Black History Month lgbts of color - Sylvester

One who needs no introduction. From www.gmad.org, Sylvester:

Imagine him. Spry brown-skinned little gay boy. Voice and spirit of equal and magnanimous proportions.

Standing, with the assistance of an apple box, tall and proud before the congregation of Palm Lane Church of God and Christ and wailing Aretha Franklin's "Never Grow Old" just like the Queen herself. Tearing up the church and causing the Holy Ghost to break out all over the Tabernacle. It was only a foretelling sign of things to come.

He was a force of nature even then, barely six and singing like he held some secret that world knew nothing of, just yet. Somehow, he was a rare breed of young manchild, nubile Black being, who was born perfectly comfortable in his skin. He knew who he was and operated as though it was the world's mission to catch up and catch on to his fabulousness.

He was Sylvester.

James was his last name, but Diva was a title he wore as readily and easily as the opulent attire (never drag) that he adorned. But Sylvester James-performance artist, recording star, Disco icon, advocate, activist, soul singer-was more than just a Tall Man In Drag. Sylvester was a revolution! Before RuPaul took over the radio and television airwaves, there was Sylvester. Before Harvey brought his fabulous brand of Fier(stein) to Broadway, there was Sylvester. Even before the real benefits of music videos (though he did have a few) and national Black Gay Prides, he made an impact that is still felt almost two decades after his untimely death.

Born September 6, 1947, he was a strong-willed Virgo, who had an opinion about everything and wasn't afraid or ashamed to share it. Sylvester knew at an early age that there was a creative force within that had to come out. After the church couldn't contain his fiery behavior and his parents could not tolerate his wild ways, he ran away from the "quiet streets" of his Los Angeles suburbs and found himself, literally and figuratively, in San Francisco.

He started as many would have expected, performing drag, as "Ruby Blue," in clubs where he was an innovator, singing live and evoking Bille Holliday and the blues icons his grandmother had poured into his musical ear. He would still sing in church and felt completely comfortable doing both, unlike Marvin Gaye, Prince and other artists who struggled with the polarity of their Spirituality and their Musicality. Sylvester was alright with God and truly believed that God was alright with him. He felt like he could express himself any way he pleased and he was pleased when The Cockettes, a performance arts group that dabbled in drag and drugs, made him a part of their act and later got him to teach them to sing, instead of just pantomiming to other people's songs. He made them believe that they could do more.

That unwavering belief and talent would take Sylvester and the troop from sold-out shows to New York and back. But he couldn't stay there long. He wanted and needed much more. But he didn't really find his voice, his authentic voice, until he started to record. After a few failed attempts at recording, he found his niche, when in 1975, he went against the grain again and instead of trying to find thin, cute singers for the audience's eye, he enlisted Two Tons of Fun and gave the people something for their ears! Martha Wash and Izora Armstead were two women, who though not traditional beauties, were the kind of performers that the Gay-infused Disco era adored. They could wail and didn't mind doing it.


The Trio was signed to Fantasy Records by the legendary Harvey Fuqua, and after a slow start, released two of Disco's biggest hits in 1977 with "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" and "Dance (Disco Heat)." The singer would use that success to not just ride to the top of the charts, but to prove that he was a real stylist. On March 11, 1979, Sylvester recorded "Living Proof," a rare (well, for Disco, it was downright unprecedented) live album that did not adhere to the disco genre that he was becoming known for. He used the album to perform such classics as Billie Holliday's "Lover Man (Where Can You Be?)", The Beatles' "Blackbirds," and Patti LaBelle's classic "You Are My Friend," with which he did what no other artist had ever and still has been able to do. He took a song from Patti! Black radio added the latter song to its format and even today, it can be found on many Quiet Storm playlists, and it often plays in its entirety, including the solo riffs by Martha and Izora, and Sylvester's commentary that "your ear has got to be in your foot to not know these girls can sang y'all." Sylvester was on fire that night, and the Mayor had declared it Sylvester Day, but back in his new home of San Francisco, everyday was already Sylvester Day. Patti LaBelle even commented "Sometimes I think we are the same person. We perform alike. We look alike. We even sound alike. I really like me…but I feel exactly the same way about him."

But with success, came trouble.

That same year, Sylvester was arrested because someone had decided that his persona was big enough to gain them access to the Watergate Hotel in Washington, DC, where the imposter ran up a hefty bill and the following year, the culprit and two sidekicks robbed a rare coin collector of more than $25,000 in coins and cash and passed off a bad check for $30,000 to another collector. But instead of going crazy when he was falsely arrested, the grand Dame of Disco held a press conference at the very hotel where the Great Coin Heist took place, so that he could say before the press (which included SOUL and JET magazines, which rarely covered him but loved a good bit of dirt) that "I simply don't live that kind of life." He could have been indignant and loud, but the classy songbird charmed the media corps and had them eating from his hands.

The year 1986 proved to be monumental for Sylvester for two reasons. Super-producer Narada Michael Walden invited him and new background singer Jeannie Tracey, to sing background on The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin's new album. Those are their voices wailing about the "Freeway of Love" and "Another Night" on Lady Soul's blockbuster WHO'S ZOOMIN WHO project. Tragically, that same year, his producer and good friend, Patrick Cowley, died from AIDS complications. Sylvester's lover Rick, whose wedding ring he showed off on national TV, when he appeared on "The Tonight Show," with guest host Joan Rivers, died soon after that late-night triumph. Imagine Sylvester, in full colorful garb, flowing hair and great spirit, sitting with sharp-tongued Joan, talking about his husband and showing diamonds, while Middle America watched the show that had long been a late-night staple in their households. There was no fanfare or press backlash. Sylvester's quiet revolution was that he was comfortable with his truth. He laughed and sang and entertained America that night and then simply dropped the "oh by the way" of his life and his love and was congratulated by the sassy comedienne for being so talented, so loved and so brave. Joan knew that there were hundreds of gay entertainers in the industry-actors, singers, and behind the scenes success stories-but none of them would have done what Sylvester did that night in 1986. He simply told the truth.

Realizing that he could access the press proved powerful for Sylvester, when the AIDS pandemic hit the Gay community and no one would listen. People all around him were dying at an alarming rate and Sylvester knew he had to speak out. When he was diagnosed with AIDS, he was public about it. He did it with a quiet dignity, which allowed him to go to Pride events in a wheelchair and a smile, when his health deteriorated. But while still in good health and good spirits, he would speak to JET magazine again, this time about AIDS. "It bothers me that AIDS is still thought of as a white male disease" he said in 1987, "The black community is at the bottom of the line when it comes to getting information, even when we've been so hard hit by the disease. I would like to think that by going public with this, I can give other people the courage to face it." As for the Black community's then (and still) "belief" that AIDS is a spiritual retribution, Sylvester said simply "I don't believe that AIDS is the wrath of God. People have a tendency to want to blame everything on God."

Sylvester James didn't become the biggest selling Black Gay Superstar in History. That mantle is still left for someone else to claim. However, he did so much while he was here. He changed our lives in ways that cannot be measured. He was an out black gay man who spoke directly to the Black community, challenging it to confront its own homophobia and prejudices, and stayed true to himself while he did it. Two decades after his death, his contributions are still groundbreaking and confirm his status as a pop and political icon that can never be devalued or underappreciated.

Sylvester had a platform, much bigger than the little apple box he first sang from. But he sang, spoke and lived with the same fervor as that little gay boy, whose fabulousness and fire will never grow old.

What else can be said about Sylvester? Only this - he was heat, he was energy, and he was style personified. Forget Studio 54 because when if anyone ever wanted to know the allure of disco all they need to do is put on a Sylvester record:





Past Black History Month lgbts of color posts:

Paul Winfield

Barbara Jordan