I listened to a BBC podcast about Sylvester, that is the singer, not the cat. I knew nothing about him, not even that it was a him, apart from some of his music. He was gay, black, had a marvellous falsetto voice and grew up in very modest circumstances in Los Angeles. By the age of 22 he had left home and his church and was living and performing in San Francisco. He employed two female backing singers, Martha Wash and Izora Rhodes who went on later to make up part of The Weather Girls. He shot to fame when he released his album, Step II, in 1978. He certainly knew how to style himself, as these photos show. I contend that this song is up there with other gay iconic tracks such as Donna Summer's I Feel Love.
From the album, Step II, You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real). 4:27 The larger than life diva Sylvester died from complications of HIV/AIDS in 1988, aged 41.
If you are interested, the BBC podcast is here and a documentary made by US tv station TV One is here on You Tube.
I'll have to dig out the earbuds to listen so I don't wake Mom, lol.
ReplyDeleteCranky, my world too.
DeleteNot a singer I knew. Thank you for continuing my education. We lost way too many talented people to HIV/Aids.
ReplyDeleteEC, but you know the song? Yes, we lost many talented people, but an awful lot more ordinary people. Things are pretty good now, so I hear.
DeleteHe doesn't press my buttons maybe because I'm not gay.
ReplyDeleteIt's a nice song though, Diane.
DeleteMy goodness those shorts are tight!
ReplyDeleteI'm not familiar with Sylvester or the song, but it's not bad for dancing to, a very disco sound.
Sad that he died so young.
River, not as tight as AFL football shorts of the 80s. Serious disco music.
DeleteAndrew I have never heard about him.
ReplyDeleteGosia, well, now you know a little about him. All knowledge is good.
DeleteI never heard about him either !
ReplyDeleteGattina, I really knew nothing about him too, or even whether it was a him or her.
DeleteGosh be certainly knew how to change his looks, I like a bit of disco music now and then 😃😃
ReplyDeleteGrace, good party music.
DeleteYou broadened my horizons....again:) I wasn't familiar with him.
ReplyDeleteSandra, as I broaden my own.
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