The Fabulous Sylvester

The Legend, the Music, the Seventies in San Francisco

By: Joshua Gamson

Narrated by: Ron Butler

A journey back through the music, madness, and unparalleled freedom of an era of change—the '70s—as told through the life of ultra-fabulous superstar Sylvester

Imagine a pied piper singing in a dazzling falsetto, wearing glittering sequins, and leading the young people of the nation to San Francisco and on to liberation where nothing was straight-laced or old-fashioned. And everyone, finally, was welcome—to come as themselves. This is not a fairy tale. This was real, mighty real, and disco sensation Sylvester was the piper. Joshua Gamson—a Yale-trained pop culture expert—uses him, a boy who would be fabulous, to lead us through the story of the '70s when a new era of change liberated us from conformity and boredom. Gamson captures the exuberant life, feeling, energy, and fun of a generation's wonderful, magical waking up—from the parties to the dancing and music.

The story begins with a little Black boy who started with nothing but a really big voice. We follow him from the gospel chorus to the glory days in the Castro where a generation shook off its shame as Sylvester sang and began his rise as part of a now-notorious theatrical troupe called the Cockettes. Celebrity, sociology, and music history mingle and merge around this endlessly entertaining story of a singer who embodied the freedom, spirit, and flamboyance of a golden moment in American culture.

©2013 Joshua Gamson (P)2022 Joshua Gamson

Great Story of Sylvester and Beyond

In addition to being a great story about Sylvester, this book also presents a time capsule of life in the 70's. Was a pleasure to listen to, even with the sad ending that we all knew was coming.

Truly fabulous

I have been listening to audible books for a number of years so I have had the experience of listening to many different actors and readers. This is by far one of the most exceptional readings I have heard. It was exquisitely done. Ron clearly knows the material and spent a lot of time doing his own research, developing the characters and voices and understanding the material. I have read this book already numerous times, but never had such a positive experience as I did this time. What a marvelous, marvelous tribute, and a gift not only to Sylvester, but to his legacy. Thank you for this incredible recording. I highly recommend it to anyone. I only wish more books were as expertly read as this one or I should say, as expertly performed as this one. It’s interesting to me that even though I’ve read this before I experienced it as entirely new. I laughed and cried, and I am in awe of this amazing biography. This has so many incredible interviews. It is really really beautifully written. I feel very grateful that this book exists.

Stunningly gorgeous biography; beautifully narrated!

A stunningly gorgeous biography of an icon whose power, presence, and talent were both right on time and so far ahead that even today he’d be fabulously cutting edge. Gamson has written a phenomenal biography. It’s both incredibly well researched in the best ways of academic scholarship and also wonderfully written and accessible. It’s heartfelt, humorous, honest, and as fierce as its subject. I was very familiar with Sylvester before reading this book, having heard a wonderful podcast, seen a documentary and read essays and articles about him, but I learned so much more about his background, his art, his adornment, and the ways he made space for himself and all others who refuse to be conceptualized by others and instead, as he said, live life bravely asserting “I am the concept.”

More Than Disco

I feel “fed” after this amazing telling of a FABULOUS story, but I also feel educated about my queer community’s history…not in the simple facts of names and places, but in the FEELING…the way Queen Sylvester felt, the way the queers of the Castro, LA and New York felt as they embodied radical movements or collective conformity. Such an education…a true celebration of a STAR and the universe in which they existed.