Sylvester James Jr., who died in 1988, is best known as an architect of disco, with era-defining singles that illuminated queer dance clubs from Los Angeles to London.
A show at Honor Fraser explores drag and tech. Plus, the latest Broadway offerings and a sculpture that became a studio, in our weekly art newsletterReal Gone Music
Sylvester’s remarkable vision “went way back to his youth in L.A., where he was already walking on the edge,” says Calvo, who later became friends with Sylvester. Letha, Sylvester’s mother, cleaned homes in Baldwin Park and took care of him and his siblings; his father, Sweet, left when he was a baby. As a teenager growing up in the 1950s and early 1960s, Sylvester joined the roving party crew the Disquotays.
The strength of “Mighty Real” made Sylvester famous; the song shot to No. 1 on the Billboard Dance chart, he was now opening for Chaka Khan and the Commodores, and he nabbed a role as a drag queen impersonating Diana Ross in 1979’s “The Rose,” starring Bette Midler. That same year he became the first openly gay star to perform at San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House, where he received the key to the city from the administration of then-mayor Dianne Feinstein.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
1988: Tee Pee restaurant comes tumbling downThe famed Tee Pee restaurant at the corner of 38th Street and Fall Creek Parkway met its demise 35 years ago this month.
Read more »
Jaguar F-Pace SVR Edition 1988 first drive | AutocarREVIEW: The Jaguar F-Pace SVR Edition 1988 celebrates the firm's 1988 Le Mans win in style - but with a hefty price tag
Read more »
Mayor Sylvester Turner declares June 23 'Asteroid City' Day in honor of Houston native Wes AndersonThe proclamation for the new film from Houston-born Wes Anderson comes in advance of the...
Read more »
Chris Cuomo calls Sylvester Stallone a ‘cartoonish fool’: ‘I don’t love his characters’The former CNN anchor conceded on “The Adam Friedland Show” that he simply wasn’t a fan of the characters the movie star has portrayed on the big screen.
Read more »
Rambo 6 With An Aged-Up Sylvester Stallone Imagined In Imposing Fan ArtAn impressive and imposing new piece of fan art imagines an aged-up Sylvester Stallone returning for even more bloody action in Rambo 6.
Read more »
Chris Cuomo calls Sylvester Stallone a ‘cartoonish fool’: ‘I don’t love his characters’Chris Cuomo isn’t a fan of Sylvester Stallone.The former CNN anchor described the movie star — known for his roles in films like “Rocky,” “Creed” and “Rambo”...
Read more »