Leon Sylvers III facts for kids

Leon Frank Sylvers III (born March 7, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is also a talented musician who plays many instruments. Leon was a member of his family's music group, The Sylvers. He became one of the most successful producers in R&B and soul music from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s. This was thanks to his work with Dick Griffey's SOLAR Records. Famous artists like J Dilla, Dr. Dre, and Madlib have used parts of his songs in their own music.

Biography

Early Musical Journey

Leon Sylvers was born in South Bend, Indiana, in 1953. His family moved to Los Angeles when he was young. Around age seven, he discovered Motown Records. He was especially inspired by Motown's bass player, James Jamerson, and drummer, Benny Benjamin. At the same time, his father taught Leon and his siblings how to sing in harmony. His mother also sang opera, showing that music ran in the family.

In the early 1960s, Leon first became known as part of The Little Angels. This singing group included his older siblings. They performed in Las Vegas in 1959, and TV host Ed Sullivan thought they would become famous. The group appeared on popular TV shows like Make Room for Daddy and You Bet Your Life. They also toured the United States with music legend Ray Charles.

In 1970, Leon joined his family's music act, which now included younger brothers Edmund and Ricky. They won a local talent contest because of their amazing singing and dancing. A music manager named Mike Curb signed them to MGM Records in 1971. They became known as The Sylvers.

Leon wrote his first hit song, "Wish That I Could Talk to You," for The Sylvers' first album in 1972. He also wrote many other songs for the album. The next year, he wrote "Misdemeanor," a Top 10 R&B hit for his brother Foster Sylvers. Leon wrote most of the songs for The Sylvers' second album, The Sylvers II, released in the same year. Critics praised this album for its strong and united sound.

The Sylvers released one more album on MGM in 1974 before moving to Capitol Records. Leon continued to write songs for his family's albums, including the 1977 Top 10 R&B hit "High School Dance." In 1978, Leon produced Forever Yours, which was highly praised. By mid-1978, Leon left The Sylvers to become a producer for Dick Griffey's SOLAR Records. He also became the label's A&R director, helping to find new artists. The Los Angeles Times later called him "the creative genius behind the SOLAR sound."

Leon began his major producing career with the band Lakeside. He worked on their album Shot of Love, which reached the Top 10 on the R&B charts. This was also when he started working with Shalamar. He produced their Disco Gardens album, which included the classic disco song "Take That to the Bank." In 1979, Shalamar's next album, Big Fun, was a huge success. It reached #4 on the R&B charts and sold enough copies to be certified gold. The first song from the album, "The Second Time Around", was a #1 R&B hit and reached the Top 10 on the pop charts. Leon also helped produce Lakeside's Rough Riders album. That same year, Leon created the group Dynasty with Dick Griffey.

Producing Success

The 1980s started very well for Leon. In 1980, he produced albums for many SOLAR artists, including Shalamar, The Whispers, Dynasty, and Midnight Star. One of his biggest achievements was writing and co-producing "And the Beat Goes On" for The Whispers. This song became a #1 hit on both the R&B and Dance charts in the US. That year, Leon also worked on projects outside of SOLAR Records. Shalamar's Three for Love album reached #8 on the R&B charts and sold over a million copies, earning a Platinum award. The Whispers' "It's a Love Thing" was another big R&B hit. Billboard magazine called him "the man of the hour in R&B" because of his success.

In 1981, Leon explained his producing style. He said he wanted the entire song to "sing," meaning the music tracks should sound as good as the vocals. He also liked to make short, energetic songs. He believed that "Short, punchy records are better today than long ones." Around this time, Leon joined Dynasty and married Nidra Beard, who was also a member of the group. He also produced an album for his old family group, The Sylvers, who had signed with SOLAR.

In 1982, Leon produced Shalamar's album Friends. This album topped the US R&B charts. The song "A Night to Remember" helped make it a hit, reaching #8 on the R&B charts. The album also sold over a million copies and was certified Platinum. For the next few years, Leon produced hit songs for artists like The Whispers ("In the Raw"), Gladys Knight & the Pips ("Save the Overtime (For Me)"), and Tavares ("Ten to One"). In the same year, he helped guide the famous production team Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Dick Griffey said that Leon was one of the best producers around, comparing him to Quincy Jones.

Later Work

By 1984, Leon continued to produce music, though the R&B music scene was changing. He worked with Krystol members Tina Scott and Roberta Stiger, who sang backup on his projects. He produced songs on their albums Gettin' Ready (1984) and Talk Of The Town (1985). He also had success with Glenn Jones' album Finesse and some songs for The Whispers' album So Good. Between 1984 and 1988, Leon worked with artists like Five Star ("Another Weekend"), Evelyn "Champagne" King ("Flirt"), Stacy Lattisaw ("You Ain't Leavin'"), The Spinners, and Howard Hewett ("I Commit to Love"). In 1985, Leon became the vice president of music for Conceited Records, a label connected to Motown. In 1989, Leon released his own solo album on Motown Records, simply called Leon Sylvers III, but it did not become a chart hit.

In the 1990s, Leon worked with R&B producer Teddy Riley. He helped co-write the US Top 10 hit "Before I Let You Go" for Riley's group Blackstreet. Leon also helped write two songs for New Kids on the Block's album Face the Music. He also wrote "Love Online" for Guy's reunion album Guy III. Teddy Riley praised Leon for his skill in making lyrics fit perfectly with a melody.

In 1992, Leon co-produced most of the songs on Double Action Theatre's first album. In 2009, Sylvers produced an album for N'dambi, Pink Elephant. This album included songs written by Leon and his son, Leon Sylvers IV. In December 2010, Leon Sylvers III received a Grammy nomination for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, for N'dambi's Pink Elephant.

In 2011, he remixed Gladys Knight's new song, "I (Who Have Nothing)". This recording was produced by his son, Leon Sylvers IV. In 2015, Sylvers worked with Dâm-Funk on his album Invite The Light. Leon had been a mentor to Dâm-Funk in the early 1990s. In 2019, Sylvers began producing and writing with Pop/R&B singer Nikkole for her fifth album, which was released in 2021.

Discography