The Sylvers

[Shelley "SoleMann" King]

Prior to becoming "The Sylvers", the four eldest members (Olympia, Leon, Charmaine, and James) recorded as the Little Angels, appearing on variety shows such as "Make Room For Daddy" and "You Bet Your Life," and opening for such acts as Johnny Mathis and Ray Charles.

During 1972 the act was joined by brothers Edmund and Ricky. The sextet changed their name from the Little Angels to the Sylvers and released three albums on the MGM/Pride label, titled simply "The Sylvers," "The Sylvers 2," and "The Sylvers 3." Released between 1972 and 1974, these LPs were composed of solid soulful numbers written by Leon and produced by R&B legends Jerry Butler (of the Impressions) and Keg Johnson. Four singles from these self-titled albums were popular enough to be recorded on the Billboard R&B charts, starting a sequence of successes for the siblings.

"Fool's Paradise" was a thought-provoking song that reached number 14 in the autumn of 1972. The single featured Charmaine, Edmund, and Ricky as lead singers, backed by the sumptuous harmonies of Olympia, Leon, and James.

"Wish That I Could Talk To You" (# 10) was the next single and during early 1973 became the siblings' first top 10 song. The track, featuring Leon and Ricky on lead, is considered a classic by old-school R&B fans. "Stay Away From Me" (# 33) and "Through the Love In My Heart" (# 50) followed; and album tracks such as "I'll Never Be Ashamed" and "Cry of a Dreamer" received significant airplay at R&B radio outlets.

The Sylvers consisted of nine siblings:

Olympia-Ann "Olan" Sylvers (b. October 13, 1951) - Vocals

Leon Frank Sylvers III (b. March 7, 1953) - Bass, Vocals

Charmaine Elaine Sylvers (b. March 9, 1954) - Vocals

James Jonathan Sylvers (b. June 8, 1955) - Keyboards, Vocals

Edmund Theodore Sylvers (b. January 25, 1957, d. March 11, 2004) - Vocals, Percussion

Joseph Richard "Ricky" Sylvers (b. October 13, 1958) - Guitar, Vocals

Angelia Marie "Angie" Sylvers (b. April 11, 1960) - Vocals

Patricia Lynn "Pat" Sylvers (b. March 25, 1961) - Additional Keyboards, Vocals

Foster Emerson Sylvers (b. February 25, 1962) - Additional Bass, Vocals



REMEMBER THE SYLVERS



THE SYLVERS...WISH THAT I COULD TALK TO YOU

[Shelley "SoleMann" King]

I want hair like Ricky Sylvers on The Soul Train Video....LOL. Look how Olympia is blushing around Don, she so cute....LOL

[Edie Antoinette]

Beautiful family...I always get them mixed up with the Stairsteps...great blog dear!