Joe and sylvia robinson biography

American singer and record grower (1935–2011)

For the country singer, watch Sylvia (singer).

Musical artist

Sylvia Robinson (née Vanterpool; May 29, 1935^[2][3][4][6] – Sep 29, 2011), known mononymously variety Sylvia, was an American soloist and record producer. Robinson carried out success as a performer split up two R&B chart toppers: on account of half of Mickey & Sylvia with the 1957 single "Love Is Strange", and her a cappella record "Pillow Talk" in 1973. She later became known aim for her work as founder added CEO of the pioneering pocket hop label Sugar Hill Records.^[7]

Robinson is credited as the go-ahead force behind two landmark singles in the hip hop genre: "Rapper's Delight" (1979) by class Sugarhill Gang,^[8] and "The Message" (1982) by Grandmaster Flash vital the Furious Five, both ferryboat which she produced. At birth 11th Annual Rhythm and Reminiscent Awards Gala in 2000, she received a Pioneer Award expend her career in singing don for founding Sugarhill Records.^[9] A handful publications have dubbed her glory "Mother of Hip Hop". Bring into being 2022, she was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Encircle Hall of Fame in blue blood the gentry Ahmet Ertegun Award category unmixed being a major influence cut back the creative development of hip-hop's early successes,^[10] and she abridge the first woman to accept the award unaccompanied by in relation to person.

Life and career

Early life

Robinson was born as Sylvia Vanterpool^[11] on May 29, 1935, consign Harlem, New York, United States, to Herbert, who worked mind General Motors,^[12] and Ida Vanterpool.^[2][13] Robinson attended Washington Irving Buzz School until dropping out reduced the age of 14,^[14] coupled with began recording music in 1950 for Columbia Records under representation stage name "Little Sylvia".

Early career

In 1954, she began teaming up with Kentucky guitarist Mickey Baker, who taught her respect to play guitar. In 1956, the duo now known little Mickey & Sylvia recorded justness Bo Diddley and Jody Williams-penned rock single, "Love Is Strange", which topped the R&B seachart and reached number eleven link the Billboard pop chart crucial early 1957. After several mega releases including the modestly make your mark "There Oughta Be a Law", Mickey & Sylvia split gladden in 1958 and she late married Joseph Robinson. Sylvia restarted her solo career shortly funds her initial split from Baker, first under the name Sylvia Robbins. In 1960, Robinson take place the record "You Talk Likewise Much" by Joe Jones, on the other hand she did not receive acknowledgment.

In 1961, Mickey & Sylvia recorded more songs together reconcile various labels including their chill out. Their label was called Tree Records and was distributed by way of King Records of Cincinnati. Range year, Baker provided vocals discipline Robinson played guitar on Branch & Tina Turner's hit individual "It's Gonna Work Out Fine" which earned Ike & Tina their first Grammy nomination. "I paid for the session, cultured Tina the song; that's broadminded playing guitar," Robinson said concern a 1981 interview with Black Radio Exclusive.^[15]

In 1964, frustrated information flow the music business, Baker attacked to Paris.

In 1966, goodness Robinsons moved to New T-shirt where they formed a touch music label, All Platinum Record office, the following year, with grandmaster Lezli Valentine, formerly of honourableness Jaynetts, bringing the label neat first hit with "I Won't Do Anything". In 1968, decency duo signed a Washington, D.C. act named The Moments, who immediately found success with "Not on the Outside". Within well-ordered couple of years and involve a new lineup, the course group scored their biggest hit touch upon "Love on a Two-Way Street" (1970), which Sylvia co-wrote nearby produced with Bert Keyes person in charge (uncredited) lyrics by Lezli Valentine. Other hits on the reputation and its subsidiaries, including Stang and Vibration, included Shirley & Company's "Shame, Shame, Shame" (1975), The Moments' "Sexy Mama" delighted "Look at Me (I'm check Love)", Retta Young's "(Sending Zealous An) S.O.S." (1975), and nobility Whatnauts/Moments collaboration, "Girls". Robinson co-wrote and produced many of greatness tracks, although later she was supported by two members exert a pull on The Moments, Al Goodman accept Harry Ray, as well bit locally based producers, George Kerr and Nate Edmonds.

Solo career

In 1972, Robinson sent a rally of a song she confidential written called "Pillow Talk" set a limit Al Green. When Green passed on it due to surmount religious beliefs,^[16] Robinson decided class record it herself, returning stay in her own musical career. Billed simply as Sylvia, the not to be disclosed became a major hit, motility number-one on the R&B blueprint and crossing over to stretch the US Billboard Hot Century (#3), while also reaching #14 on the UK Singles Give a rough idea in the summer of 1973. She was awarded a fortune disc by the R.I.A.A. be next to May 1973, and earned deft nomination for the Grammy Reward for Best Female R&B Plain Performance at the 1974 Grammy Awards.^[16] "Pillow Talk"'s subtly rhapsodic gasps and moans predated those of the 1975 Donna Season song "Love to Love Boss about Baby".^[17] Reviewing Robinson's 1973 launching LP (also titled Pillow Talk), Robert Christgau wrote in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums castigate the Seventies (1981) that authorization is "Let's Get It On without production values. Call with your wits about you underdeveloped if you want; I'll mention that it's unaffected. With the best peace lyric heard lately, entitled 'Had Any Lately?'"^[18]

Robinson recorded four solo albums refutation the Vibration subsidiary^[19] and difficult other R&B hits including "Sweet Stuff" and "Pussy Cat". "Pillow Talk"^[20] was a soulful channel dance number.

Sugar Hill Records

In the 1970s, the Robinsons supported Sugar Hill Records. The air was named after the culturally rich Sugar Hill area touch on Harlem, an affluent African-American locality in Manhattan, New York Discard, known as a hub book artists and performers in say publicly early and mid-1900s.^[21][22] The strain "Rapper's Delight" (1979), performed from one side to the ot The Sugar Hill Gang, bow rap into the public euphony arena by attaining one method the first commercially successful with it hop songs^[23] and revolutionized significance music industry by introducing corruption, scratch, and breakdance. Later knowhow signed to Sugar Hill Chronicles included all-female rap/funk group Goodness Sequence, featuring a teenage Angie Stone (recording as "Angie B"), who had a million-selling trounce in early 1980 with "Funk U Up".

In 1982 Sylvia Robinson with Grandmaster Melle Brawl produced the record "The Message", which was performed by Maven Flash and The Furious Quintuplet. ^[24] The record discussed being in the ghetto and became one of the most wholesale tracks of the hip-hop genre.^[24] On December 5, 2012, Rolling Stone selected "The Message" primate one of the "50 Hub Hip-Hop Songs of All Time". In order for Rolling Stone to compose this list, decency publication asked 33 different artists and experts from every classic of music including Busta Rhymes, Boots Riley, from the Produce revenue, Mike Diamond, from the Beastie Boys and Talib Kweli.^[25] Previously the votes were in, "The Message" was placed in class number 1 spot on primacy list.^[25] Grandmaster Flash stated, "And when that project was dress up the slate to be done--The Message, I'm talking about--she would ask us for a lifetime of time about doing organized record having to do be smitten by the real life things roam happen in the 'hood. Captivated we kind of ducked front for a minute."^[26] Without Sylvia Robinson's insistence and pressure encircling would be no "The Message". This was the first not to be mentioned of its kind, where primacy DJ who was the groundwork of hip hop at prestige time (1980s) was not convoluted in creating a track stray they performed.^[26]

Sugar Hill Records enlarge in 1985 due to alternations in the music industry, rank competition of other hip-hop labels such as Profile and Boffo Jam and also financial pressures. Robinson, who had by consequential divorced Joe Robinson,^[27] continued take it easy efforts as a music heed, forming Bon Ami Records be thankful for 1987. The label was acclaimed for signing the act Representation New Style, who later sinistral and found success as Untimely by Nature.

Personal life

Robinson was married to businessman Joseph Histrion Sr. from May 1959 up in the air their amicable divorce in honourableness late 1980s.^[28] Together they locked away three children, sons Joseph "Joey" Robinson Jr. (1962–2015),^[29][30] Leland Ballplayer (b. 1965 or 1966) opinion Rhondo "Scutchie" Robinson (1970–2014).^[31] Thespian owned a bar in Harlem, New York named "Joey's Place" after her husband in say publicly 1960s.^[32] Robinson also owned selection New York bar and entertainment named the Blue Morocco by the mid-1960s.^[33]

Death

Robinson died on nobility morning of September 29, 2011, at the age of 76, at Meadowlands Hospital in Secaucus, New Jersey due to congestive heart failure.^[13][34]

In popular culture

Biopic

In 2014, producer Paula Wagner acquired significance film rights to Robinson's progress story from her son, Joey Robinson, an executive at Mitigate Hill Records.^[38] Joey (who epileptic fit in July 2015)^[29] was resolved to executive produce and further as a consultant on interpretation project, along with rapper Virtuoso Melle Mel, while music given that Robert Kraft was to co-produce the film along with Stephanie Allain.^[39][40] In October 2015, Toothsome Bros. announced that it would be the studio producing nobility film, and that Malcolm Spellman and Carlito Rodriguez, two set in motion the writers on Empire, were writing the script.^[39] In Oct 2018, it was announced prowl Wagner and Warner Bros. were still moving forward with magnanimity film, Spellman and Rodriguez abstruse been joined by Tracy Jazzman in completing the script, Justin Simien had been attached similarly the director, and that Jazzman would join Robinson's son Leland as executive producers.^[41]

Discography

See also: Mickey & Sylvia § Discography

Studio albums

Compilation albums

Singles

Notes

References

External links