Sylvester

Sylvester — pop artist from US.

Sylvester, the openly gay disco and queer icon, captivated audiences with his uniquely expressive high tenor voice. Starting as part of the rock-oriented Hot…

Genres

poppost-discor&b, funk & souldiscohip-hop & raphip-hop/rapelectronicdancehi-nrgelectronic

Influential: 55.46% Fanbase: 32.66% Trending: 66.86%

As of: 2025-09-07

Top Brand Affinity

Highest overlapping lifestyle brand

Not available

As of 2025-09-07

0

Social Media Followers

As of 2025-09-07

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Hours Airplay

Scores

Score: DMDB 55.46% | Fanbase 32.66% | Trending 66.86% | CAREER STAGE: MID_LEVEL

Biography

Sylvester, the openly gay disco and queer icon, captivated audiences with his uniquely expressive high tenor voice. Starting as part of the rock-oriented Hot Band in the early '70s, Sylvester later found success as a solo R&B and disco artist, producing hits like "Dance (Disco Heat)" and "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)." Despite his untimely death from AIDS-related complications in 1988, Sylvester's music continues to resonate on dancefloors worldwide, with his influence seen in covers by artists like Jimmy Somerville and Byron Stingily.

Born Sylvester James, Jr. in Los Angeles, Sylvester's musical journey began in gospel groups and was influenced by jazz legends like Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday. After transitioning to disco and signing with the Fantasy label in 1977, he achieved mainstream success with his album Step II and singles like "Over and Over" and "I Need Somebody to Love Tonight." Sylvester's legacy lives on through archival releases like Disco Heat: The Fantasy Years 1977-1981 and memorable live recordings like Live at the Opera House from 1979.