CULTURE

Sylvester . The Disquotays. The Cockettes. Stars. Words Andy Thomas in March 1979, in the dressing room of fi ve, he was being put on a milk crate cross gender.” With the Disquotays, he the War Memorial Opera to sing spirituals like ‘Never Grow Old’ was honing his act, always aware of the House, Sylvester is making some fi nal for an adoring congregation. “Church future that awaited him – still a dream adjustments to one of his many fabulous is where he learned the spiritual power when the Disquotays split in late 1969. outfi ts while peaking on acid. Amongst of music, music that makes you move By this point, Sylvester was hanging the equally fabulous crowd waiting in your body,” says Gamson. “And he out at venues like the Whisky a Go Go front of the gardenia-adorned stage, sits would later bring that power to disco.” in an androgynous fl ower-child look – City Supervisor Harry Britt, the openly Sylvester’s other love was dressing bell-bottom Levi’s, fl oral shirts, platform gay successor to Harvey Milk, who had up – he was particularly fond of high shoes. With his head full of ideas, life in been assassinated in 1978. heels, fox furs and hats, for which he his hometown was increasingly stifl ing. “If Harvey Milk had been the increasingly turned to his grandmother “ could be any kind of person at all, and ‘Mayor of Castro Street’, Sylvester was Juju. She had been a singer and, no one cared,” he later remarked about its undisputed fi rst lady,” said Joshua said Sylvester, “She knew some queens his move to San Francisco. A psychedelic Gamson in his biography of the disco in the 1930s, and they were her running theatre/drag troupe called the Cockettes legend. The same prestigious venue had buddies.” Through his teens he fl itted in had recently been founded there in the held Milk’s memorial service; tonight’s and out of his mother’s house, where he’d creative fallout of the Summer of Love. show was “a big fat, juicy kiss-my-ass” dress up his sisters as his movie heroines, “We were freak theatre and avant-garde,” to his killer Dan White. “You are a star. like Mae West. But he needed a bigger says founding member Fayette Hauser. Everybody is one. You only happen once,” stage to act out his fantasies. “It was about a creative vision through Sylvester sang on the title track to new The Disquotays were a group of black psychedelics. The fantasies we had while LP Stars. And stardom was something LA drag queens who had made partying tripping were what we wanted to express.” he was, by now, revelling in. The Patrick an art form. “It was like Folies Bergère In the words of writer Alice Echols, the Cowley-produced ‘You Make Me Feel in the ghetto,” one member said. Even Cockettes “pioneered a hippie-infl ected (Mighty Real)’ had reached number 8 in this fabulous crowd, Sylvester stood drag in which the masculine and on the UK Singles Chart – it thrust the out. According to Gamson, “In a world feminine purposefully collided.” It was singer out of his underground status as where ‘ridiculous’ was the highest of to prove a perfect outlet for Sylvester. a Castro legend into the global spotlight, compliments, he was the most ridiculous Arriving at the Cockettes’ Haight a place he’d felt destined for through his of them all.” Creating a perfect rear and Street Chateau commune in early 1970, humble early days in South Central LA. hips out of foam, scribbling designs from he immediately felt at home. “The hippie Born in Watts in 1947, Sylvester old fi lms or obsessively scanningVogue sensibility was a new thing for him, and James was raised by his strict but doting for ideas, Sylvester was meticulous. “That broadened his sense of what the freedom churchgoing mother Letha, and the local environment was the fi rst place he really to ‘be strange’, as he’d put it, was like,” Palm Lane Church of God in Christ was got to play around with gender and drag,” says Gamson. “It also gave him a platform where he felt the of sanctifi ed says Gamson. “To have fun with it, to feel and an audience, and he really started gospel music. By the time Sylvester was what it could be like to unapologetically developing as a performer, and probably >

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in sequined trousers and outrageous Sylvester and the Tons live track – but the flower that bloomed on floors platforms below a gardenia-scented it became an anthem when it reached the across the world. “‘You Make Me Feel scratch-n-sniff flower: a heady cover for underground clubs. “I remember hearing (Mighty Real)’ was something I would an LP that found Sylvester mining all his ‘Over & Over’ at the Gallery, the Loft hear at almost every club I would go influences to date – from gospel and blues and the [Paradise] Garage,” says New to,” says Danny Krivit. The video was to psychedelic rock. It opened with a York DJ Danny Krivit. However much shot at ’s most glamorous gay version of Neil Young’s ‘Southern Man’, he enjoyed his stature as an underground spot, the Embassy Club on Old Bond the band’s soul rock providing a heavy legend, Sylvester wasn’t going to remain Street. At the Sundowner and Global backdrop for Sylvester’s towering falsetto. a cult artist. “Everything I’d been looking Village (now ), Sylvester’s shows A future DJ at seminal San Francisco and working for did come,” he said. caused riotous scenes. DJ Mark Moore gay clubs, Lester Temple was working Despite ‘Over & Over’ being a hit recalls what he meant to London’s gay as a radio DJ in Sacramento. “Sylvester in Europe, the sold poorly in the scene at the time: “Sylvester belonged to would stay at my house when he would US, but the lack of mainstream attention us. Sexuality no longer seemed complex play at Crabshaw Corner, the rock club didn’t effect the adoration he received but playful and uncomplicated when in downtown Sacramento,” he says. “He in the Castro. At the time, a divide was dancing to ‘Mighty Real’.” While it rang and the band were fabulous, bringing a appearing between the Castro clones out of mainstream worldwide, the gender-bending barrage of energy to the (Levi’s, checked shirts and buffed bodies) message in the music (of being real) was rock crowd.” On tour, the band played and the transvestites and queens who had heard loudest at the underground gay other covers like Allen Toussaint’s ‘Play done so much for the cause of liberation. clubs where Sylvester went to party. Something Sweet’ and Otis Redding’s But Sylvester symbolised freedom to Despite his fame, when not performing ‘Nobody’s Fault But Mine’ that would all the disparate groups: “He took the he would go to the club to dance with appear on second LP Bazaar. Meanwhile, crowd to a middle where everyone was friends just as he did back home. the free-spirited artist grew bored of the included,” says Joshua Gamson. Then the opened recording process. With his label and ‘Over & Over’ had provided a taste in San Francisco in 1978, setting a new management struggling to market him, of fame but Sylvester was still unsure standard for theatrics in gay discos of the and sales stagnating, Sylvester was era. DJ Bobby Viteritti’s epic, atmospheric dropped shortly after Bazaar’s release. sets fit Sylvester’s fabulous disco, and his Having spent the money that came mix of ‘Mighty Real’ and ‘Dance (Disco in from Blue Thumb, he was forced to ‘SYLVESTER Heat)’ – the other notable track from sell his possessions and play basements 1978’s Step II – is about as dramatic as for a few dollars a night. But something REPRESENTS disco gets. “Sylvester was at the club all was stirring in San Francisco that would the time, he would just be there dancing give him a tailor-made platform. By 1975, AN IDEAL with his entourage,” he recalls. “And the Castro had become the gay centre of VERSION OF everybody just gave him his own space Live at the Whisky a Go Go, Los Angeles, 1972 the world. While Harvey Milk’s political because it was an educated dance floor.” campaigning played a vital role for gay WHO AND Sylvester played regularly at the club, as rights, the cultural progressions of the well as at gay hot spots like Dreamland, first realised that he might actually imagined himself as “Billie Holliday and Honolulu bordello: flower print, halter- period were of equal importance. In the WHAT WE I-Beam and Music Hall. I-Beam DJ be able to have a career as a singer.” other torch singers. He was forever top dresses; enamelled fruit, paper flowers aftermath of the 1969 Stonewall Riots, Steve Fabus (who runs San Francisco Hauser recalls the first time the singing around the house. He would sing and junk jewellery at strategic spots a host of gay bars and clubs had opened. COULD BE’ club Go BANG) explains why he meant collective heard him sing: “He came to while cooking in drag. He’d wear these between their breasts,” was how one news The new freedoms were being celebrated so much. “Sylvester represents, in many a rehearsal one day for one of the shows great 1940s dresses and cook soul food, report described a Pointer Sisters show. at spaces like Toad Hall, the City Disco, ways, an ideal version of who and what and we had a piano. He came on stage singing ‘Sleepy Time Down South’.” They were invited to one of Sylvester’s the Shed, and the Elephant Walk, where which road to take. “It was only in 1978, we could be as human beings, artists, and started singing and everyone was He chose the name Ruby Blue for his rehearsals where his voice blew them Sylvester played every Sunday with his after attending Billboard magazine’s Disco and as a community,” he says. “He was bowled over. Sylvester became a real star blues-jazz persona and his performances away. “I was just amazed at how hard new backing singers Two Tons o’ Fun. Forum that Sylvester, tired of obscurity, always himself and never tried to hide for us. He would come out and sing these for the Cockettes were met with much and how high and how strong he “I want two big girls that can sing,” resolved to transform himself into a disco any of it. He was comfortable in his own fantastic songs. When we were on stage acclaim. described him as sang,” recalled. he declared as he put together his new diva,” wrote Alice Echols. The track that skin; that made others feel comfortable.” everyone was going crazy and throwing “a beautiful black androgyne who has a The sisters provided the backing for band. Like Sylvester, and signalled the arrival of his new persona The city paid tribute to Sylvester things at us, but when Sylvester came gospel sound with the heat and shimmer his shows in support of the Cockettes. Izora Rhodes (who went on to become in all its fabulousness was ‘You Make Me in 1979 with the launch of Stars at the on there was a big hush. Everyone was of Aretha’s.” But Sylvester was already Sylvester’s performance of numbers like ) were raised on church Feel (Mighty Real)’. Written as a mid- prestigious Opera House. “It’s my first spellbound because he was so magical.” thinking of his next venture even before ‘God Bless the Child’ had Rolling Stone music. The group was a hit, but Sylvester tempo blues number by band member completely disco record,” he said. Made By the summer of 1970, Cockettes fractures appeared in the Cockettes after editor Jann Wenner begging him to put had broader horizons. His big break was Tip Wirrick, it was transformed by young up of just four extended songs, it was shows with names like Elephant Shit, critics panned their Manhattan shows in out a record. Under the name Sylvester thanks to Wash recently meeting record blonde synthesiser geek , perfect for the period’s hedonistic dance The Circus Life and Journey to the 1971. “Sylvester was always on his own and his Hot Band, they cut two tracks executive , who she invited who’d recently made an epic bootleg of floors. It begins with the empowering Centre of Uranus were causing people in his vision, while we were more about for Blue Thumb Records compilation to a show at the Elephant Walk. “I want ’s ‘’. Sylvester message of the title track, written by like Truman Capote to exclaim, “The a group consciousness,” explains Hauser. Lights Out: San Francisco. By 1972 the to work specifically on this man here,” he was hooked. After an introduction at the Cowley, who also provides synthesiser Cockettes are where it’s at!” It coincided “They have to be hot,” he told then- Pointer Sisters had set out on their own said backstage. Fuqua had an agreement City Disco, the two began discussing the riffs throughout and penned moody dub with Sylvester’s own creative quest as manager Dennis Lopez as they looked for disco path and Sylvester followed them with Fantasy Records – he brought them new electronic possibilities. “I totally disco track ‘I Need Somebody to Love he obsessively studied “the transition a backing band. He found it in a group of with his 1973 Blue Thumb debut Scratch talent in exchange for acting as producer. flipped out,” Sylvester said of hearing the Tonight’. It was, in the words of writer of black music from gospel to spiritual sisters well known around the hip spots of My Flower, now backed by a group of Sylvester’s self-titled debut LP for music Cowley produced with this new Peter Shapiro, “along with the Peech music to blues and jazz,” says Hauser. Haight-Ashbury. “They come strutting serious R&B musicians. On the cover, the Fantasy was released in summer 1977. equipment. He immediately invited him Boys ‘Don’t Make Me Wait’, one of When performing in the Cockettes he on stage dressed up like inmates of a singer looks seductively at the camera It began with ‘Over & Over’, a popular to the studio where the seed grew into disco’s greatest expressions of longing.” >

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Sylvester and his dog Mark Moore says that for gay clubbers all over it, and Cowley’s subsequent mix Funk’ was the sound of gay London Princess Terri Debonaire, thousands of miles away in London, of ‘I Got the Feeling’ was much in the for the early to mid-1980s,” says Mark at Fantasy Records, 1980 “‘I Need Somebody to Love Tonight’ vein of his work with Sylvester. “‘I Got Moore. “At the time it felt so modern – told us we were not alone, even though the Feeling’ and ‘Just Us’ were played at futuristic and fierce, rather than the we sometimes danced alone.” Stars also all the underground clubs and, though watered-down Hi-NRG that came later.” captured Sylvester at his most dramatic, they’re credited to Two Tons o’ Fun, they During a show at London’s Heaven, with an 11-minute version of Leiber were considered Sylvester records,” says Sylvester was told of Cowley’s death. and Stoller’s ‘I (Who Have Nothing)’. Krivit. Sylvester released Too Hot to Sleep He recorded Call Me for Megatone The Opera House gig was recorded in 1981, spawning the classic ‘Give it but it missed the magical dust his partner and released as Living Proof (1979), a Up (Don’t Make Me Wait)’ and tender had scattered on previous work. More fascinating document of the power and ballad ‘Here is My Love’, both featuring successful was 1984’s M-1015, with ‘Take theatre of Sylvester’s live shows. It also Tracy. “That was one of my favourite Me to Heaven’ and ‘Sex’ – wonderfully includes one of his finest arrangements songs I did with him,” she says. But the dramatic Hi-NRG that stands up next on ‘In My Fantasy (I Want You, I Need outing was to be his last for Fantasy. to Cowley productions. Lester Temple You)’. Alongside Martha Wash on With disco rapidly sidelined by major remembers one Sylvester performance: background vocals was . labels, some artists in San Francisco set “The best party I ever played was at the “That was an incredible show,” she says. up their own labels. Free of interference, Music Hall, sponsored by one of the “I really cannot listen to that album too Patrick Cowley and Marty Blecman’s record pools in town. Sylvester was the much now because it really takes me back. Megatone Records captured the music headliner. It was a magical night. ‘Take And it makes me cry because it was such bursting out of underground gay clubs. Me to Heaven’ was his current hit and a glorious night.” Tracy went on to be a The robotic, electronic San Francisco it brought the house down.” The track regular backing singer alongside the Two appeared with ‘Sex’ on a Megatone 12” Tons. “He was a fantastic vocal arranger,” remixed by Ian Levine to become she says. “He had ideas way beyond his a classic at London’s Heaven. years.” The two became close friends and ‘I ADORED ‘Trouble in Paradise’ off Call Me was, shopping partners while on tour. “He was Sylvester said, his “AIDS message to San my brother, I adored him. We would HIM. THERE Francisco.” When his partner, architect always be laughing and talking. He loved Rick Cramner, died in September 1987, dressing me and said I was his alter ego HAS BEEN Sylvester was already sick. “He had been – the way he would dress if he was a lady.” NO ONE LIKE trying to tell me and I just figured it out,” Weeks after the Opera House gig, says Jeanie Tracy. “It was devastating.” Harvey Milk’s killer Dan White walked HIM SINCE’ Two months before he died, he appeared free on grounds of depression. At the at a Dreamland party where Steve Fabus Gay Freedom Day parade soon after, was playing. “He was brought into the Sylvester gave one of his most powerful sound that became known as Hi-NRG club on a wheelchair and taken to an performances. “It was like coming home had been anticipated by Cowley’s work overlook above the DJ booth,” he recalls. to family for him,” says Joshua Gamson, on ‘Mighty Real’. His pioneering work “I started to play a medley of his songs “That was especially important after would peak on seminal LPs like 1981’s that lasted just over an hour. When I Milk’s assassination, such a horrifying Menergy and Megatron Man. According finished with ‘Take Me to Heaven’, the reminder of how hostile the society to producer Casey Jones, “Patrick created record faded out and, with a spotlight at large could still be to gay people.” a synthesised sound that would enhance on Sylvester, he said to the crowd ‘I love With pressure from his label to tone a drug high and the track that really you’. It was goodbye and we all knew it. down the act and move away from disco, launched that sound was ‘Menergy’.” Applause and stomping and cheering 1980’s Sell My Soul found Sylvester at Hi-NRG’s pounding synthetic soul went on for 20 minutes.” Sylvester passed a confusing junction. But alongside the was to soundtrack the last days for many away in December 1988. He had asked ballads and an incongruous version in the community. Patrick Cowley was Jeanie Tracy to sing at his funeral at of ‘Cry Me a River’ sat one of his classic one of the first of Sylvester’s friends to Love Centre Church in East Oakland, disco tracks. “I would hear ‘I Need You’, fall ill with HIV. The two recorded one where he had become a regular since the particularly at the Garage, peak time,” last LP before he passed away, All I Need, early 1980s. “I sang ‘Never Grow Old’, says Danny Krivit. The track was just as one of the iconic Hi-NRG and a song he had sang as a five-year-old in big in the clubs of San Francisco, as DJ a world away from the pop direction the church,” she says. “I adored him. There Steve Fabus recalls. “I remember ‘I Need genre would take. “Bring me out of the has been no one like him since.” You’ was special to the I-Beam. It’s darkness, baby,” Sylvester implores on probably my favourite Sylvester song the title track, over Cowley’s electronic Mighty Real: A Fabulous Sylvester because it’s such an emotional record, pulsations. With its heavy use of cowbells Musical runs at Theatre at St Clements, deep but also hopeful and optimistic.” and synthetic hand claps, ‘Do Ya Wanna 423 W 46th St, New York The Two Tons o’ Fun were pursuing Funk’ set the scene for the throbbing from 5 September their own career, culminating in a 1980 Hi-NRG that dominated the gay scene stclementsnyc.org self-titled LP that had Sylvester’s stamp for the next few years. “‘Do Ya Wanna

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