Let's discuss Sylvester

The following was excerpted from Joshua Gamson's [italic]The Fabulous Sylvester: The Legend, the Music, the Seventies in San Francisco[/italic]:

[quote]"You know," he once said, explaining why he preferred a mostly heterosexual band, "there can only be one queen on the throne."

[quote]The straight guys in the band, though, had actually begun talking like queens, calling each other Miss Bob and Miss Dave. Rather than saying "Dave's really pissed off that the equipment's late," they would announce, without hesitation or winking, that "Miss Dave is too through that the equipment is late." Rather than saying, "Good job on the solo," they would say, "Miss Marc peed on that sax solo tonight, honey."

[quote]"It started out as a casual joke," Robert Kingson says, "but within three months everyone talked like that normally. For years."

Thank you OP (I was the one who made the request)!

I'm only in my early 30's, so I didn't know who Sylvester was until just recently. I'm fascinated by how brave he was to be openly gay and dress like a female as a mainstream artist back in a time when it was very homophobic. After hearing his music and seeing videos that show how energetic he was in his performances, I don't think he got the credit or attention he deserved. He should've had the career that Boy George had.

The song "Someone Like You" should have been a big hit.

You're welcome, R2. I'm the same age as you and didn't know much about Sylvester prior to reading that book last year. It made me appreciate him for all the reasons you mentioned.

He went on a lot of great political rants in interviews, most too long to copy here. A shorter message was this:

[quote]"The only thing that will unite people is a threat. Anita Bryant and the Briggs Initiative motivated people to get over their bullshit and unite. But as soon as the threats were dealt with, the same separatist bullshit started all over."

And he was right. A few years later AIDS caused many factions of the LGBT community to unite again.

R3 The lack of responses in this thread is one more example of how sad the gay community is. Threads will fill up in no time over talentless straight female "singers", but an openly gay talented trailblazer will get completely ignored. Sad state of affairs for sure.

that bitch could sing like a motherfucker, don't anyone forget that. Yes he was fabulous and glam and campy and did a lot for gay/black/AIDS visibility, but his voice was AMAZING. The live album only hints at the power he had over an audience in a live setting. He could sing ANYTHING amazingly. Sylvester had God in his throat and lungs.

I love Sylvester, but there's no way R2 and R3 are in their "early 30's."

The el-dergays around here really need to work harder when they are pretending to be young.

[all posts by tedious, racist idiot removed.]

We had a great discussion about Sylvester a year or so ago

Well, I'm 56 -- and I loved Sylvester. His "I Who Have Nothing" still gives me chills just thinking about it.

Really great early biographical info about Sylvester in the documentary about the Cockettes (called the Cockettes I believe and available on Netflix).

The Cockettes were a San Fran comedy improv troupe in the 60s, mostly just gay acid freaks and hippies who did drag and skits for a laugh. Sylvester joined and sang in some shows. Soon they were being billed as "The Cockettes with Sylvester" and then for a while it became "Sylvester and the Cockettes" and then he struck out on his own.

He's usually associated with disco and a kind of campy, draggy image, but his first album "Sylvester and the Hot Band" is straight up classic rock and blues with covers of Neil Young and some Billie Holiday stuff. He does my absolutely favorite version of "Whiter Shade of Pale" on it.

So haunting.

Here's a mini-documentary about Syl

Here's another doc.

R6 WTF would I lie about my age on an anonymous message board? Give me a break.

Like I said, I just recently discovered Sylvester a few weeks ago (but if we want to talk about age, it WAS through an older gay man that I know that told me about his music). After looking him up online, I'm now fascinated by him.

I wish that we had interesting gay performers like him now, but the most we get now are gay men who are desperate to appear "straight".

I forgot to say, I read parts of the book about him and the last year of his life was awful and gave me chills.

Got to see Sylvester back in the early 80's at the now-defunct Backstreet Atlanta. He only sang 3-4 numbers but it was a real thrill.

r4, I don't know how long you've been here, but we've had Sylvester threads here before and discussed him at length. But it never hurts to start a new thread.

Sheryl Lee Ralph is producing an off Broadway show about Sylvester's life, "Might Real" that opens in September. Tickets are on sale. The show has had a few dates around the US, and has gotten good reviews.

I bought his "Living Proof" CD when I was in college. It was one of my introductions to being "in the life" as we used to say way back when. The biography by Joshua Gamson is very thorough and informative.

It's obviously quite telling when one only hears wonderful things about someone from their peers. Sylvester was one of those very rare people. I have only ever heard him referred to as kind, compassionate, loving, giving, brilliant, hilarious, outrageous & supremely talented.

He is my favorite cartoon villain.

[quote]The lack of responses in this thread is one more example of how sad the gay community is.

Absolutely! We should never forget!

I'll never understand why he didn't have more success in the 80's, especially when the androgynous look was acceptable by then.

"Call Me" was another great song that should've been a hit.

Wasn't he good friends with Luther Vandoss?

It's hard to sing in falsetto on key.

[quote] Wasn't he good friends with Luther Vandoss?

No. They were acquainted but quickly discovered that they had the same taste in men so they ended up being sexual rivals.

[quote]I'll never understand why he didn't have more success in the 80's, especially when the androgynous look was acceptable by then.

Because he was a disco artist and in the early 1980s that was the kiss of death. When KC and the Sunshine band had a hit with 'Give it Up' in 1983, they had to credit the song as 'By KC' so no one would associate them with their disco hits.

Sylvester's You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) is going to the Library of Congress.

YAASSSSS HUNTIES

I just read his wikipedia entry - he had a top 20 hit in 1978. That's surprising for a gay man then.

i have the 12" of "Someone Like You". it was a great 80's type dance song.

he was on Joan Rivers' talk show and performed live (she always had the best musical guests). can't find the clip though

I love Sylvester. A few years ago, I saw a musical about Sylvester -- "Mighty Real" -- that was supposed to be headed to Broadway but never made it. His rediscovery is overdue.