This queen along with dj Patrick Cowley threw down disco tracks that still burn dancefloors, and epitomise dance music of today. It's a shame more credit hasn't came where long over due. Where's the movie?
Later,
Chris

I will never forget the advert in the UK 4 stars. I cant remember the city he was being interviewed in but I remember him saying, "There are two things this town dont like and i am both." What an inspiration!!!!!!!!!. Keep rocking the box. Brillo (UK)

What a beautiful falsetto! I met him in New Orleans about '85 or '86 and it was like meeting a living god! He was truly charming, I think 'cause he saw how star-struck I was. When he died it was shortly after I moved to Boston and started my "adult" (non-club) career. I think that was the mile post for the end of my youth.

In 1982, I was a 21yr old Waiter at The Plush Room Cabaret Club at The Hotel York in Atlanta , he was performing at one of the clubs, but came to the Cabaret for the show. WOW, He was one big, tall Black Man, and sweet as could be. Starstruck, I asked for his autograph, he wrote it on a cocktail napkin, kissed it, and then kissed me! I still have that napkin.

I had the honor of meeting Slyvester in 1980 at the I Beam in S.F. for his birthday party. He performed with a live band and he rocked the house. I remember his birthday cake was in the shape of a piano. I was only 17 and I remember it like yesterday. I have searched for his bio but the only information I ever find is on his CD's. This man is my American Idol.

A long time ago I picked up a copy of Sylvester's live album "Living Proof," recorded live at the War Memorial Opera House in S.F. in March of '79. Four years ago, when I introduced serious jazz music into one of my restaurants, I was programming mixes and I remembered that there was a marvelous torch song on that album. Sylvester's version of "Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be) is still in rotation here. What a versatile talent. I wish I'd heard more of his live work (in NYC) and that it had included his jazz covers. Sure, his dance music is timeless. But in my opinion no other song he did more embraces his personality or what he stood for than "You Are My Friend."

I met Sylvester at Moby d***'s in San Francisco back in 1982. I had
just moved to the city from a small town in Idaho. He was standing by
the bar with a group of people in a full-length fur coat. Not having a
clue as to who he was, I approached the bar to order a drink and leaned
over and said, "I'd kill for that coat." He turned to me, smiled, and
said, "Honey, you don't have to kill for it", took it off and put it on
me. We hit it off immediately. Next thing I know, we're jumping in his
Jaguar and driving to the Trocadero to go dancing. He was so kind and
considerate. I still didn't know who he was or his fame. Before we
entered the club, he looked at me seriously and said something along the
lines of, "It's going to get crazy, but don't worry, just hold on
tight." He grabbed my hand and we were whisked through the adoring
crowd. He never let go of my hand until we reached the upstairs office
of the owner. He introduced me to a ton of people before we finally
made it down to the dance floor. That was the beginning of a love
affair that lasted for several months. Sylvester was a wonderful man who had an obvious love
of people and cooking. I will never forget him and the
wonderful times we had.

I just finished a book about Sylvester, published by Henry Holt, Inc., which will be in bookstores in March 2005. It's called The Fabulous Sylvester. Who knows, maybe a movie is next....

I'll never, ever forget one Sunday afternoon at the weekly tea dance at the popular I-Beam disco in San Francisco's Haight/Ashbury district. I looked up and Sylvester was dancing right next to me. I play his music, especially "Body Strong" and "Be With You" just as often today as I did when they were released. A man who will never be forgotten, a pioneer.

For Ol'skinflint: Sylvester was very, very into being amidst his adoring fans, in a non-publicized way, from the humble beginnings of his career to the very endings. Lacking makeup and wearing huge hats and outrageous but stylish outfits, he'd move from the creme-de-la-creme disco venues to the more bourgeoise with ease and delight. Occasionally, someone would say, "girl, you look just like Sylvester -- can you sing?" He never looked back.

For Josh: Sorry I didn't catch up with you at Yale. How's the east coast? Email me if you can at plewis08@snet.net re: your Sylvester book and what you're working on re: pop culture now that you've left Yale.

Sylvester made an appearence on American Bandstand in 1978. d*** Clark dedicated the whole 1 hour to the Disco Music of 1978. Sylvester rocked the house, those bandstand dancers could not contain themselves, they were shrieking . Every so often, I play the episode to relive memories.

How I miss Him and His huge talent !!!..

I still wonder why there isn't any official site about such an artist, it is just AMAZING to me !!!..

How great His (he)Art !!!..

Tcho' 'Trice

AND - I saw your book, Josh! I can't wait til I can buy it!

My son's name is Josh :)

luv,

*shakti*

How I feel happy to see I'm not alone !..

I'm gonna order this book next week + I hope there are plenty of Syl's pics in it !..

Shakti, please let me know as soon as your song will be released, I'm gonna get it too !..

I didn't know that there was a Syl's day in S.F., and that it was just yesterday !!! Is it the same every year ?..

Tcho'

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR GREAT MUSIC..YOU WERE GREAT AT THE GARAGE.,,I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU...YOUR FRIEND NOW AND ALWAYS DJ STEVE THE SAGA PEREZ...R.I.P.

Well it's brief bits and pieces. But it is worth noting Sylvester is in The Cockettes movie. I caught it on Sundance channel, maybe they'll replay it. It's admirable John Waters said Sylvester was more talented than all of them. They were a great group though and the life those people lived must have been amazing. Too bad there is no sense of the "community" today that they must have known.
Later,
Chris

You are greatly missed Sylvester, you made us all feel "Mighty Real". Rest in Peace.

What can I say this Fabulous singer blew my mind at age 15 to me there haven't been no one before him or after. I remember first seeing Sylvester at 15 at the I-Beam in San Francisco I got in using fake ID not knowing there was going to be a show, I was surprise when he came on stage with that voice and on the night I was hooked and a fan. Living in the Bay Area most of my teenage years I have seen Sylvester live on stage and on floats thru out my teen age years. But one night I will not forget Sylvester and Grace Jones was doing a Toy for Tots benefits for kids concerts you bring a toy and get in free. That night Sylvester came out on stage, I was right up front and he sang his a** off. But what I will not forget is when I turn around and looked at the crowed that he was singing to I thought to myself they really love this guy. Your voice will not be forgotten.

I have a sad memory because I was supposed to go see Sylvestor at Circus Disco in Hollywood in 1981. I remember like it was yesterday. It was August 1991 and I was all set to go and I completely forgot about a date I had. The dumb nice person that I was went out on that date and it wasn't at Circus! Saddest day because he never came back again! I remember all my friends telling me what a fantastic show it was and all I did was cry. He is so missed.

I Who Have Nothing, Mighty Real, Dance, Disco Heat, Stars, I Need You, Sell My Soul, Tell Me, Someone Like You, Do You Wanna Funk and many more hits are just scratches from the surface!

The saga continued and is still Disco with a smile:-)

R.I.P.

The greatness of Sylvester cannot be contained in these pages. I had an opportunity to see him in Pittsburgh, PA and to my great sorry because of my own fear of going to a gay club, I did not go.


Little did I know that he would die that same year. He and I both have incredible falsesetto voices that are unique. His has a gospel flavored scream that is only akin to the great one--Patti Labelle. Oh how she too loved him.

Sylvester is well known for his disco hits but he is the most touching on his ballads " Just you and Me", "Sharing Something Perfect Between Ourselves, "God Bless the Child, One Night Only, He'll Understand, A Whiter Shade of Pale (awesome)and his most haunting and most beautiful to date" My Life Is Loving You". To say his work was advant gard is an understatement, to say he was before his time is true. To say he was "legend" does not quite tell it all. He was a beautiful person inside and out. The world has suffered a great lost by his passing and so have I. If I live, I want to do a tribute to him with that song " My Life is Loving You". I play it every year on New Year's Eve as I also remember my sister who passed just some 4 years ago. The wound is so deep it still leaves a hole. Is there no balm in Gilead to heal my sin, sick soul....

I love you man...RIP

Do you wanna funk??? Thank you Sylvester for such powerful Disco songs that still live on today! RIP

Well what can I say about Sylvester that has not been said. he was fabulous. I met him in the late 70's and was good freinds with his lover Rick. We sahare a lot of fun times. I remember driving down castro street in san francisco one day and I was blasting the stereo in my car. it was playing sylvester. there was this person in front of me on a scooter with a fur coat who was trying to find out where the music was coming from. when I parked my car the parked next to me,I had a great laugh cause it was syl. I saw him preform @ the I beam the troc and the russian river. we would hang out a his house after we would leave the troc on thursday . he was great and really a sweat person. my mom even likes his music. he was a friend. he would give me a bad time because I allways would park in the same spot at the trocadaro. one night he got there first him and rick were still in the car they saw me drive up and moved their car forward so I could have my spot. we had a laugh about that. the first time I did drag I saw him and he told me that I looked fabulous. It made my night. he will be truley missed, what a great talent. god he cold belt out a song. I still to this day play his music. and yes I still sing along with him.

Four awesome memories of Syl:

1. Waiting at Cafe San Marcos for a blind date to enter. Sylvester was there and in my line of sight. He thought I was cruising him so he eventually came over to talk to me. I had only lived in SF for a few months and was still very shy but I knew who he was.

2. Many mornings after being out all night seeing him going up Castro Street on his moped wearing a caftan blowing in the breeze behind him.

3. Seeing him perform live at Dreamland wearing what appeared to be 3 foot long feathers sticking out of his head.

4. My most special memory of him was when he was at SF General visiting his lover who was dying at the time and he stopped in to chat with MY lover who was also there dying at the time. He was so charming to my lover who he had never met, in spite of his own personal pain.

RIP Sylvester and thank you for so much wonderful music and so many wonderful memories.

Rob', I looked for you ; you can order the CD at AMAZON. I already got it myself, and it is just great !!!..

I remember Sylvester coming to Fort Wayne, IN to visit my best friend Al. He hated going to the clubs here because no one knew who he was until we told them, then all hell would break loose. We had talked about working together on a remix of his new stuff but he got too sick before it could happen.

I was 15 or 16 years old when I saw him at Roseland in NYC. It was some kind of private party. My step father was a limo driver and he got me an my friend Yolanda in to see all the acts perfoming that night. Sylvester gave me a Black T-Shirt that said, "F*** that noise" I had it for years!!!!! He was my sister Deborah's favorite singer, may she RIP as well, she died of AIDS in '93.

Was there anyone who was more DISCO than Sylvester? Was there anyone more Gay then Sylvester? Was there anyone who was more GAY DISCO than Sylvester? The answer of course is yes to each question. This flaming representative of the GAY lifestyle was the best representative of Seventies DISCO. He had a list of hits almost as long as that of his "lovers". While it was that crazy, promiscuous life style that eventually led to his death from AIDS, it was that same lifestyle that gave him the energy needed to perform and become the DISCO Icon that he is. The end result is that he left us about a dozen or so recordings that will forever live in DISCO history. My favorite was DO YOU WANNA FUNK! Everyone should morn his loss. I do. God Bless.

Well I'm happy that so many here DO remember the man and his music! I wanted to share my 2 most fond memories of Sylvester. I first met him in 1983 through Trevor Paglia a jeweler in San Francisco. I was working with Trevor who designed Sylvester's jewelery and sold estate jewelry. Sylvester came over to Trevor' wanting him to sell a ring he didn't want any more. It was a huge 18 carat amethyst cabochon with 2 .25 carat triangle diamonds. I told Sylvester I thought the triangle diamonds would be perfect for my partner Jerry and I wedding rings. He said to me "Honey if you can sell the center stone you can have the diamonds!"
I did and he did give me the diamonds which I still have today as GAY wedding rings! I will one day donate these rings to the S.F. Historical Society. We became friends would go to the Endup for the Sunday jock strap contest and of course dancing at the Trocadero or I beam those were the days!

My Second memory is sadder but still so special to me. The last time we saw Sylvester Jerry and I were living in NYC 1987 I was working for Gay Cable Network Sylvester was getting ready to perform in concert at the last incarnation of Studio 54. He called us to ask if we could bring him something to eat. We brought him some Chinese food and while we were in his hotel room we could tell he was very ill. He told us he was taking AZT at the time and it always made him sick. He put our names at the door to get in to his concert that night. Later that night when Sylvester came out on stage to perform we were on the cat walk that went over the dance floor from the stage to the back. Sylvester's energy was so high and he sang the best I had ever herd him!

He belted out all his songs and unless you knew he was sick you could never have been able to tell! It was the most energetic performance I have ever seen to the point it sent shivers up my spine! We had the most wonderful time that night and not knowing this was the last time we would get to see our friend perform it was something I will always remember and cherish! His music lives on as long I play it and introduce his awesome talent to the younger generation to pass it on!
Sylvester you will always rock the dance floor in our hearts!! We miss You!

My Friend Simon (R.I.P.) had the most Fab autographed Pic of Sylvester in his Hallway...........

Boy was I Jealous.........he had met him when Sylvester Played in the UK , and Simon was the DJ for the show.

I do not know what happened to the pic , but it was PRE , Mutual Attraction...........!!!

More around the time of the earlier hits .

My Fav song will always be "Rock the Box" (although a bit later).

There is BBC footage of this song, somewhere............???

Love to get hold of it , on Old Grey Whistle Test - Sylvester is on a load of Studio Scaffolding......

Life is a b****......LOL

Sylvester without a doubt has to be considered the best male? Disco singer ever. His song "You are a Star" would send me to another planet when I was on the dance floor.I remember Franky Houlihan playing it at the Ice Palace 57 the first time I heard it.It was a transcending experience to say the least.That song still today is as good as it gets in Disco history.
I hope Sylvester found peace he certainly deserved it considering the amount of joy he brought to so many of us.