American singer-songwriter Sylvester James Jr., born September 6, 1947, went by the name Sylvester. His mother, Letha Weaver, was an African-American who was raised in a moderately well-off family who owned their own farms close to Palestine, Arkansas.
Because Gertha Weaver, Letha’s original mother, was unmarried and too ill to care for her kid, Julia, often known as JuJu to the family, became Letha’s adoptive mother.
Julia and her husband moved to Watts as part of the Great Migration of African-Americans out of the South in the late 1930s. Letha spent most of her childhood in this location, where she also met and wed Sylvester “Sweet” James.
The pair afterward moved in with Letha’s parents in a tiny cottage. John Wesley and Larry were born in 1948 and 1950, respectively, after the birth of their first child, Sylvester, who was named after his father.
Sylvester’s nickname, “Dooni,” helped him and his brothers become more well-known in their primarily African-American neighborhood. Sylvester thought his father was a “lowlife” since he had an extramarital affair and had abandoned his wife and small sons.
Before returning to her parent’s house on 114th Street in Watts, Letha and her three sons lived in the downtown housing complex Aliso Village.
Is Sylvester the disco singer still alive?
No, he died at 42 on 16 December 1988. We discovered that he died in his bed in San Francisco from AIDS-related complications after conducting more studies.
