Sylvester

USA, 1970–1988

American singer (1947–1988) with a soaring gospel-trained falsetto and a flamboyant queer stage persona. Working with synth pioneer Patrick Cowley, his 'You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)' (1978) helped birth hi-NRG, a bridge from disco to house.

MusicRoots documents 1 artist who influenced Sylvester and 2 artists Sylvester influenced in turn. Every connection cites a published source.

Who influenced Sylvester?

• Patrick Cowley — Patrick Cowley's synthesizer arrangements became synonymous with Sylvester's sound, defining hits like 'You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)' and 'Dance (Disco Heat)'.

Which artists did Sylvester influence?

• The Weather Girls — Martha Wash and Izora Armstead came up as Two Tons O' Fun, Sylvester's backing singers — his gospel-charged disco was the direct crucible of the Weather Girls' sound, their voices on his 'You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)'.
• Bronski Beat — Somerville's falsetto is Sylvester's, taken out of the San Francisco disco and put on Top of the Pops. He later covered 'You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)' outright.