Leon Sylvers III

Leon Frank Sylvers III (born March 7, 1953, South Bend, Indiana) is an American singer, songwriter, disc-jockey, 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. Artists such as J Dilla, Dr. Dre, and Madlib have sampled songs written and produced by him. Biography Beginnings Leon Sylvers was born on the campus of Indiana University South Bend, where his father was studying. Three days later his family moved to Memphis, Tennessee. When Sylvers was two or three, in 1956, they took the train and moved to Los Angeles "near Adams and Crenshaw," due to his father finding work there. He cites discovering Motown at around the age of seven, especially bassist James Jamerson and drummer Benny Benjamin, as his first and main musical influence. At the same time, his father taught Sylvers and his siblings four- and five-part harmony in the style of the Four Freshmen. Musical genes also ran in the family from his mother who sang opera. Sylvers first rose to prominence in the early 1960s as a member of The Little Angels harmony vocal group featuring his siblings (Olympia, Charmaine, and James). After hearing them perform in Las Vegas in 1959, Ed Sullivan predicted they would become famous. During this time they appeared on variety shows such as Make Room for Daddy, You Bet Your Life, and The Spike Jones Show. They also toured the United States with Ray Charles.