Lake View East in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Sylvester

The Legacy Walk

Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, August 26, 2021

1. Sylvester Marker

Inscription.
SYLVESTER
Gender Non-Conforming African-American Disco Singer
(1947 – 1988)

Sylvester James was born into a family of modest means in Los Angeles where, as a Pentecostal church child, he become known for performing Aretha Franklin's "Never Grow Old" while standing on a milk crate. After his mother remarried, he ran away from home. Working odd jobs, he took up with a group of Black drag queens called the Disquotays, before eventually fleeing to San Francisco in 1969. He soon joined the legendary performance group the Cockettes in their outrageous stage shows; also appearing in their shocking short film, 'Tricia's Wedding'. Sylvester continued performing in various bands and venues throughout the early- and mid- 1970s - backed for a time by the Pointer Sisters. He released his first album in 1973 and rose, over the next several years, to become a popular local performer. Signed by producer Harvey Fuqua to Fantasy Records, his 1978 album 'Step II' pushed him into the disco stratosphere. Powered by the singles 'You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)' and 'Dance (Disco Heat)', Sylvester - unapologetically black, gay, falsetto-singing and gender-crossing-became a superstar, soaring on a blend of his gospel virtuosity and the astounding vocals of his back-up singers, Martha Wash and

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Izora Rhodes (a.k.a. Two Tons o' Fun (a.k.a. the Weather Girls)). His additional hits included 'Do Ya Wanna Funk', 'All I Need', 'Over and Over', 'Can't Stop Dancin' and 'Mutual Attraction'. Adamant in his refusal to tone down his flamboyance, when disco fell from favor Sylvester continued to create the "San Francisco Sound” of dance music. Diagnosed with AIDS, Sylvester stopped performing; but, unlike many, he chose to remain in the spotlight to help raise awareness about the devastating disease. He died on December 16, 1988 at age 41.

Erected 2020 by The Legacy Project.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment. In addition, it is included in the The Legacy Walk series list. A significant historical date for this entry is December 16, 1988.

Location. 41° 56.479′ N, 87° 38.965′ W. Marker is in Chicago, Illinois, in Cook County. It is in Lake View East. Marker is on North Halsted Street, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3246 North Halsted Street, Chicago IL 60657, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Freddie Mercury (here, next to this marker); The Harlem Renaissance (a few steps from this marker); The Pink Triangle (a few steps from this

Sylvester Marker - wide view image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, August 26, 2021

2. Sylvester Marker - wide view

The Sylvester marker shares the same pylon as that for the Freddie Mercury marker.

marker); Bayard Rustin (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Dr. Sally K. Ride (about 400 feet away); Cole Porter (about 400 feet away); Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (about 400 feet away); Walt Whitman (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chicago.

Also see . . .
1. Sylvester (singer). Wikipedia entry (Submitted on October 25, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)

2. BBC Four documentary "Queens of Disco" excerpt (YouTube, 9.5 min.). Clip from from a documentary providing biographical information, as well as performance excerpts and reminiscences by the people who knew him. (Submitted on August 29, 2021.)

3. Sylvester on American Bandstand: Dance (Disco Heat) and You Make Me Feel (YouTube, 9 min.). (Submitted on August 29, 2021.)

Additional keywords. lgbt lgbtq

Marker inset: Sylvester image. Click for full size.

3. Marker inset: Sylvester

Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 29, 2021, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 164 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 29, 2021, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.