December 16, 1988-Surrounded by family and close friends, Sylvester James, Jr., takes his last breath, having succumbed from AIDS related complications at the age of 41. The singer is another victim of the deadly outbreak of Kaposi Sarcoma, the disease which shook the United States to its core and served as the focus of Randy Shilts’ classic “And The Band Played On“. James, who was known publicly as simply “Sylvester” rose to fame during the era of disco and gay liberation in San Francisco. As Harvey Milk evolved into the Mayor of Castro Street and challenged Anita Bryant and John Briggs, Sylvester evolved as well and provided the anthem for the movement when he recorded the disco classic Mighty Real. The song remains one of the best from the disco era and can be heard in Rob Epstein’s The Times of Harvey Milk, the documentary of Harvey’s life. By the time of his death, Sylvester’s star as a disco legend had faded as the music industry changed gears and ushered in new genres of music. But for many people, he represented a time that was special, unique and composed of a sexual and personal freedom that had yet to be seen. But just who was the real Sylvester? Who was the man behind the drag?
Joshua Gamson brings to us the story of Sylvester’s life, put together through interviews with those who knew him, interviews given by Sylvester on various occasions and public records. The result is a definitive biography of an unorthodox star who lived life on his own terms and faced death with unrelenting stoicism. The temptation to label Sylvester is strong but as we make our way through the book, we come to see that he is not defined by any particular adjective. His odyssey from cabaret singer to superstar was a course not without adversity. Yet his ability to see beyond the limitations placed upon him by society and willingness to step outside of social constrictions earned him a following and a legacy that continues even today.
His musical recordings speak on their own but his personal life rife with his struggle to find himself, love and a sense of being, reveal a side to his life that often went unnoticed. It has been said that artists of all types live in a different world from the average person. For Sylvester this rings true and is exemplified in the book in his relationships and encounters on the gay scene. And the true tragedy is that for a man who brought love to so many and helped people discover their own happiness, his own life was one marred by sadness and rejection. Up to the time of his death, he struggled to find that everlasting peace which so many of us seek to find. Yet he remained the iconic Sylvester, a queen of the disco era and the man who supported the gay revolution with music that reigned supreme.
Enormous progress has been made for the LGBT community in the decades since Sylvester’s death. Had he lived I think he would be satisfied by what he would see today. His music and voice are still part of the revolution and he is truly one of the music industry’s most memorable stars, not only for his outlandish wardrobe but incredible singing voice that was like no other. This is Sylvester, his story, the good, the bad and the tragic. Gamson invites you to take a seat and partake on the ride that is the life of Sylvester. In the end you will come to know another side of a music legend and understand why it is so important that you feel mighty real.
“Until I call you up and tell you that I’m dead, don’t believe it” -Sylvester
ISBN-10: 0312425694
ISBN-13: 978-0312425692
Marilyn Monroe remains to this day one of Hollywood’s biggest sex symbols. Her image continues to be promoted today through articles about her life, books, posters and even documentaries. When she died suddenly on August 5, 1962, she left behind millions of fans, a career and a film industry in which she was at the top of its list of stars. Her marriages and love affairs have been documented relentlessly and her sex appealed is desired by young men looking to be the next great sex symbol in Hollywood. But just who was the real Marilyn Monroe? When she died she was only thirty-six years of age, far too young to have written a complete autobiography or to have experienced all that life has to offer. However, prior to her death, she had begun to tell her life story to friend and business associate Milton Green. Green kept the manuscript along with thousands of photos he took of the late actress. His son Joshua, has preserved the images digitally restoring them in the process. When he found the manuscript he had it published into this short but revealing book about the early life of Norma Jean Mortenson.
This past November marked thirty-eight years since City Supervisor Harvey Milk and George Moscone were shot and killed by Dan White. Their murders and the sentencing of Dan White to just five years in prison, led to the White Night Riots and filled the LGBT community of San Franciscans with shame and disgust. After serving several years in prison, Dan White committed suicide in 1981. Milk’s life was adapted for the silver screen in the Gus Van Sant directed biopic Milk. Sean Penn assumed the role of Milk in what became on his greatest performances. Josh Brolin took on the role of the film’s antagonist, Dan White and turned in an equally great performance. They were joined in the cast by James Franco, Alison Pill, Diego Luna and Emile Hirsch who plays the role of activist Cleve Jones. Jones is the most energetic character in the film and serves as Milk’s second in command as they take of Anita Bryant, John Briggs and Proposition 6.
In 1955, Dorothy Dandridge was nominated for Best Leading Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in “Carmen Jones”. Her nomination marked the first time an African-American woman had been considered for the prized recognition. Ten years later she was gone, having died of an accidental overdose of prescription pills on September 8, 1965. She was forty-two years old. Her rise and fall in Hollywood is one of the most tragic stories of the era and she joins the ranks of other fallen female greats such as Billie Holiday and Marilyn Monroe. She left behind a legacy that is undeniable and she broke down barriers that other African-American female stars faced prior to her rise to stardom. But for all of her success on the silver screen, Dandridge’s personal life as shown here in this definitive biography by Donald Bogle, shows a woman who struggled throughout her life with her childhood, motherhood, fame, success and love. Her story is largely forgotten but at one point in America history she was one of Hollywood’s biggest actresses.
ening of March 24, 1980 marked a changed in the course of the history of El Salvador. In the evening of that day, Archbishop Oscar Romero was shot and fatally wounded as he conducted a mass for his followers. He is rushed to a nearby hospital but quickly succumbs to his wounds. His death plunges the nation in mourning and earns widespread condemnation across the globe. On May 23, 2015, thirty-five years after his death, he was 
On December 30, 1970, Charles “Sonny” Liston (1932-1970) died at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada at the age of thirty-eight. His body was discovered six days later by his wife Geraldine when she returned home from a trip out-of-state with Liston’s son Daniel. It was first suspected that Liston, a known user of heroin, had overdosed. But it was later declared by the coroner’s office that he died of natural causes. To this day it is the official cause of death. The late Liston is remembered as one of the greatest boxers to ever grace a ring. His battles in and out of the ring with Muhammad Ali are some of boxing’s most entertaining moments. Although Liston lacked the personality of Ali or the flair of Floyd Mayweather, Jr., he was feared in the ring as a powerhouse of a brawler unafraid to go in and demolish whoever stood in front of him. His personality in the ring was a direct reflection of his personality outside the ring in a life full of twist, turns and ultimately tragedy. Shaun Assael recounts the short and tragic life of Liston and his death which he believes was in fact a homicide that was wrongly classified at the time of Liston’s death.
January 26, 1962, Naples, Italy – Salvatore Lucania, also known as Charlie Luciano and Lucky Luciano, dies of a massive heart attack at Naples Airport at the age of 64. The aging mobster had suffered several recent heart attacks and had arrived at the airport to meet film producer Martin Gosch, who was to adapt a screenplay of the legendary mobster’s life. Luciano had resided in Italy since February, 1946 when he left New York Harbor for the last time. The terms of his parole, granted after lending his help to the allied effort in World War II, required that he leave the United States and never return. Tragically, it wasn’t until death that he was allowed to come home when he was interned at St. John’s Cemetery in Middle Village, Queens, New York.
January 12, 2017 will mark fifty-two years since Lorraine Vivian Hansberry (1930-1965) died at the age of thirty-four after a long battle with intestinal cancer. Her masterpiece A Raisin In The Sun and the Broadway play of the same name, broke new ground in America for African-American playwrights. In fact, her play was the first by an African-American woman to have a run on Broadway. The story of the Younger family has been played out in cities all over the country as people have desired to leave their own communities in search of a better quality of life. The book remains her most popular work but just who was the real Lorraine Hansberry? In this biography, Patricia and Fredrick McKissack tell the story of the playwright’s life from start to finish. And what we see is the formation of the one of the most gifted Americans to have ever lived.
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