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Title: Sylvester collection
Dates: circa 1965-2011
Collection Number: 2018-05
Creator/Collector:
Sylvester, 1947-1988
Extent: 14 linear feet (1 carton, 1 manuscript box, 9 oversize boxes, 1 artifact)
Online items available
Repository:
GLBT Historical Society
San Francisco, California 94103
Abstract: Sylvester (born Sylvester James Jr.) was a disco-soul singer-songwriter known for his androgynous appearance, falsetto singing
voice, and the moniker the “Queen of Disco.” The collection is arranged into four series: Photographs, Publicity and Event
Materials, Audiovisual Materials, and Garments and Artifacts.
Language of Material: English
Collection is open for research. Funding for processing this collection was provided by the National Historical Publications
and Records Commission (NHPRC).
Copyright to material owned by the donor has been transferred to the GLBT Historical Society. All requests for reproductions
and/or permission to publish or quote from material must be submitted in writing to the GLBT Historical Society Archivist.
[Identification of item]. Sylvester collection. Collection Number: 2018-05. GLBT Historical Society
Gift of Positive Resource Center and Project Open Hand, care of Bernadette Hurde, January 2018.
Biography/Administrative History
Sylvester (born Sylvester James Jr.) was a disco-soul singer-songwriter known for his androgynous appearance, falsetto singing
voice, and the moniker the “Queen of Disco.” He was born September 6, 1947 in the Watts district of Los Angeles and developed
a passion for singing through the gospel choir of the Pentecostal church he attended as a child. Sylvester left the church
after the congregation expressed disapproval of his homosexuality. Around this time, he became involved with a group called
the Disquotays, which included Black transwomen and people who identified as cross-dressers. In 1970, Sylvester moved to San
Francisco where he became a member of the avant garde psychedelic theatre group, the Cockettes. During this time, he performed
in solo segments of their shows, largely influenced by female soul and jazz musicians such as Billie Holiday. In 1977, Sylvester
released his eponymous first solo album. A year later, he released the disco record, Step II which included two of his most
famous songs, “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” and “Dance (Disco Heat).” The album was certified gold and praised worldwide.
In the years to follow, Sylvester recorded eight additional albums with Fantasy Records and Megatone Records, the latter of
which was owned by his friend and longtime collaborator, Patrick Cowley. In the early 1980s, Sylvester became involved in
AIDS/HIV activism, performing in charity benefits to raise money and awareness to combat the spread of the disease. In 1987,
after losing his boyfriend to the disease, Sylvester was diagnosed with AIDS. As his health deteriorated rapidly, he used
his platform as a celebrity to speak openly about his condition and the impact that the disease was having on the Black community.
Sylvester died December 16, 1988, at the age of 41. In his will, he left royalties from the future sales of his music to two
HIV/AIDS charities, Project Open Hand and the AIDS Emergency Fund.
Scope and Content of Collection
The collection documents the life and work of the disco-soul singer-songwriter, Sylvester. The records span from circa 1970-2011,
with a primary focus on 1974-1988. The collection is arranged into four series: Photographs, Publicity and Event Materials,
Audiovisual Materials, and Garments and Artifacts. Photographs contain photographic prints of Sylvester with friends and family,
publicity photographs, performance photographs, and a signed portrait of Sylvester. It also includes photographs of Steve
Fabus, a DJ that has been active in San Francisco since the 1970s, and nightclub events during that time. Publicity and Event
Materials contain Sylvester related ephemera such as a program for his memorial service, news clippings, obituaries, and awards.
It also contains materials such as postcards, posters, a scrapbook, and ephemera relating to Steve Fabus and the San Francisco
nightclub scene. Audiovisual Materials contain a Living for the City LP. Garments and Artifacts contain stage wear and costumes,
branded t-shirts, and artifacts such as a framed collection of Sylvester’s gloves. GSSO linked terms: http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/GSSO_000374;
http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/GSSO_004300; http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/GSSO_008493; http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/GSSO_001601;
http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/GSSO_006371; http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/GSSO_003728; http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/GSSO_007675;
http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/GSSO_001039
Gay men
Music
African Americans
People of color
Fashion
Black people