por un hombre en la iglesia; en ese momento se rumoreaba que era el organista de la iglesia; Aunque Sylvester siempre sostuvo que esta interacción había sido consensuada y no abuso sexual, Sylvester era solo un niño en el momento de este incidente mientras que el agresor era un adulto. [11] Sylvester fue llevado a un médico luego de recibir heridas cuando este hombre sometió a la niña a sexo anal . Fue este médico quien le informó a Letha que su hijo era gay, algo que ella no podía aceptar, viendo la actividad homosexual como una perversión y un pecado . [11] La noticia de la "actividad homosexual" de Sylvester (en realidad, después de haber sido violada ) pronto se extendió por la congregación de la iglesia y, sintiéndose incómodo, dejó de asistir a los 13 años. [12]
Durante la infancia de Sylvester, su madre dio a luz a tres hijos más de diferentes padres antes de casarse con Robert "Sonny" Hurd a principios de la década de 1960, con quien adoptó tres hijos adoptivos. Como supervisor del fabricante aeroespacial North American Rockwell , el trabajo de Hurd aumentó los ingresos familiares y pudieron mudarse a un vecindario más caro y predominantemente blanco al norte de Watts. [13] La relación entre Sylvester y tanto su madre como su padrastro era tensa; en medio de una discusión con su madre, Sylvester decidió dejar su casa de forma permanente. [14]
1960-1970: The Disquotays
Ahora sin hogar, Sylvester pasó gran parte de la próxima década quedándose con amigos y parientes, en particular, su abuela Julia, quien no expresó ninguna desaprobación por su homosexualidad, habiendo sido amiga de varios hombres homosexuales en la década de 1930. En ocasiones, regresaba a la casa de su madre y su padrastro durante unos días seguidos, especialmente para pasar tiempo con sus hermanas menores, Bernadette y Bernadine. [15] A los 15 años, comenzó a frecuentar clubes gay locales y formó un grupo de amigos de la comunidad negra gay local, hasta que finalmente se formaron en un grupo al que llamaron los Disquotays. [16] La mejor amiga de Sylvester entre los Disquotay era una mujer trans llamada Duchess, que se ganaba el dinero como prostituta, un trabajo en el que Sylvester se negaba a participar. [17] El grupo organizaba fastuosas fiestas en casa, a veces (sin permiso) en el hogar de su amiga, la cantante de rhythm and blues Etta James , en la que se vistieron con ropa y pelucas femeninas, tratando constantemente de superarse mutuamente en apariencia. [18]
- Biógrafo Joshua Gamson, 2005. [19]
El novio de Sylvester durante la última parte de la década de 1960 era un joven llamado Lonnie Prince; bien formada y atractiva, muchos de los amigos de Sylvester describieron a la pareja como "la pareja It". [20] Sylvester solía hacer autostop por la ciudad mientras vestía ropa de mujer; tal actividad conllevaba un riesgo de arresto y enjuiciamiento, pues el travestismo era entonces ilegal en California. [20] Aunque evitó el encarcelamiento por este delito, fue arrestado por hurto en tiendas en varias ocasiones. [21] Encontró trabajo en una variedad de profesiones diferentes, incluida la cocina en McDonald's, donde fue despedido por negarse a usar una redecilla, cajero en el estacionamiento del aeropuerto, trabajando en una peluquería, en una tienda departamental y como maquillador en un depósito de cadáveres, preparando los cadáveres para sus funerales. [22] En la década de 1960, el Movimiento de Derechos Civiles estaba en su apogeo, pero Sylvester y sus amigos no tomaron un papel activo dentro de él. Durante los disturbios de Watts entre miembros de la comunidad negra y la fuerza policial predominantemente blanca, se unieron a los disturbios y saqueos generalizados, robando pelucas, laca para el cabello y lápiz labial. [19]
Aunque tenía poco interés en la educación formal y rara vez asistía a clases, Sylvester estaba inscrito en Jordan High School . Se graduó en 1969 a la edad de 21 años; en su fotografía de graduación, apareció vestido con un vestido de fiesta de gasa azul y un peinado de colmena . [16] A finales de la década, los Disquotay habían comenzado a separarse, algunos de ellos abandonaron el travestismo y otros reconocieron que eran mujeres trans y se sometieron a una cirugía de reasignación de sexo . Sylvester siempre se consideró un hombre y comenzó a atenuar el carácter femenino de su ropa, buscando un look más andrógino que combinaba estilos masculino y femenino y que estaba influenciado por las modas del movimiento hippie . [23]
1970-1972: Los Cockettes
- Biógrafo Joshua Gamson, 2005. [24]
En el bar Whisky a Go Go de Los Ángeles , Sylvester conoció a Reggie Dunnigan, quien lo invitó a mudarse a la ciudad de San Francisco, en el norte de California, para unirse a los "Chocolate Cockettes", miembros negros de una compañía de drag de arte de performance de vanguardia conocida como Los Cockettes . [25] Fundados por la drag queen Hibiscus en 1970, los Cockettes parodiaban la cultura popular, estaban involucrados en el movimiento de Liberación Gay y fueron influenciados por el espíritu del movimiento hippie, viviendo en comunidad, abrazando el amor libre y consumiendo sustancias que alteran la mente como marihuana y LSD . [26] Con la disolución de los Disquotays, Sylvester se había cansado de Los Ángeles y se sintió atraído por la reputación de San Francisco como un paraíso gay y contracultural. Al llegar a la ciudad, se quedó en la casa comunal de los Cockettes durante varios días. Quedaron impresionados con su voz para cantar en falsete y su habilidad para tocar el piano, y le pidieron que apareciera en un programa próximo, Radio Rodeo . [27] Sylvester estuvo de acuerdo, y una de sus primeras actuaciones consistió en cantar el tema principal de The Mickey Mouse Club mientras vestía una falda de vaquera. [28] Al mudarse a la residencia comunal de los Cockettes, pronto encontró el piso demasiado lleno de gente y tuvo dificultades con la falta de privacidad; después de un año se mudó a una nueva casa en Market Street con dos compañeros Cockettes. [29]
Aunque un miembro importante de la compañía, Sylvester siguió siendo una figura relativamente aislada; no solo era uno de los pocos miembros afroamericanos, sino que evitaba las actividades más surrealistas del grupo por lo que consideraba actuaciones más elegantes y glamorosas en el escenario. [30] En las actuaciones de los Cockettes, por lo general se le daba una escena completa para él, a menudo con poca relevancia para la narrativa y el tema del resto del espectáculo, aunque al hacerlo, ganó sus propios seguidores. [31] Con un pianista llamado Peter Mintun , Sylvester trabajó en escenas en solitario en las que mostró su interés por el blues y el jazz imitando a varios de sus ídolos musicales como Billie Holiday y Josephine Baker . [32] Además de su imagen, Sylvester usó el seudónimo "Ruby Blue" [33] y se describió a sí mismo como "el primo de Billie Holiday una vez retirado". [34] Fascinado por la herencia musical negra, leyó sobre el tema y se convirtió en un coleccionista de "negrobilia"; en algunas de sus actuaciones de Cockette, jugó con los estereotipos raciales de los afroamericanos para ridiculizar los estereotipos mismos. [35]
En 1970, Sylvester entabló una relación abierta con Michael Lyons, un joven blanco, y pronto le propuso matrimonio. Aunque el matrimonio entre personas del mismo sexo no fue reconocido legalmente en los Estados Unidos, la pareja celebró una boda en el Shakespeare Garden del Golden Gate Park . [36] Por invitación del director del Palace Theatre , Sylvester apareció en una película de parodia, Tricia's Wedding , que parodiaba el matrimonio de Tricia Nixon Cox , hija del presidente Richard Nixon . En la película, Sylvester interpretó el papel tanto de Coretta Scott King como de la embajadora africana Uma King. [37] En 1971, Sylvester recibió un espectáculo individual, Sylvester Sings , en el Palace Theatre, para el que estuvo acompañado por Peter Mintun. [38] Sin embargo, siguió siendo parte de la compañía Cockette durante su división divisoria, en la que Hibiscus y sus seguidores se marcharon para formar los Ángeles de la Luz. Después de la partida de Hibiscus, los Cockettes comenzaron a ganar una creciente atención de los medios, con celebridades como Rex Reed , Truman Capote y Gloria Vanderbilt entusiasmados con sus actuaciones. La revista Rolling Stone destacó las actuaciones de Sylvester para elogios especiales, describiéndolo como "un hermoso andrógino negro que tiene un sonido gospel con el calor y el brillo de Aretha [Franklin] ". [39]
El éxito llevó a la compañía a llevar su espectáculo a la ciudad de Nueva York, una ciudad con una larga historia de cultura drag . Al llegar en noviembre de 1971, se sumergieron en la vanguardia de la ciudad , asistiendo a las fiestas organizadas por Andy Warhol y la revista Screw . Pasando gran parte de su tiempo de fiesta, la mayoría de los Cockette no ensayaron, con la excepción de Sylvester, que quería perfeccionar su acto. [40] Aunque la actuación de los Cockettes en el Anderson Theatre fue criticada por los críticos, el acto de Sylvester fue ampliamente elogiado como un punto culminante del espectáculo. Al darse cuenta de que tenía mejores perspectivas como solista, en la segunda actuación en Nueva York abrió su acto diciendo a la audiencia: "Pido disculpas por esta parodia con la que estoy asociado", mientras que el séptimo anunció que lo haría dejar a los Cockettes por completo. [41]
Carrera en solitario emergente
1972-1974: Sylvester y su Hot Band
Al regresar a San Francisco, a Sylvester se le ofreció la oportunidad de grabar un álbum de demostración del editor de Rolling Stone , Jann Wenner . Financiado por A&M Records , el álbum incluía una versión de la canción " Superstar " de Bonnie Bramlett y Leon Russell , que había sido un sencillo de éxito reciente de The Carpenters . Sin embargo, A&M consideró que el trabajo no era comercialmente viable y se negó a lanzar el álbum. [42] Para el álbum, Sylvester y su manager Dennis Lopez habían reunido a un grupo de hombres blancos heterosexuales: Bobby Blood a la trompeta, Chris Mostert al saxofón, James Q. Smith a la guitarra, Travis Fullerton a la batería y Kerry Hatch al bajo. a quien llamó The Hot Band. Después del rechazo inicial de A&M, la banda proporcionó dos canciones para Lights Out San Francisco, un álbum compilado por la radio KSAN de San Francisco y lanzado en el sello Blue Thumb . [43] Obteniendo varios conciertos locales, finalmente se les pidió que abrieran para la estrella de glam rock inglesa David Bowie en el Winterland Ballroom . El concierto no se vendió particularmente bien, y Bowie comentó más tarde que San Francisco no lo necesitaba, porque "Tienen a Sylvester", refiriéndose a su preferencia compartida por la androginia. [44]
A principios de 1973, Bob Krasnow firmó con Sylvester y The Hot Band para Blue Thumb. En este sello, produjeron su primer álbum, en el que cambiaron su sonido del blues al rock más comercialmente viable, mientras que las Pointer Sisters fueron contratadas como cantantes de fondo. Sylvester nombró a este primer álbum Scratch My Flower debido a una pegatina de rascar y oler en forma de gardenia adherida a la portada, aunque en cambio fue lanzado bajo el título de Sylvester and his Hot Band . [45] El álbum constaba principalmente de versiones de canciones de artistas como James Taylor , Ray Charles , Neil Young y Leiber y Stoller . [46] Descrito por uno de los biógrafos de Sylvester como carente de "el fuego y el enfoque de los espectáculos en vivo", [47] se vendió mal en el lanzamiento. [48]
Sylvester y su Hot Band realizaron una gira por los Estados Unidos, recibiendo amenazas de violencia en varios estados del sur, donde las actitudes conservadoras y racistas generalizadas llevaron al antagonismo entre la banda y los lugareños. [49] A finales de 1973, la banda grabó su segundo álbum, Bazaar , que incluía versiones y composiciones originales del bajista Kerry Hatch. Hatch comentó más tarde que Hot Band encontró el álbum más satisfactorio que su predecesor, pero que, sin embargo, volvió a venderse mal. [50] El periodista musical Peter Shapiro creía que en estos álbumes de Blue Thumb, el "falsete algodonoso de Sylvester era una combinación incómoda con las guitarras" y que ambos tenían "una calidad astringente desagradable". [51] Encontrando difícil trabajar con Sylvester y frustrado por su falta de éxito comercial, Hot Band dejó a Sylvester a finales de 1974, después de lo cual Krasnow canceló su contrato de grabación. [48] Al mismo tiempo, la relación de Sylvester con Lyons terminó, y el propio Lyons se mudó a Hawai. [52]
1974-1977: Two Tons O 'Fun y Sylvester
Ahora, sin Hot Band o un contrato de grabación, Sylvester se instaló con una nueva banda, The Four As, y un nuevo grupo de coristas, dos drag queens negras llamadas Gerry Kirby y Lady Bianca. Con este nuevo séquito, continuó actuando en varios lugares locales, incluido Jewel's Catch One , un club de baile gay predominantemente negro en West Pico Avenue en Los Ángeles, pero los críticos no estaban impresionados con la nueva alineación, la mayoría de los cuales abandonaron a Sylvester. en diciembre de 1974. [53] Después de una breve estancia en Inglaterra, Sylvester regresó a San Francisco y reunió a tres jóvenes drag queens para que fueran cantantes de respaldo: Arnold Elzie, Leroy Davis y Gerry Kirby. Sin embargo, aunque actuó en eventos como la Feria de Castro Street de 1975 , el éxito siguió eludiéndolo y finalmente despidió a Elzie, Davis y Kirby. [54]
- Biógrafo Joshua Gamson, 2005. [55]
Empleando a Brent Thomson como su nuevo gerente, sugirió que Sylvester se deshiciera de su imagen andrógina y usara ropa más masculina para obtener un contrato de grabación; como ella dijo, "nadie está dando contratos de grabación a drag queens". [56] Thomson abrió audiciones para nuevos coristas, y Sylvester quedó cautivado por una de las audiciones, Martha Wash . Sylvester le preguntó si tenía otro gran amigo negro que supiera cantar, después de lo cual le presentó a Izora Rhodes . Aunque se refirió a ellas simplemente como "las chicas", Wash y Rhodes se llamaron a sí mismas Two Tons O 'Fun (y mucho más tarde, cuando lograron el éxito general, como The Weather Girls ), y continuaron trabajando con Sylvester de forma intermitente hasta su muerte. , desarrollando una estrecha amistad con él. [57] Pronto se les unieron el bajista John Dunstan y el teclista Dan Reich. [58]
Playing gay bars such as The Stud and The Endup, in September 1976 Sylvester and his band gained a regular weekend job at The Palms nightclub on Polk Street, performing two or three sets a night; most of these were covers, but some were original compositions by Sylvester and his then-guitarist Tip Wirrick.[59] It was through this show that Sylvester came to the attention of Motown producer Harvey Fuqua, and Fuqua subsequently signed Sylvester onto a solo deal with Fantasy Records in 1977.[60]
In the middle of that year, he recorded his third album, the self-titled Sylvester, which featured a cover design depicting Sylvester in male attire. The songs included on the album were influenced by dance music, and included Sylvester's own compositions, such as "Never Too Late," as well as covers of hits like Ashford & Simpson's "Over and Over." Many reviewers noted that Sylvester's image had been altered since his early career, moving him away from the glittery androgynous appearance to that of a more conventional rhythm-and-blues singer which would have wider commercial appeal. Released as a single, Sylvester's "Over and Over" proved a minor hit in the U.S., but was more successful in Mexico and Europe.[61] Building on the album's release, Sylvester toured Louisiana and then Mexico City.[62]
1978: Step II and disco success
Sylvester's fame increased following the release of his solo album, and he was employed to perform regularly at The Elephant Walk gay bar in the Castro, an area of San Francisco known as a gay village. He became a friend of Harvey Milk—known locally as the "Mayor of Castro Street"—who was the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, and performed at Milk's birthday party that year.[64] In the spring of 1978, Sylvester successfully auditioned for a cameo appearance in the film The Rose starring gay icon Bette Midler. In the film, he plays one of the drag queens singing along to Bob Seger's "Fire Down Below," in a single scene that was filmed in a run-down bar in downtown Los Angeles.[65]
Sylvester released his second solo album, Step II, in September 1978. For this release, he was particularly influenced by the genre of dance music known as disco which was then becoming increasingly popular across the Western world. Disco was closely associated with the gay, black, and Latino communities in the U.S. and dominated by black female artists like Donna Summer, Gloria Gaynor, and Grace Jones, with Sylvester initially being unsure that it was a suitable genre for him to work in; he nevertheless recognized its increasing commercial potential.[66] During production of the album, Sylvester invited the musician Patrick Cowley to join his studio band, being impressed by Cowley's innovative techniques using synthesizers. The album landed Cowley a job as a back-up musician on Sylvester's subsequent worldwide tours, and the two started a close friendship and collaboration.[67] Once again co-produced by Harvey Fuqua and released on Fuqua's Fantasy label, Step II contained two disco songs that were subsequently released as singles, "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)," written by James Wirrick, and "Dance (Disco Heat)," written by Eric Robinson.[68]
Both singles proved commercial hits both domestically and abroad, topping the American dance chart and breaking into the U.S. pop charts.[69] The album itself was also a success, being certified gold,[70] and was described by Rolling Stone magazine as being "as good as disco gets."[71] In his history of disco, Shapiro described "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" as Sylvester's "greatest record", "the cornerstone of gay disco", and "an epochal record in disco history".[72] Shapiro noted that Sylvester's work brought together elements from both of the main strands of disco; the "gospel/R&B tradition" and the "mechanical, piston-pumping beats" tradition, but that in doing so he went "way beyond either".[3] Shapiro expressed the view that "Sylvester propelled his falsetto far above his natural range into the ether and rode machine rhythms that raced toward escape velocity, creating a new sonic lexicon powerful, camp, and otherworldly enough to articulate the exquisite bliss of disco's dance floor utopia".[3]
In both August and December 1978, Sylvester visited London, England to promote his music; he proved hugely popular in the city, performing at a number of different nightclubs and being mobbed by fans.[73] It was while in the city that he filmed the music video for "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)".[74] Back in the U.S., Sylvester began to appear on television shows to advertise his music, appearing on Dinah Shore, American Bandstand, Rock Concert, and The Merv Griffin Show.[75] He also undertook a series of tours across the country, opening for both The Commodores and Chaka Khan, and performing alongside The O'Jays, War, and L.T.D..[76] As a result, he earned a number of awards and performed at several award ceremonies.[77] Through this developing public presence, Sylvester, alongside other visibly queer performers such as The Village People, helped to solidify the connection between disco and homosexuality within the public imagination; this however furthered the anti-disco sentiment among rock music fans which would emerge as the Disco Sucks movement.[78]
Vida posterior
1979–1981: Stars, Sell My Soul, and Too Hot To Sleep
— Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981)[79]
Sylvester followed the success of Step II with an album entitled Stars. Consisting of four love songs, the title track – released as a single in January 1979 – had been written by Cowley, and Sylvester would proceed to tell the press that it was his first completely disco album, but that it would also probably be his last.[80][81] He premiered the album's four tracks on March 11, 1979, at a sold-out show in the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House. The performance was attended by a number of senior figures in local government, and halfway through, Mayor Dianne Feinstein sent her aide, Harry Britt, to award Sylvester with the key to the city and proclaim March 11 to be "Sylvester Day."[80][82] The Opera House gig was recorded, and subsequently released as a live album, Living Proof. Sylvester thought very highly of the album, but it did not sell well.[83] A single released from this album, "Can't Stop Dancing", was a hit in the disco clubs but not in the pop music charts.[84]
Despite increasing mainstream success, Sylvester continued to reaffirm his connection to the gay community of San Francisco, performing at the main stage at the 1979 Gay Freedom Day parade.[85] Further, during his summer 1979 tour of the UK, he performed at the London Gay Pride Festival in Hyde Park.[86] That same year, Sylvester met the singer Jeanie Tracy through Harvey Fuqua, and they immediately became friends. A large black woman, Sylvester felt that Tracy would work well with his Two Tons O' Fun, and invited her to join his backing singers, which she proceeded to do. Subsequently, befriending the Tons, she would work for Sylvester for the rest of his life.[87] The Tons themselves were convinced by Fuqua to produce their own self-titled album, from which came two dance chart hits, "Earth Can Be Just Like Heaven" and "Just Us"; as a result, they began to work less and less with Sylvester, only joining him on occasion for his live shows.[88] In some interviews he would express bitterness at their departure, while in others he stressed that he had no bad feelings toward them.[89]
— Sylvester on his move away from disco[90]
In 1980, Sylvester also reached tabloid headlines after he was arrested on a visit to New York City, accused of being involved in the robbery of several rare coins. After three days of incarceration, he was released on a police bail of $30,000. Sylvester was never charged, and police later admitted their mistake after it was revealed that the real culprit had posed as Sylvester by signing cheques in his name.[91] Returning to San Francisco after this event, it was here that Sylvester produced his next album for Fantasy Records, Sell My Soul. Largely avoiding disco after the genre had become unpopular following the much publicized Disco Sucks movement, Sell My Soul instead represented a selection of soul-inspired dance tracks. Recorded in two weeks, Sylvester worked largely with backing singers and musicians whom he was unfamiliar with, and regular collaborators Rhodes and Cowley were entirely absent. Reviews were generally poor, describing the album as being average in quality.[92] The only disco song on the album, "I Need You", was released as a single, but fared poorly.[93]
Sylvester's fifth and final album for Fantasy Records was Too Hot to Sleep, in which he once again eschewed disco for a series of groove soul tunes, ballads, and gospel-style tracks.[94] Missing the Two Tons entirely, Tracy was instead accompanied by a new backing singer, Maurice "Mo" Long, and because the three of them had all grown up in the Church of God in Christ, they decided to refer to themselves as the "C.O.G.I.C. Singers."[95] The album also featured a number of tracks in which Sylvester avoided his usual falsetto tones to sing in a baritone voice.[95] The album sold poorly.[96]
1982–1986: Megatone Records
— Sylvester on Megatone Records[96]
Both the Two Tons and Sylvester came to suspect that Fantasy Records had failed to pay them all of the money that they were owed from the sale of their records. Sylvester left Fantasy and in November 1982 he filed a lawsuit against them; it ultimately proved successful in establishing that the company had been withholding money from him totaling $218,112.50. Nevertheless, Fuqua proved unable to pay anything more than $20,000, meaning that Sylvester never saw the majority of the money that was legally owed to him. Sylvester grew to despise Fuqua, and forbade his friends from ever mentioning his name.[97]
Closely associated with the now unpopular disco and having had no hit singles in the preceding few years, after leaving Fantasy Sylvester was not a particular draw for major record labels. Recognizing this state of affairs, in 1982 Sylvester commented that "there's nothing worse than a fallen star" who still has "illusions" of their continuing fame. Rather than chasing major chart success, Sylvester wanted to focus on retaining creative control over his music.[98] Hiring his former tour manager and longstanding friend Tim McKenna as his new manager, Sylvester decided to produce his next album with Megatone Records, a small San Francisco company that had been founded in 1981 by Patrick Cowley and Marty Blecman and which catered largely to the gay club scene.[99] The result was All I Need (1982), on which James Wirrick had written most of the songs, which were dance-orientated and influenced by the new wave music then in vogue. Sylvester insisted that he include several ballads on the album, which featured cover art by Mark Amerika depicting Sylvester in ancient Egyptian garb.[100]
One of the best known Sylvester songs of this period was "Do Ya Wanna Funk", a Hi-NRG dance track co-written with Cowley which was released as a single in July 1982, topping the U.S. dance charts and entering the pop charts in a number of countries across the world.[101] Although he had continued working, Cowley was suffering from the recently discovered HIV/AIDS virus – at the time still referred to as "gay-related immune deficiency" (GRID) by American doctors – and was in a deteriorating physical condition.[102] Sylvester continued touring, and it was while in London, preparing to perform at the Heaven superclub, that he learned of Cowley's death on November 12, 1982. He went onstage, informing the crowd of Cowley's passing and then sang "Do Ya Wanna Funk" in memory of him.[103]
In 1983, Sylvester became a partner of Megatone Records.[96] That year he also brought out his second album with the company, Call Me, but it was not a commercial success. Four songs from the album were released as singles, although only "Trouble in Paradise" entered the top 20 of the U.S. dance charts; Sylvester later related that the song was his "AIDS message to San Francisco."[104] Sylvester was emotionally moved by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and began helping out at the Rita Rockett Lounge for patients of the disease at the San Francisco General Hospital as well as performing at various benefit concerts to raise money and awareness to combat the spread of the disease.[105] In February 1984 he also performed a "One Night Only" retrospective of his work at the prestigious Castro Theatre.[106] Sylvester still toured both domestically and in Europe, although he found that demand for his performances was decreasing, and that he was now playing to smaller venues and singing to a pre-recorded tape rather than to a live band as he had in the late 1970s.[107]
His next album, entitled M-1015 (1984), was more frenetic and pumping than his previous releases, having embraced the recently developed genre of Hi-NRG, but it also included elements of electro and rap. The major figures behind the album had been Kessie and Morey Goldstein, and Sylvester himself had not written any of the tracks.[108] The album also contained increasingly sexually explicit lyrics, in particular in the songs "How Do You Like Your Love" and "Sex".[109] That year, he also entered into a relationship with an architect named Rick Cramner, and together they moved into a new apartment in the hills, where Sylvester decorated his powder room with posters and memorabilia of Divine, the drag queen, actor and singer whom he had briefly known when they were in The Cockettes.[110] In 1985, he fulfilled a lifelong ambition by working with the singer Aretha Franklin; he and Jeanie had been invited to provide backing vocals on Franklin's album Who's Zoomin' Who?.[111]
Sylvester's final album, Mutual Attraction (1986), was produced by Megatone but licensed and released by Warner Bros. On the album, Sylvester had worked with a wide number of collaborators, and included new tracks alongside covers of songs by Stevie Wonder and George Gershwin. Reviews of the album were mixed, with many claiming that it was a poor release.[112] One of the album's singles, "Someone Like You", proved more successful, reaching number one on the Billboard dance charts.[112] Warner Bros booked him to appear on the New Year's Eve edition of The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers, during which Joan Rivers described him as a drag queen; visibly annoyed, he corrected her by stating that he was not a drag queen, proclaiming simply "I'm Sylvester!"[113] The appearance was also notable for Sylvester publicly declaring his relationship with Rick Cranmer despite the fact that Cranmer's family were largely unaware of either the liaison or his sexuality.
1986–1988: Final years and death
In 1985, Sylvester's boyfriend, Rick Cranmer, became aware that he had become infected with HIV. With no known medical cure, his health deteriorated rapidly and he died in September 1987. Sylvester was devastated, and although recognizing that he too was probably infected, he refused to have his blood tested, only noticing the virus' first symptoms when he developed a persistent cough.[114] Beginning work on an album that would remain unfinished, he moved into a new apartment on Collingwood Street in the Castro, and tried his best to continue performing in the Bay Area, even though he became too ill to undertake a full tour.[115] Eventually diagnosed with AIDS, he was hospitalized for sinus surgery in late 1987, and upon returning to his apartment, he began to be cared for by his mother and Tracy, before being hospitalized again in May 1988, this time with pneumocystis pneumonia. Returning to his flat, he gave away many of his treasured possessions and wrote his will.[116]
Having lost a lot of weight and unable to walk easily, he attended the Castro's 1988 Gay Freedom Parade in a wheelchair, being pushed along by Mckenna in front of the People with AIDS banner; along Market Street, assembled crowds shouted out his name as he passed.[117] The subsequent 1988 Castro Street Fair was named "A Tribute to Sylvester," and although he was too ill to attend, crowds chanted his name to such an extent that he was able to hear them from his bedroom.[118] He continued to give interviews to the media, being open about the fact that he was dying of AIDS, and sought in particular to highlight the impact that the disease was having in the African-American community.[119] In an interview with the NME, he stated, "I don't believe that AIDS is the wrath of God. People have a tendency to blame everything on God."[120]
For Thanksgiving 1988, his family spent the holiday with him, although he had developed neuropathy and was increasingly bed-ridden and reliant on morphine; he died in his bed on December 16, 1988, at the age of 41.[121] Sylvester had planned his own funeral, insisting that he be dressed in a red kimono and placed in an open-top coffin for the mourners to see, with his friend Yvette Flunder doing his corpse's makeup. He wanted Tracy to sing at his funeral, accompanied by choirs and many flowers. The whole affair took place in his church, the Love Center, with a sermon being provided by Reverend Walter Hawkins. The event was packed, with standing room only, and the coffin was subsequently taken and buried at his family's plot in Inglewood Park Cemetery.[122] An album titled Immortal was posthumously released; it contained Sylvester's final studio recordings and was compiled by Marty Blecman.[123]
Vida personal
Sylvester has been described as having a "flamboyant and colourful" public persona,[124] wearing both male and female gendered clothes as part of his attire,[125] with his biographer Joshua Gamson opining that for Sylvester, "gender was an everyday choice".[126] Sylvester described his public persona as "an extension of me, the real me".[127] Sylvester's friend and publicist Sharon Davis described him as "a quiet, often thoughtful, caring guy, who put others before himself, and was generous to a fault, having little regard for money. His policy was you only live once, so enjoy!"[128] She also noted that he could be "unpredictable", being "stubborn as a mule" and "always speak[ing] his mind".[129] Sylvester was considered to be a prima donna by members of the Hot Band and could be temperamental and difficult with those with whom he worked.[47] He found it difficult saving the money that he earned, instead spending it as soon as he obtained it, both on himself and on his lovers, friends, and family.[130]
— Biographer Joshua Gamson, 2005.[131]
Sylvester was openly gay, with Gamson noting that he tended to enter into relationships with men who were "white, self-doubting and effeminate."[132] In 1978, he entered into a relationship with a young white model named John Maley; Sylvester later devoted the song "Can't Forget the Love" from his Too Hot to Sleep album to his young lover. Maley ended the relationship to move to Los Angeles, later recollecting that Sylvester "was a lovely man, and I owe him a lot."[133] In 1981, Sylvester entered into a relationship with a slim brunette from Deep River, Connecticut named Michael Rayner, but unlike his predecessors, he did not move into Sylvester's house. Their partnership ended when Rayner admitted that he had not fallen completely in love with Sylvester.[134] Sylvester's next major relationship was with Tom Daniels, a hairdresser whom he met in 1982, but their romance ended after six months when Daniels discovered that Sylvester had been having sex with other men while on tour.[135] The singer's final partner, the architect Rick Cranmer, was a six-foot two blonde, and the duo moved into a house together in the hills. Cranmer died of AIDS-related complications in 1987, the year before Sylvester succumbed to the virus.[110]
As an openly gay man throughout his career, Sylvester came to be seen as a spokesman for the gay community.[136] He informed a journalist that "I realize that gay people have put me on a pedestal and I love it. After all, of all the oppressed minorities, they just have to be the most oppressed. They have all the hassles of finding something or someone to identify with – and they chose me. I like being around gay people and they've proven to be some of my closest friends and most loyal audiences."[137] Elsewhere, he nevertheless remarked that he felt his career had "transcended the gay movement. I mean, my sexuality has nothing to do with my music. When I'm fucking I'm not thinking about singing and vice versa."[136] He was openly critical of what he perceived as divisive tendencies within the gay community itself, noting that "I get this conformist shit from queens all the time. They always want to read me. They always want me to do it their way. I am not going to conform to the gay lifestyle as they see it and that's for sure".[136] He was particularly critical of "clones" – gay men who dressed alike with boots, boot-cut jeans, checked shirts and handlebar mustaches – stating that all too often they judged those gay people who were flamboyant or extravagant.[138]
Davis characterized Sylvester as an "absolute perfectionist".[128] He was very self-conscious about his physical appearance, and when he obtained enough money from the successful Step II album, he spent part of it on cosmetic surgery to remove a bump on his nose, inject silicone into his cheeks, and have cosmetic work done on his teeth.[139] He would also insist that all pictures of himself were meticulously airbrushed.[140]
Sylvester was born and raised into the Pentecostal denomination of Christianity, and remained a Christian throughout his life. He often compared the ecstatic feelings that accompanied his onstage performances with the feelings experienced in a gospel choir in a Pentecostal church. When performances reached a certain level of heightened emotion, he would comment that "we had service."[141] In later life, he joined the Love Center Church in East Oakland, a ministry founded by the preacher and former gospel singer Walter Hawkins in the 1970s. He had been introduced to the church by Jeanie Tracy in the 1980s and would soon become a regular churchgoer, enjoying the place's welcoming attitude towards societal outcasts. Sylvester requested that his funeral be undertaken by the ministry at the Love Center.[142]
Legado
— Peter Shapiro, 2005[143]
During the late 1970s, Sylvester gained the moniker of the "Queen of Disco",[144] a term that continued to be given to the singer into the 21st century.[145] The English journalist Stephen Brogan later described him as "a star who shined brightly. He only happened once. He was a radical and a visionary in terms of queerness, music and race."[146] Reynaldo Anderson of Harris-Stowe State University described Sylvester's influence upon disco and subsequent electronic dance music as "incalculable".[147] He added that Sylvester's songs "Dance (Disco Heat)", "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)", and "Do You Wanna Funk" represented "anthems of disco aficionados for a generation", while also expressing the view that Sylvester himself "personified the excesses of the 1970s and the experimentation that characterized [the decade's] changing social norms" within the United States.[147]
Shapiro cited Sylvester alongside other artists like Wendy Carlos, Throbbing Gristle, and Terre Thaemlitz as an individual who used electronic music as "a vehicle to express sexual transgression",[148] while in her study of the use of falsetto in disco, Anne-Lise François believed that Sylvester's style of singing "makes the point most obviously about falsetto as a gender-bending device."[149] The cultural studies scholar Tim Lawrence stated that Sylvester embodied "the [disco] movement's gay roots", and in doing could be contrasted with John Travolta, who embodied "its commercialization and suburbanization". The two figures thus reflected a divide between the gay and straight interpretations and presentations of disco music.[150] Layli Philips and Marla R. Stewart compared Sylvester to both Willi Ninja and RuPaul as pop icons who exhibited "male femininity" within the "Black male diva (or 'queen') tradition".[151]
In his will, Sylvester had declared that royalties from the future sale of this music be devoted to two HIV/AIDS charities, Project Open Hand and the AIDS Emergency Fund.[152] Although Sylvester died deeply in debt as a result of taking advances on his royalties, by the early 1990s this debt had been paid off, and a balance had begun to build up. Roger Gross, the attorney to Sylvester's manager and the openly gay lawyer who helped him draw up his will, petitioned the probate court to designate the charities as the beneficiaries of Sylvester's will. The proceeds of $140,000 in accrued royalties were split between the two groups, and they will continue to be paid the royalties in the future.[153]
On September 19, 2005, Sylvester was one of three artists inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame, alongside Chic and Gloria Gaynor.[154][155] In December 2016, Billboard magazine ranked him as the 59th most successful dance artist of all-time.[156]
In 2019, "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[157]
Biographies, documentaries, and musicals
A biography of Sylvester was authored by Gamson and published in 2005.[158] Writing for the London-based LGBT magazine Beige: The Provocative Cultural Quarterly, Stephen Brogan expressed his opinion that while Gamson's biography was well researched, it had a fragmented structure and as such was "not a joy to read".[146] Entertainment Weekly called the book "playful and furious" and awarded it a B+ rating,[159] The Boston Globe suggested that it was "as engaging as the times it so energetically resurrects",[160] and The San Francisco Chronicle reported that the author "carefully paints the shifting social tapestry into his subject's life story without ever taking Sylvester out of the foreground".[161] The Fabulous Sylvester won the 2006 Stonewall Book Award for nonfiction.[162] In 2015, Sylvester's publicist Sharon Davis published memoirs of the time that she spent with Sylvester, noting that she planned for it to appear in 2013 to mark the 25th anniversary of Sylvester's death.[128][163]
In 2010, the TV series Unsung aired an episode on Sylvester, that was later made available through YouTube.[146] Sylvester: Mighty Real, an official feature-length documentary on the life and career of Sylvester, entered production; it featured interviews with members of Sylvester's family and other artists and musicians who have been inspired by, but by 2012 the film's progress had halted.[146]
In August 2014, an Off-Broadway musical titled Mighty Real: A Fabulous Sylvester Musical opened at Theatre At St. Clement's in New York City. It was co-directed by Kendrell Bowman and Anthony Wayne, the latter of whom also performed as the titular character.[164][165] Wayne stated that he discovered Sylvester's story through a television documentary, and was subsequently "inspired by his drive to be who he was regardless of what he went through", performing a concert of Sylvester's songs with friends Anastacia McCleskey and Jacqueline B. Arnold as the Two Tons o' Fun before deciding to begin work on the musical.[164] A laudatory review of the musical from The New York Times noted that Wayne "certainly has the bravado, the androgynous sex appeal and the piercing voice to emulate the original convincingly."[165] The Huffington Post review noted that the musical largely avoided dealing with the decline in Sylvester's musical success during the 1980s, and that although " anyone seeking an exhaustively researched play-by-play of the star's life would be better off waiting for a documentary", the musical "succeeds as a collection of infectious performances by a truly gifted cast."[166]
In 2014 Sylvester was one of the inaugural honorees in the Rainbow Honor Walk, a walk of fame in San Francisco's Castro neighborhood noting LGBTQ people who have "made significant contributions in their fields."[167][168][169]
Discografia
Studio albums
Year | Album | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Record label | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [170] | US R&B [170] | AUS [171] | CAN [172] | |||||||||||
1973 | Sylvester & the Hot Band [A] | — | — | — | — | Blue Thumb | ||||||||
Bazaar [A] | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
1977 | Sylvester | — | — | — | — | Fantasy | ||||||||
1978 | Step II | 28 | 7 | 74 | 59 |
| ||||||||
1979 | Stars | 63 | 27 | — | 59 | |||||||||
1980 | Sell My Soul | 147 | 44 | — | — | Fantasy/Honey | ||||||||
1981 | Too Hot to Sleep | 156 | 51 | — | — | |||||||||
1982 | All I Need | 168 | 35 | 98 | — | Megatone | ||||||||
1983 | Call Me | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
1984 | M-1015 | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
1986 | Mutual Attraction | 164 | 46 | — | — | Warner Bros./Megatone | ||||||||
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
- A Credited as Sylvester & the Hot Band.
Live albums
Year | Album | Peak chart positions | Record label | |
---|---|---|---|---|
US [170] | US R&B [170] | |||
1979 | Living Proof | 123 | 45 | Fantasy |
Compilation albums
Year | Album | Peak | Record label |
---|---|---|---|
UK [174] | |||
1979 | Mighty Real | 62 | Fantasy |
1983 | Sylvester's Greatest Hits: Nonstop Dance Party | — | |
1988 | The 12 X 12 Collection | — | Megatone |
1989 | The Original Hits | — | Fantasy |
Immortal | — | Megatone |
Singles
Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [170] | US R&B [170] | US Dan [170] | AUS [171] | CAN [172] | IRE [175] | NZ [176] | UK [174] | |||||||
1973 | "Southern Man" [A] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Sylvester & the Hot Band | ||||
"Down on Your Knees" [A] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Bazaar | |||||
1977 | "Over and Over" | — | — | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | Sylvester | ||||
"Down, Down, Down" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||
1978 | "Dance (Disco Heat)" | 19 | 4 | 1 | — | 26 | — | 26 | 29 | Step II | ||||
"You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" | 36 | 20 | 16 | 54 | 11 | — | 8 |
| ||||||
1979 | "I (Who Have Nothing)" | 40 | 27 | 4 | — | 86 | 23 | — | 46 | Stars | ||||
"Stars" | — | — | — | — | — | — | 47 | |||||||
"Body Strong" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||
"Can't Stop Dancing" | — | 43 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | Living Proof | |||||
"In My Fantasy (I Want You, I Need You)" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||
1980 | "You Are My Friend" | — | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
"I Need You" | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | Sell My Soul | |||||
"Sell My Soul" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||
"Fever" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||
1981 | "Here Is My Love" | — | 44 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | Too Hot to Sleep | ||||
"Give It Up (Don't Make Me Wait)" (with Jeanie Tracy) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||
"Magic Number" (with Herbie Hancock) | — | 59 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | Magic Windows | |||||
1982 | "Do Ya Wanna Funk" (with Patrick Cowley) | — | — | 4 | 24 | — | — | 46 | 32 | All I Need | ||||
"All I Need" | — | 67 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
"Don't Stop" | — | — | — | — | — | — | 77 | |||||||
1983 | "Tell Me" | — | — | 49 | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
"Band of Gold" | — | — | 18 | — | — | — | — | 67 | Call Me | |||||
"Too Late" | — | 68 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
"Trouble in Paradise" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||
1984 | "Call Me" | — | — | 57 | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
"Good Feelin'" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||
"Stargazing" (with Earlene Bentley) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N/A | |||||
"Menergy" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
"Rock the Box" | — | — | 25 | — | — | — | 34 | 88 | M-1015 | |||||
1985 | "Take Me to Heaven" | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | 45 | 100 | |||||
"Sex" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||
1986 | "Living for the City" | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | Mutual Attraction | ||||
"Someone Like You" | — | 19 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
1987 | "Mutual Attraction" | — | — | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
"Sooner or Later" | — | — | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
1988 | "Do You Wanna Funk (Housey Housey Mix)" (with Patrick Cowley) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 97 | N/A | ||||
2013 | "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) (The Remixes)" | — | — | 46 | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
- A Credited as Sylvester & the Hot Band.
Ver también
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
Referencias
Citations
- ^ Davis 2015, p. 1.
- ^ a b c Gamson 2005, p. 15.
- ^ a b c Shapiro 2005, p. 76.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 14–15.
- ^ Gamson 2005, p. 15; Davis 2015, pp. 1–2.
- ^ Gamson 2005, p. 14.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 14–16; Davis 2015, p. 2.
- ^ Gamson 2005, p. 16; Davis 2015, p. 2.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 17–21; Brogan 2012, p. 67; Davis 2015, p. 2.
- ^ Gamson 2005, p. 20.
- ^ a b Gamson 2005, pp. 17–21; Davis 2015, p. 2.
- ^ Gamson 2005, p. 24; Brogan 2012, p. 67.
- ^ Gamson 2005, p. 25; Davis 2015, p. 2.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 26–28; Davis 2015, p. 3.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 28–29, 31.
- ^ a b Gamson 2005, p. 31; Davis 2015, p. 4.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 34–35.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 1–4, 6.
- ^ a b Gamson 2005, p. 37.
- ^ a b Gamson 2005, p. 33.
- ^ Gamson 2005, p. 31.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 31–32.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 36–37.
- ^ Gamson 2005, p. 57.
- ^ Gamson 2005, p. 41.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 49–54.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 43–44.
- ^ Gamson 2005, p. 47.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 56–57.
- ^ Gamson 2005, p. 58.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 64–65.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 61, 66–67; Brogan 2012, p. 67.
- ^ Gamson 2005, p. 63; Davis 2015, p. 4.
- ^ Gamson 2005, p. 63.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 59–62.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 72–74.
- ^ Greenberg 2004, p. 117; Gamson 2005, pp. 62–63.
- ^ Gamson 2005, p. 68.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 74–77.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 77–82; Davis 2015, p. 6.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 82–86; Davis 2015, p. 6.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 88–89.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 89, 90–91; Davis 2015, p. 6.
- ^ Gamson 2005, p. 92.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 92–94; Shapiro 2005, pp. 76––77; Brogan 2012, p. 67; Davis 2015, p. 7.
- ^ Gamson 2005, p. 98; Shapiro 2005, pp. 76–77; Davis 2015, p. 7.
- ^ a b Gamson 2005, p. 98.
- ^ a b Gamson 2005, p. 103.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 99–100.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 101–102; Davis 2015, pp. 7–8.
- ^ Shapiro 2005, p. 77.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 103––104.
- ^ Gamson 2005, p. 104.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 106–111.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 118–119.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 113–114; Davis 2015, pp. 10–11.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 115–118; Davis 2015, pp. 10–11.
- ^ Gamson 2005, p. 119.
- ^ Gamson 2005, p. 120; Davis 2015, p. 12.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 121–123; Brogan 2012, p. 68; Davis 2015, p. 12.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 123–125; Davis 2015, pp. 15–16.
- ^ Gamson 2005, p. 125.
- ^ Gamson 2005, p. 169.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 131–135; Davis 2015, pp. 17–18.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 135–136; Davis 2015, pp. 18–19.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 136–141, 142; Davis 2015, pp. 19–21, 39.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 144–145; Davis 2015, p. 21.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 142–145; Shapiro 2005, pp. 77–78; Brogan 2012, p. 68; Davis 2015, p. 23.
- ^ Gamson 2005, p. 148.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 148–149; Davis 2015, p. 40.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 148–149.
- ^ Shapiro 2005, p. 78.
- ^ Gamson 2005, p. 147; Davis 2015, pp. 24–27, 40–41.
- ^ Davis 2015, pp. 33–34.
- ^ Gamson 2005, p. 149; Davis 2015, p. 36.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 150–151; Davis 2015, pp. 36–37.
- ^ Gamson 2005, p. 153.
- ^ Frank 2007, p. 290.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 12, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ^ a b Gamson 2005, pp. 168–174.
- ^ Shapiro 2005, p. 78; Davis 2015, pp. 43, 45, 46.
- ^ Davis 2015, pp. 51–52.
- ^ Gamson 2005, p. 175; Davis 2015, pp. 52–53.
- ^ Davis 2015, p. 53.
- ^ Gamson 2005, p. 181.
- ^ Davis 2015, pp. 46–50.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 177–180; Davis 2015, p. 43.
- ^ Gamson 2005, p. 196; Davis 2015, p. 43.
- ^ Davis 2015, pp. 61–62.
- ^ Davis 2015, p. 54.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 188–190; Davis 2015, pp. 55–56.
- ^ Gamson 2005, p. 193; Davis 2015, p. 57.
- ^ Davis 2015, p. 58.
- ^ Gamson 2005, p. 197; Davis 2015, pp. 62–63.
- ^ a b Gamson 2005, p. 197.
- ^ a b c Davis 2015, p. 63.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 210–212; Davis 2015, p. 59.
- ^ Gamson 2005, p. 213.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 212–213; Davis 2015, p. 63.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 212–214; Davis 2015, p. 64.
- ^ Gamson 2005, p. 209; Davis 2015, p. 64.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 208–209; Davis 2015, p. 63.
- ^ Gamson 2005, p. 217; Davis 2015, p. 63–64.
- ^ Gamson 2005, p. 230; Davis 2015, p. 67.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 231–232.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 232–234; Davis 2015, p. 70.
- ^ Gamson 2005, p. 235.
- ^ Gamson 2005, pp. 238–240; Davis 2015, pp. 71–72.
- ^ Davis 2015, p. 73.
- ^ a b Gamson 2005, pp. 241–242.
- ^ Davis 2015, p. 74.
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Sources
- Anderson, Reynaldo (2013). "Fabulous: Sylvester James, Black Queer Afrofuturism, and the Black Fantastic". Dancecult: Journal of Electronic Dance Music Culture. 5 (2). doi:10.12801/1947-5403.2013.05.02.15.
- Brogan, Stephen (Autumn 2012). "Queens in History: Sylvester". Beige. London: What4Media. pp. 66–69.
- Davis, Sharon (2015). Mighty Real: Sharon Davis Remembers Sylvester. New Romney: Bank House Books. ISBN 978-0-9573058-9-2.
- François, Anne-Lise (1995). "Fakin' It/Makin' It: Falsetto's Bid for Transcendence in 1970s Disco Highs". Perspectives of New Music. 33 (1/2): 442–457. JSTOR 833714.
- Frank, Gillian (2007). "Discophobia: Antigay Prejudice and the 1979 Backlash against Disco". Journal of the History of Sexuality. 16 (2): 276–306. doi:10.1353/sex.2007.0050. PMID 19244671.
- Gamson, Joshua (2005). The Fabulous Sylvester: The Legend, the Music, the 70s in San Francisco. New York City: Henry Holt and Co. ISBN 978-0-312-42569-2.
- Greenberg, David (2004). Nixon's Shadow: The History of an Image. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978-0-393-32616-1.
- Lawrence, Tim (2006). ""I Want to See All My Friends at Once": Arthur Russell and the Queering of Gay Disco" (PDF). Journal of Popular Music Studies. 18 (2): 144–166. doi:10.1111/j.1533-1598.2006.00086.x.
- Oritz, Lori (2011). Disco Dance. Santa Barbara: Greenwood. ISBN 978-0-313-37746-4.
- Philips, Layli; Stewart, Marla R. (2009). "Nontraditional, Nonconforming, and Transgressive Gender Expression and Relationship Modalities in Black Communities". In Juan Battle; Sandra L. Barnes (eds.). Black Sexualities: Probing Powers, Passions, Practices, and Policies. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press. pp. 17–36. ISBN 978-0-8135-4601-8.
- Shapiro, Peter (2005). Turn the Beat Around: The Secret History of Disco. New York: Faber and Faber. ISBN 978-0-571-21194-4.
enlaces externos
- Official website at the Wayback Machine
- Sylvester entry at the Queer Cultural Center
- Sylvester James at IMDb
- Article at SoulMusic.com
- Sylvester at DiscoMusic.com
- Sylvester at Allmusic