Sylvia Robinson
Sylvia Vanterpool entered the world on the 29th of May 1935, within the vibrant streets of Harlem, New York. Her father Herbert worked for General Motors while her mother Ida raised the family in a neighborhood that would later inspire her business name. She attended Washington Irving High School but left at age fourteen to pursue music instead. By 1950 she recorded for Columbia Records under the stage name Little Sylvia alongside trumpeter Hot Lips Page. An advertisement for her debut single appeared on the 8th of September 1951, marking the start of a long career. In 1954 she began teaming up with Kentucky guitarist Mickey Baker who taught her how to play guitar. The duo known as Mickey & Sylvia recorded Love Is Strange in 1956 which topped the R&B chart and reached number eleven on the Billboard pop chart in early 1957.
Robinson sent a demo of Pillow Talk to Al Green in 1972 when he passed it due to his religious beliefs. She decided to record it herself returning to her own musical career after years of producing others. Billed simply as Sylvia the record became a major hit reaching number one on the R&B chart in summer 1973. It crossed over to reach number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number fourteen on the UK Singles Chart. She received a gold disc from the Recording Industry Association of America in May 1973 for the single. Robinson earned a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 1974 ceremony. Her album Pillow Talk included subtle orgasmic gasps that predated similar sounds by Donna Summer in 1975. Robert Christgau reviewed her debut LP calling it unaffected despite lacking production values.
The Robinsons co-founded Sugar Hill Records during the 1970s naming it after the culturally rich neighborhood in Harlem. This affluent African-American area served as a hub for artists and performers throughout the early and mid-1900s. The label signed Lezli Valentine who brought its first hit with I Won't Do Anything in 1967. They later signed Washington D.C. act The Moments who found immediate success with Not on the Outside. Their biggest hit Love on a Two-Way Street arrived in 1970 with Sylvia co-writing and producing alongside Bert Keyes. Other hits included Shirley & Company's Shame Shame Shame and Retta Young's Sending Out An S.O.S. Robinson produced many tracks though she was sometimes supported by members Al Goodman and Harry Ray from The Moments.
Sugar Hill Gang released Rapper's Delight in 1979 bringing rap into the public music arena for the first time commercially. The song revolutionized the industry by introducing scratch techniques and breakdancing to mainstream audiences. In 1982 Sylvia Robinson produced The Message with Grandmaster Melle Mel performed by Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five. The record discussed life in the ghetto becoming one of the most influential tracks of the hip-hop genre. Rolling Stone selected it as number one on their list of fifty greatest hip-hop songs on the 5th of December 2012. Grandmaster Flash stated that without Robinson's insistence there would be no The Message. She asked them repeatedly to create a record about real life things happening in the hood. This was the first record where the DJ who was the cornerstone of hip hop did not create the track they performed.
At the eleventh Annual Rhythm and Blues Awards Gala in 2000 Robinson received a Pioneer Award for her career achievements. Several publications have dubbed her the Mother of Hip Hop due to her foundational work. She was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022 under the Ahmet Ertegun Award category. Robinson became the first woman to receive this award unaccompanied by another person. Her induction recognized her major influence on the creative development of hip-hop's early successes. Sugar Hill Records folded in 1985 due to financial pressures and competition from labels like Profile and Def Jam. Robinson continued efforts as a music executive forming Bon Ami Records in 1987 which signed Naughty by Nature.
American electronic musician Moby sampled her song Sunday for his own track Sunday in 2003. Retta portrayed Sylvia Robinson in the Drunk History episode American Music during 2014. The character Cookie Lyon on Empire drew inspiration from Robinson with Taraji P. Henson playing the role. A March 2015 piece in The New York Times cited Robinson's mantra about creating something new rather than copying existing works. Producer Paula Wagner acquired film rights to Robinson's life story from her son Joey Robinson in 2014. Warner Bros announced they would produce the film in October 2015 with writers Malcolm Spellman and Carlito Rodriguez developing the script. Justin Simien attached himself as director while Oliver joined Robinson's son Leland as executive producers.
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Common questions
When and where was Sylvia Robinson born?
Sylvia Vanterpool entered the world on the 29th of May 1935, within the vibrant streets of Harlem, New York. Her father Herbert worked for General Motors while her mother Ida raised the family in a neighborhood that would later inspire her business name.
What songs did Sylvia Robinson record as Little Sylvia or with Mickey Baker?
By 1950 she recorded for Columbia Records under the stage name Little Sylvia alongside trumpeter Hot Lips Page. An advertisement for her debut single appeared on the 8th of September 1951, marking the start of a long career. In 1954 she began teaming up with Kentucky guitarist Mickey Baker who taught her how to play guitar. The duo known as Mickey & Sylvia recorded Love Is Strange in 1956 which topped the R&B chart and reached number eleven on the Billboard pop chart in early 1957.
How successful was Sylvia Robinson's Pillow Talk album released in 1973?
Billed simply as Sylvia the record became a major hit reaching number one on the R&B chart in summer 1973. It crossed over to reach number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number fourteen on the UK Singles Chart. She received a gold disc from the Recording Industry Association of America in May 1973 for the single. Robinson earned a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 1974 ceremony.
What role did Sylvia Robinson play in creating Sugar Hill Records and hip hop hits?
The Robinsons co-founded Sugar Hill Records during the 1970s naming it after the culturally rich neighborhood in Harlem. Sugar Hill Gang released Rapper's Delight in 1979 bringing rap into the public music arena for the first time commercially. In 1982 Sylvia Robinson produced The Message with Grandmaster Melle Mel performed by Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five. The record discussed life in the ghetto becoming one of the most influential tracks of the hip-hop genre.
When was Sylvia Robinson posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
She was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022 under the Ahmet Ertegun Award category. Robinson became the first woman to receive this award unaccompanied by another person. Her induction recognized her major influence on the creative development of hip-hop's early successes.