Sylvester ~ Dancing In The Disco Heat Makes Me Feel Mighty Suite

Sylvester James Jr was born on September 6, 1947 in Los Angeles, CA. He joined a Pentecostal gospel group and began singing with them until the congregation took notice of his homosexuality and began to shun him. After leaving the group, he encountered a group of transgenders and began to learn his craft with them. Moving to San Francisco, he embraced his love of Billie Holiday and Josephine Baker by dressing up as his heroes and performing in their styles with the Cockettes. Soon, he was putting together his own rock band called Sylvester & His Hot Band and got signed to Blue Thumb Records in 1973, the same label that signed the Pointer Sisters. After two LP’s that failed to capture the imagination of the record buying public, he dissolved the band and set his sights on being a solo act. Enter Harvey Fuqua, the nephew of Charlie Fuqua, a vocalist with famed group The Ink Spots. Fuqua also had started the Moonglows and had ties to Motown as part owner of Anna Records with Gwen Gordy as his wife. He si