Leon Sylvers III
Encyclopedia
Leon Frank Sylvers III is an American singer, songwriter, record producer
and multi-instrumentalist
. He was a member of the family group The Sylvers
and became one of the most successful producers in black music in the late 1970s to the mid 1980s through his association with Dick Griffey
's SOLAR Records
.
, California
. In 1970, Leon entered the family act into a local talent contest which now included younger brothers Edmund
and Ricky. They won that talent contest hands down due to their versatility, choreographed and harmonies. The impresario Mike Curb
signed them to MGM Records
in 1971 and marketed them as The Sylvers
.
Leon wrote his first hit single
("Wish That I Could Talk to You") which was on their debut album called The Sylvers
. He also penned his brother Foster Sylvers
' Top 10 US R&B
chart
single
"Misdemeanor" which was a hit during summer of 1973. For the next several albums, Leon would continue writing songs on his family's albums which included 1977's Top 10 US R&B
chart
single
"High School Dance".
In 1978 Leon would produced The Sylvers
most critically acclaimed album, Forever Yours
. By mid 1978 Leon would leave the group to become the in-house producer for Dick Griffey
's SOLAR Records
. Sylvers started his major production career with Lakeside
on their "Shot of love" which was a Top 10 Top R&B Albums. This would also be the year that Leon's association with Shalamar
would begin starting with the Disco Gardens
album which included the disco classic Take That to the Bank. 1979 would become an even bigger year. Shalamar
's next album Big Fun
was an even bigger smash lading at #4 on the Top R&B Albums charts and was certified gold. The first single The Second Time Around
was a hit record number one on both the US R&B
and R&B
charts and number eight on the US Top 10. Leon also co-produced Lakeside
's Rough Riders
album. That same year he created the group Dynasty
along with Dick Griffey
.
acts such as Shalamar
, The Whispers
, Dynasty (band)
, Carrie Lucas
and the first album by Midnight Star
. One song wrote and co-produced by Leon for The Whispers
was the number one US R&B
and US Dance hit And The Beat Goes On
would be one of Sylvers' biggest achievements. This would be the year that Leon would be involved on projects outside of the SOLAR Records
family such as his Gene Page
single "Love Starts After Dark"and 7th Wonder's song "The Tilt".
1981 picked up where 1980 left off. Shalamar
would chart with the Three For Love
album at number eight on the US Top Soul Albums. The album would be certified Gold. The Whispers
It's A Love Thing which was another R&B smash which helped propel the Imagination
album to number three on the Top Soul Albums charts. At this time Leon would get married to Nidra Beard who was a member of Dynasty
as well as becoming a member. Around the same time Leon would also become and produced His old family group, The Sylvers
signed with SOLAR
. Both The Second Adventure
by Dynasty
and Concept
by The Sylvers
of which Leon would produce was not hits. Both albums would one of the few disappointments of the year for Leon.
In 1982 Leon would go on and produce Shalamar
's Friends
. It would be a monster album topping the US Top R&B Albums propelled by the single A Night To Remember number eight US R&B
charts. The album would be certified Platinum. Leon would spend the next couple of years producing hit songs for The Whispers
("In The Raw", "Tonight"), Gladys Knight & The Pips
("Save the Overtime (For Me)"), Tavares ("Ten To One") among others
' second album Finesse
, and some tracks for The Whispers
album So Good. Between 1984 to 1988 Leon would have moderate success with some of the following: Five Star
("Another Weekend
", "Rock My World
"), [ Evelyn "Champagne" King ("Flirt," "Hold on to What You Got"), Stacy Lattisaw
("You Ain't Leavin'"), The Spinners, Howard Hewett
("I Commit To Love") to name a few. In 1989, Leon finally recorded a solo album for Motown Records
, called simply Leon Sylvers III, but it did not chart at all.
debut album Blackstreet
. Leon helped co-write and co-produce Blackstreet
's US Top 10 hit Before I Let You Go
. Leon would also work with Riley again this time with New Kids On The Block
writing two songs on their Face The Music
album.
In 2009, Sylvers produced an album from N'dambi
, Pink Elephant
, which included songs written by Sylvers and his son, Leon Sylvers IV.
In December, 2010, Leon F. Sylvers, III received a Grammy nomination from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, for N'dambi's "Pink Elephant
."
In 2011, he remixed Gladys Knight
's new single, a re-recording of the Leiber/Stoller classic I (Who Have Nothing)
, a recording produced by his son, Leon Sylvers IV.
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
and multi-instrumentalist
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
. He was a member of the family group The Sylvers
The Sylvers
The Sylvers were a popular R&B/soul and disco family group during the 1970s. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, the family would later relocate to Watts, California.- Beginnings :...
and became one of the most successful producers in black music in the late 1970s to the mid 1980s through his association with Dick Griffey
Dick Griffey
Richard Gilbert "Dick" Griffey was an American record producer and promoter who founded SOLAR Records, an acronym for "Sound of Los Angeles Records", which played a major role in developing a funk-oriented blend of disco, R&B and soul music during the 1970s and 1980s...
's SOLAR Records
SOLAR Records
S.O.L.A.R. Records was an American record label founded in 1977 by Dick Griffey, reconstituted out of Soul Train Records only two years after it was founded with Soul Train television show host and creator Don Cornelius.-Company history:In 1975, Soul Train Records was founded by Dick Griffey and...
.
Beginnings
Leon Sylvers first rose to prominence in the early 1960s as a member of The Little Angles harmony vocal group featuring his siblings (Olympia, Charmaine, and James). During this time they appeared on variety shows such as Make Room For Daddy and You Bet Your Life. Following their parents divorce, Leon and his older siblings went to live with various relatives before reuniting with their mother Shirley and their four younger siblings in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. In 1970, Leon entered the family act into a local talent contest which now included younger brothers Edmund
Edmund Sylvers
Edmund Theodore Sylvers was the lead singer of the 1970s family disco/soul music group The Sylvers. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Sylvers was 15 years old when he started singing with the family-based musical group, and was 18 when he sang lead on the group's biggest hit, "Boogie Fever" .Sylvers...
and Ricky. They won that talent contest hands down due to their versatility, choreographed and harmonies. The impresario Mike Curb
Mike Curb
Michael Curb is an American musician, record company executive, NASCAR and IRL race car owner. A Republican, he served as the 42nd Lieutenant Governor of California from 1979-1983 under Democratic Governor Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown, Jr...
signed them to MGM Records
MGM Records
MGM Records was a record label started by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946, for the purpose of releasing soundtrack albums of their musical films. Later it became a pop label, lasting into the 1970s...
in 1971 and marketed them as The Sylvers
The Sylvers
The Sylvers were a popular R&B/soul and disco family group during the 1970s. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, the family would later relocate to Watts, California.- Beginnings :...
.
Leon wrote his first hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
("Wish That I Could Talk to You") which was on their debut album called The Sylvers
The Sylvers (album)
The Sylvers is the debut album by the Los Angeles, California-based R&B group The Sylvers.-Reception:Released in 1972, Produced by R&B legends Jerry Butler and Keg Johnson....
. He also penned his brother Foster Sylvers
Foster Sylvers
Foster Emerson Sylvers is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and multi-instrumentalist...
' Top 10 US R&B
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"Misdemeanor" which was a hit during summer of 1973. For the next several albums, Leon would continue writing songs on his family's albums which included 1977's Top 10 US R&B
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"High School Dance".
In 1978 Leon would produced The Sylvers
The Sylvers
The Sylvers were a popular R&B/soul and disco family group during the 1970s. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, the family would later relocate to Watts, California.- Beginnings :...
most critically acclaimed album, Forever Yours
Forever Yours (The Sylvers album)
Originally recorded when The Sylvers were still signed to Capitol Records, big brother Leon took over on production. Capitol did not like the new sound and rejected the album & dropped them. The Sylvers shopped the material elsewhere and by mid-1978 had signed with Casablanca Records...
. By mid 1978 Leon would leave the group to become the in-house producer for Dick Griffey
Dick Griffey
Richard Gilbert "Dick" Griffey was an American record producer and promoter who founded SOLAR Records, an acronym for "Sound of Los Angeles Records", which played a major role in developing a funk-oriented blend of disco, R&B and soul music during the 1970s and 1980s...
's SOLAR Records
SOLAR Records
S.O.L.A.R. Records was an American record label founded in 1977 by Dick Griffey, reconstituted out of Soul Train Records only two years after it was founded with Soul Train television show host and creator Don Cornelius.-Company history:In 1975, Soul Train Records was founded by Dick Griffey and...
. Sylvers started his major production career with Lakeside
Lakeside (band)
Lakeside is a funk band, best known for their 1980 number one R&B hit, "Fantastic Voyage."-Formation and early years:In early 1969, The Nomads, a singing quartet consisting of lead singer Mark Wood; Tiemeyer McCain; Tony White; and Brian Marbury, met the Montereys, a band that featured Stephen...
on their "Shot of love" which was a Top 10 Top R&B Albums. This would also be the year that Leon's association with Shalamar
Shalamar
Shalamar was an American music group, primarily of the 1970s and 1980s, that was originally a disco-driven vehicle created by Soul Train booking agent Dick Griffey and show creator Don Cornelius. They went on to be an influential dance trio, masterminded by Soul Train producer Don Cornelius...
would begin starting with the Disco Gardens
Disco Gardens
Disco Gardens is the second album by American R&B group Shalamar, released in 1978 on the SOLAR label. It features the line-up of Gerald Brown, Jeffrey Daniel and Jody Watley, and was the only Shalamar album on which Brown appeared....
album which included the disco classic Take That to the Bank. 1979 would become an even bigger year. Shalamar
Shalamar
Shalamar was an American music group, primarily of the 1970s and 1980s, that was originally a disco-driven vehicle created by Soul Train booking agent Dick Griffey and show creator Don Cornelius. They went on to be an influential dance trio, masterminded by Soul Train producer Don Cornelius...
's next album Big Fun
Big Fun (Shalamar album)
Big Fun is the third album by American R&B group Shalamar, released in 1979 on the SOLAR label. Big Fun was produced by Leon Sylvers III and is the first album to feature what is considered the 'classic' Shalamar line-up , with Hewett having replaced Gerald Brown.Big Fun has been certified Gold...
was an even bigger smash lading at #4 on the Top R&B Albums charts and was certified gold. The first single The Second Time Around
The Second Time Around (Shalamar song)
"The Second Time Around" is a 1979 hit by Los Angeles-based R&B group, Shalamar. The song is the first single from their album, Big Fun. The single went to number one on the soul chart and was their most successful hit on the Hot 100 pop chart, reaching number eight in early 1980.. "The Second Time...
was a hit record number one on both the US R&B
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
and R&B
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
charts and number eight on the US Top 10. Leon also co-produced Lakeside
Lakeside (band)
Lakeside is a funk band, best known for their 1980 number one R&B hit, "Fantastic Voyage."-Formation and early years:In early 1969, The Nomads, a singing quartet consisting of lead singer Mark Wood; Tiemeyer McCain; Tony White; and Brian Marbury, met the Montereys, a band that featured Stephen...
's Rough Riders
Rough Riders (album)
Rough Riders is the third album by Lakeside. Released in 1979 on the SOLAR Records label, it was produced by Dick Griffey, Lakeside, and Leon Sylvers III.-Track listing:#"Rough Rider" 4:45 #"All In My Mind" 4:42...
album. That same year he created the group Dynasty
Dynasty (band)
Dynasty was an American R&B band, based in Los Angeles, California, created by producer and SOLAR Records label head Dick Griffey and Leon Sylvers III. The band was known for their dance/pop numbers during the late 1970s and 1980s...
along with Dick Griffey
Dick Griffey
Richard Gilbert "Dick" Griffey was an American record producer and promoter who founded SOLAR Records, an acronym for "Sound of Los Angeles Records", which played a major role in developing a funk-oriented blend of disco, R&B and soul music during the 1970s and 1980s...
.
Success
The 1980s started off with a bang for Leon. 1980 was a great year that he produced and/or wrote timeless albums for SOLARSOLAR Records
S.O.L.A.R. Records was an American record label founded in 1977 by Dick Griffey, reconstituted out of Soul Train Records only two years after it was founded with Soul Train television show host and creator Don Cornelius.-Company history:In 1975, Soul Train Records was founded by Dick Griffey and...
acts such as Shalamar
Shalamar
Shalamar was an American music group, primarily of the 1970s and 1980s, that was originally a disco-driven vehicle created by Soul Train booking agent Dick Griffey and show creator Don Cornelius. They went on to be an influential dance trio, masterminded by Soul Train producer Don Cornelius...
, The Whispers
The Whispers
The Whispers are a long-established R&B-dance vocal group from Los Angeles, California, with a consistent track record of hit records dating back to the late 1960s.-Career:...
, Dynasty (band)
Dynasty (band)
Dynasty was an American R&B band, based in Los Angeles, California, created by producer and SOLAR Records label head Dick Griffey and Leon Sylvers III. The band was known for their dance/pop numbers during the late 1970s and 1980s...
, Carrie Lucas
Carrie Lucas
Carrie Lucas, is an American female R&B musician, born in Carmel, California. In 1976 she was signed to Soul Train Records. Lucas made six albums over seven years with Soul Train and Solar Records.-Career:...
and the first album by Midnight Star
Midnight Star
Midnight Star is an R&B and electro-funk group that had a string of R&B hits in the 1980s.-Band history:The group was formed in 1976 at Kentucky State University by trumpeter Reggie Calloway, vocalist Belinda Lipscomb, guitarist/vocalist Melvin Gentry, bassist Kenneth Gant, multi-instrumentalist...
. One song wrote and co-produced by Leon for The Whispers
The Whispers
The Whispers are a long-established R&B-dance vocal group from Los Angeles, California, with a consistent track record of hit records dating back to the late 1960s.-Career:...
was the number one US R&B
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
and US Dance hit And The Beat Goes On
And the Beat Goes On (song)
"And the Beat Goes On" is a 1980 single by the Los Angeles-based quintet, The Whispers. The song was their first of two number-one singles on the R&B chart, and their first Top 20 pop hit in the United States, peaking at number nineteen. "And the Beat Goes On" was The Whispers only number one on...
would be one of Sylvers' biggest achievements. This would be the year that Leon would be involved on projects outside of the SOLAR Records
SOLAR Records
S.O.L.A.R. Records was an American record label founded in 1977 by Dick Griffey, reconstituted out of Soul Train Records only two years after it was founded with Soul Train television show host and creator Don Cornelius.-Company history:In 1975, Soul Train Records was founded by Dick Griffey and...
family such as his Gene Page
Gene Page
Eugene Edgar "Gene" Page, Jr. was an influential conductor, composer, arranger and record producer most active from the mid-1960s through the mid-1980s....
single "Love Starts After Dark"and 7th Wonder's song "The Tilt".
1981 picked up where 1980 left off. Shalamar
Shalamar
Shalamar was an American music group, primarily of the 1970s and 1980s, that was originally a disco-driven vehicle created by Soul Train booking agent Dick Griffey and show creator Don Cornelius. They went on to be an influential dance trio, masterminded by Soul Train producer Don Cornelius...
would chart with the Three For Love
Three for Love
Three for Love is the fourth album by American R&B group Shalamar, released in 1980 on the SOLAR label. It was produced by Leon Sylvers III and features the 'classic' Shalamar line-up ....
album at number eight on the US Top Soul Albums. The album would be certified Gold. The Whispers
The Whispers
The Whispers are a long-established R&B-dance vocal group from Los Angeles, California, with a consistent track record of hit records dating back to the late 1960s.-Career:...
It's A Love Thing which was another R&B smash which helped propel the Imagination
Imagination (The Whispers album)
Imagination is the tenth studio album by American R&B/soul vocal group the Whispers, released in 1980 on the SOLAR Records label.- Overview :...
album to number three on the Top Soul Albums charts. At this time Leon would get married to Nidra Beard who was a member of Dynasty
Dynasty (band)
Dynasty was an American R&B band, based in Los Angeles, California, created by producer and SOLAR Records label head Dick Griffey and Leon Sylvers III. The band was known for their dance/pop numbers during the late 1970s and 1980s...
as well as becoming a member. Around the same time Leon would also become and produced His old family group, The Sylvers
The Sylvers
The Sylvers were a popular R&B/soul and disco family group during the 1970s. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, the family would later relocate to Watts, California.- Beginnings :...
signed with SOLAR
SOLAR Records
S.O.L.A.R. Records was an American record label founded in 1977 by Dick Griffey, reconstituted out of Soul Train Records only two years after it was founded with Soul Train television show host and creator Don Cornelius.-Company history:In 1975, Soul Train Records was founded by Dick Griffey and...
. Both The Second Adventure
The Second Adventure (album)
The Second Adventure is the third album by the Los Angeles, California-based R&B group Dynasty .-Reception:Released in 1981, Produced by group member Leon Sylvers III.-Track listing:...
by Dynasty
Dynasty (band)
Dynasty was an American R&B band, based in Los Angeles, California, created by producer and SOLAR Records label head Dick Griffey and Leon Sylvers III. The band was known for their dance/pop numbers during the late 1970s and 1980s...
and Concept
Concept (album)
Concept is the ninth album by the Los Angeles, California-based R&B group The Sylvers.-Reception:Released in 1981, This would be their only album for SOLAR Records label.-Track listing:#"Reach Out" 6:14...
by The Sylvers
The Sylvers
The Sylvers were a popular R&B/soul and disco family group during the 1970s. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, the family would later relocate to Watts, California.- Beginnings :...
of which Leon would produce was not hits. Both albums would one of the few disappointments of the year for Leon.
In 1982 Leon would go on and produce Shalamar
Shalamar
Shalamar was an American music group, primarily of the 1970s and 1980s, that was originally a disco-driven vehicle created by Soul Train booking agent Dick Griffey and show creator Don Cornelius. They went on to be an influential dance trio, masterminded by Soul Train producer Don Cornelius...
's Friends
Friends (Shalamar album)
Friends is the sixth album by American R&B group Shalamar, released in 1982 on the SOLAR label. The album, which features the 'classic' Shalamar line-up , topped the R&B chart and peaked at #35 on the Billboard chart.In the United Kingdom Friends gained impetus from a now-legendary demonstration...
. It would be a monster album topping the US Top R&B Albums propelled by the single A Night To Remember number eight US R&B
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
charts. The album would be certified Platinum. Leon would spend the next couple of years producing hit songs for The Whispers
The Whispers
The Whispers are a long-established R&B-dance vocal group from Los Angeles, California, with a consistent track record of hit records dating back to the late 1960s.-Career:...
("In The Raw", "Tonight"), Gladys Knight & The Pips
Gladys Knight & the Pips
Gladys Knight & The Pips were an R&B/soul family musical act from Atlanta, Georgia, active from 1953 to 1989. The group was best known for their string of hit singles on Motown's "Soul" record label and Buddah Records from 1967 to 1975, including "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "Midnight...
("Save the Overtime (For Me)"), Tavares ("Ten To One") among others
Decline
By 1984, the hits for Leon were starting to dry up due to the changing climate in R&B music. He did have some success with Glenn JonesGlenn Jones
Glenn Jones, , is an American R&B/soul singer.-Career:He started his career as a gospel singer and has since, managed a successful move into the R&B field. He got his start in R&B in 1980 when Norman Connors featured Jones on a track on his album, Take It To The Limit...
' second album Finesse
Finesse (Glenn Jones album)
Finesse is the first full-length album released by R&B/soul singer Glenn Jones. Released in 1984, the album includes one of Jones' early hits, "Show Me," along with the semi-hit "Bring Back Your Love."-Track listing:...
, and some tracks for The Whispers
The Whispers
The Whispers are a long-established R&B-dance vocal group from Los Angeles, California, with a consistent track record of hit records dating back to the late 1960s.-Career:...
album So Good. Between 1984 to 1988 Leon would have moderate success with some of the following: Five Star
Five Star
Five Star are a British pop / R&B group, formed in 1983. Comprising siblings Stedman, Lorraine, Denise, Doris and Delroy Pearson, they were known for their flamboyant image, matching costumes and heavily choreographed dance routines...
("Another Weekend
Another Weekend
"Another Weekend" is the name of a 1988 hit single by the British pop group Five Star. It peaked at #18 on the UK singles chart, but reached #1 on the UK Dance chart. In the US, the single reached #23 on the R&B charts....
", "Rock My World
Rock My World
"Rock My World" is the name of a 1988 hit single by British pop group Five Star. It became their last ever UK Top 40 hit, peaking at #28. The video saw the band leather clad, with long hair extensions, dancing in the bottom of a quarry, with dumper trucks driving around them...
"), [ Evelyn "Champagne" King ("Flirt," "Hold on to What You Got"), Stacy Lattisaw
Stacy Lattisaw
Stacy Lattisaw is an American R&B, dance, and gospel singer. Since the 1990s, she has exclusively sung gospel music, as a callback to her Christian roots.-Career:...
("You Ain't Leavin'"), The Spinners, Howard Hewett
Howard Hewett
Howard Hewett is an American R&B and gospel singer and former lead vocalist of the R&B group Shalamar.Raised in Akron, Ohio, Hewett moved to Los Angeles. He would eventually meet Soul Train dancer and future first wife Rainey Riley-Cunningham, then a secretary of the show's creator and original...
("I Commit To Love") to name a few. In 1989, Leon finally recorded a solo album for Motown Records
Motown Records
Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
, called simply Leon Sylvers III, but it did not chart at all.
Currently
In the 90's Leon would work with R&B New Jack Producer Teddy Riley on his group BlackstreetBlackstreet
Blackstreet is an American R&B group founded in 1991 by Thomas Taliaferro and Teddy Riley, the inventor of New Jack Swing known for his work as a member of Guy. Chauncey Hannibal and Levi Little were signed under production and management contracts with Thomas Taliaferro and were merged into what...
debut album Blackstreet
Blackstreet (album)
Blackstreet is the self-titled debut studio album from American R&B group Blackstreet, released in 1994 on Interscope Records.The album peaked at number fifty-two on the Billboard 200 chart. By April of 1995, it was certified platinum in sales by the RIAA, after sales exceeding 1,000,000 copies in...
. Leon helped co-write and co-produce Blackstreet
Blackstreet
Blackstreet is an American R&B group founded in 1991 by Thomas Taliaferro and Teddy Riley, the inventor of New Jack Swing known for his work as a member of Guy. Chauncey Hannibal and Levi Little were signed under production and management contracts with Thomas Taliaferro and were merged into what...
's US Top 10 hit Before I Let You Go
Before I Let You Go
"Before I Let You Go" is a song by American R&B group Blackstreet, recorded for the group's self-titled debut album . The song was released as the third single for the album in November of 1994...
. Leon would also work with Riley again this time with New Kids On The Block
New Kids on the Block
New Kids on the Block are an American boy band from Boston, Massachusetts, assembled in 1984 by producer Maurice Starr. The band currently consists of brothers Jordan and Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, and Danny Wood.New Kids on the Block enjoyed success in the late 1980s and...
writing two songs on their Face The Music
Face The Music (New Kids on the Block album)
Face the Music is the fourth studio album by New Kids on the Block, released in January 1994. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the album has sold 138,000 copies in the U.S.-Album history:...
album.
In 2009, Sylvers produced an album from N'dambi
N'dambi
-Biography:N'dambi is the ninth of eleven children born to a Baptist minister and missionary. Her father was a minister and singer in a quartet group. She got her professional start singing with Gaye Arbuckle, a local gospel singer, touring with Arbuckle for two years...
, Pink Elephant
Pink Elephant (N'dambi album)
Pink Elephant is the fourth album by the Dallas, Texas native N'dambi. Released in 2009 and produced by the legendary Leon Sylvers III, it marks her debut release for the rejuvenated Stax label.-Track listing:...
, which included songs written by Sylvers and his son, Leon Sylvers IV.
In December, 2010, Leon F. Sylvers, III received a Grammy nomination from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, for N'dambi's "Pink Elephant
Pink Elephant (N'dambi album)
Pink Elephant is the fourth album by the Dallas, Texas native N'dambi. Released in 2009 and produced by the legendary Leon Sylvers III, it marks her debut release for the rejuvenated Stax label.-Track listing:...
."
In 2011, he remixed Gladys Knight
Gladys Knight
Gladys Maria Knight , known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer-songwriter, actress, businesswoman, humanitarian, and author...
's new single, a re-recording of the Leiber/Stoller classic I (Who Have Nothing)
I (Who Have Nothing)
"I " is a song originally released in English by Ben E. King in 1963."I " is based on the Italian song "Uno Dei Tanti," with music by Carlo Donida and lyrics by Giulio "Mogol" Rapetti. "Uno Dei Tanti" was released by Joe Sentieri in 1961...
, a recording produced by his son, Leon Sylvers IV.
External links
- [ Leon F. Sylvers III biography]
- Leon Sylvers - The Story Behind The Mighty Producer
- Leon Sylvers at Discogs