Sylvester Sylvester Born: Sylvester James Jr. September 6, 1947 Watts, Los Angeles, California Died: December 16, 1988 (aged 41) San Francisco, California, US. Occupation: Singer, songwriter, composer, record producer Genres: Dance, Hi-NRG, R&B, disco, soul, funk Instruments: Vocals, keyboards, piano Sylvester James Jr., known simply as Sylvester , was an American singer-songwriter of disco, rhythm & blues, and soul. Known for his flamboyant, androgynous appearance and falsetto singing voice, he gained the nickname the "Queen of Disco" in the late 1970s. San Francisco awarded him the key to the city. In 2005, Sylvester was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame along with Chic and Gloria Gaynor . In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked him number 169 of The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.