Died On This Date (December 16, 1988) Sylvester / Disco Star
themusicsover Sylvester James
September 6, 1947 – December 16, 1988
Sylvester James, who generally went by just his first name, was a disco-era star who had hits in the late ’70s with “Dance (Disco Heat),” “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real),” and “Can’t Stop Dancing.” Born and raised by a music-loving family in Los Angeles, James was encouraged to sing at an early age. During the late ’60s, he moved to San Francisco where he became part of the gay and transgender entertainment community, with most notably, the Cockettes. Over the next few years, James began making a name for himself throughout the Bay area and in 1977, he signed with Fantasy Records, who teamed him up with legendary Motown producer, Harvey Fuqua. James quickly became a disco star by releasing numerous hits and appearing on television and film. His last hit came in 1984. On December 16, 1988, Sylvester James, 41, died of complications from AIDS.
What You Should Own
Davy Graham was an influential British acoustic guitarist who came to prominence during the British folk revival of the 1960s. He has been cited as a direct influence on the likes of Bert Jansch, Paul Simon, John Renbourn, and Jimmy Page. He has also been noted as the founder of world music in that he was one of the first to incorporate elements from other cultures into his music. By the late ’60s, Graham had all but walked away from his music career, choosing instead to do charity work and teach guitar. He made a brief return to the stage and studio around 2005, but died of lung cancer on December 15, 2008. He was 68.
John Byrne is best remembered as the lead guitarist for ’60s garage rock band, the Count Five, who, although from the San Francisco area, chose its name to sound more akin to the popular British invasion bands of the time. Byrne sang lead on and wrote the band’s only hit, 1966’s “Psychotic Reaction,” which made it to #5 on the Billboard charts, and is generally included in any respectable garage compilation of the era. The band surprisingly turned down numerous high-paying gigs in order for Byrne to go back to college, but did find time to appear on an episode of American Bandstand. The band went on without him, touring with the likes of the Doors and the Beach Boys with Byrne joining the band for special engagements in later years. John Bryne, 61, died of cirrhosis of the liver on December 15, 2008.
Rufus Thomas was an R&B and funk singer who scored several hit singles while signed to Sun Records during the ’50s and Stax Records during the ’60s and ’70s. Known for his comical songs and colorful stage dress, Thomas became popular with songs like “Can Your Monkey do the Dog,” “Do the Funky Chicken,” and “Walking the Dog.” He was backed on many of his recordings by either Booker T & the MGs or the 