Living in San Francisco in the 1960s, he performed in a musical production called Women of the Blues, then joined a short-lived group of transvestite performance artists called The Cockettes in the early 70's (famed transvestite Divine was a member of the group as well). Sylvester can be seen in The Cockettes' outrageous short film Tricia's Wedding, lampooning the wedding of President Nixon's daughter Tricia, and in an eponymous 2002 documentary about the group.
In 1972, Sylvester supplied two cuts to Lights Out San Francisco, an album complied by the KSAN radio station and released on the Blue Thumb label. In 1973, Sylvester & his Hot Band released two rock-oriented albums on Blue Thumb (their self-titled debut was also known as "Scratch My Flower," due to a gardenia-shaped scratch-and-sniff sticker adhered to the cover). Signed a solo act to Fantasy Records in 1977, and working with the production talents of legendary Motown producer Harvey Fuqua. Sylvester later alleged that Fuqua cheated him out of millions of dollars.
Sylvester soon met his frequent collaborator Patrick Cowley. Cowley's synthesizer and Sylvester's voice proved to be a magical combination, and pushed Sylvester's sound in an increasingly dance-oriented direction; his second solo album - Step II (1978) - unleashed two disco classics: "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)," and "Dance (Disco Heat)." By this time both his live shows and recordings also recognizably featured the back-up vocals of Two Tons O' Fun: future Weather Girls Martha Wash and Izora Rhodes. 1979 brought three Billboard awards and an appearance in the movie, The Rose, starring Bette Midler.
Moving to Megatone Records in 1982, Sylvester quickly landed a Hi-NRG classic with "Do You Wanna Funk." He was close friends with other Megatone artists Linda Imperial and Jeanie Tracy. Sylvester was also very close to the legendary Patti LaBelle.
Later pressure from the label to "butch up" his image would result in him attending meetings in full-on drag. A drag photo shoot, which he staged and presented to label heads as a gag (calling it his "new album cover") would later grace the cover of Immortal after Sylvester died; it was the label's way of paying tribute to his spirit. In 1985, one of his dreams came true as he was summoned to sing back-up for Aretha Franklin on her Who's Zoomin' Who comeback album. His sole Warner Bros. album was Mutual Attraction in 1986; a single from the album, "Someone Like You," featured original cover art by Keith Haring.
Sylvester died of complications from AIDS on December 16, 1988. His good friend Jeanie Tracy took care of Sylvester during his last days.
In the late 1990's, performance artist Djola Branner (co-founder of the highly influential Pomo Afro Homos troupe) created his acclaimed solo piece and CD Mighty Real around the life of Sylvester.
On September 20, 2004 Sylvester's anthem record, You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real), was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame. A year later, on September 19, 2005, Sylvester himself was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame for his achievement as an artist.
In 2005, a biography written by Joshua Gamson and titled The Fabulous Sylvester: The Legend, The music, The 70s in San Francisco was published.
2. Sylvester (Sylvester Larsen , born 1973) is a danish artist, who has released 4 albums. He is the son of Kim Larsen. See www.sylvesterlarsen.dk
I Took My Strength From You
Sylvester Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That was the way that I'd be goin'
Too afraid to stand alone
Too unsure to ever make my mind up
Following the crowd was where I'd wind up
Just like the tide keeps changin' with the moon
Day after day I changed direction
Wondrin' where my hopes and dreams had gone to
There I was, with nothing to hold on to
Oh, but then I took my strength from you
I had none, I had none
And then I took my strength from you
I had none, I had none
Until I met you
Just when I needed your love, I met you
The lyrics to Sylvester's "I Took My Strength From You" tell a story of a person who was lost and unsure of themselves. They were afraid to stand alone and struggled to make decisions for themselves. They found themselves constantly following the crowd and changing direction day after day, never really knowing where they were headed or what they were truly passionate about. They were left with nothing to hold onto and no inner strength to rely on.
However, everything changed when they met someone who gave them the strength they needed. This person gave them a sense of purpose and the courage to believe in themselves. They discovered that they were no longer lost and that their hopes and dreams were within reach. The repetition of the line "I had none, I had none" emphasizes just how much this person's impact made a difference in the singer's life.
Overall, the lyrics convey the idea that everyone needs someone to help them find their inner strength and believe in themselves. It's a powerful message that highlights the importance of having supportive people in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Knowin' the way the wind was gonna blow
I was aware of what was coming my way
That was the way that I'd be goin'
I accepted that as my inevitable direction
Too afraid to stand alone
I lacked the confidence to be independent
Too unsure to ever make my mind up
I was indecisive and lacked conviction
Following the crowd was where I'd wind up
I would end up conforming to the majority's choices
Just like the tide keeps changin' with the moon
I changed directions constantly, like the tide with the moon
Day after day I changed direction
My lack of direction was a daily struggle
Tryin' hard to find myself
I was on a quest to discover my true self
Wondrin' where my hopes and dreams had gone to
I was lost, wondering where my aspirations had disappeared to
There I was, with nothing to hold on to
I felt hopeless and had nothing to cling onto
Oh, but then I took my strength from you
You gave me the courage and resolve I needed
I had none, I had none
I was completely devoid of strength before I met you
And then I took my strength from you
Your love gave me the determination and perseverance I needed
I had none, I had none
I was unprepared and ill-equipped to face life's challenges
Until I met you
You were the turning point in my life
Just when I needed your love, I met you
Your love arrived in my life at the perfect moment of need
Contributed by Reagan I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.