Leon Frank Sylvers III (born March 7, 1953, in Memphis, Tennessee) is a multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter from the United States. He was a member of the family group The Sylvers and, through his association with Dick Griffey’s SOLAR Records, became one of the most successful producers in black music from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s.
Songs written and produced by him have been sampled by artists such as J Dilla, Dr. Dre, and Madlib. Leon had a successful start to the 1980s, producing albums for SOLAR acts such as Shalamar, The Whispers, Dynasty, Carrie Lucas, and Midnight Star’s debut album. One of Sylvers’ biggest achievements was the number-one US R&B and US Dance hit “And the Beat Goes On,” which he wrote and co-produced for The Whispers.
Leon would be involved in projects outside of the SOLAR Records family this year, such as his Gene Page single “Love Starts After Dark” and 7th Wonder’s song “The Tilt.” Shalamar’s Three for Love album peaked at number eight on the US Top Soul Albums chart. The album would receive a Gold certification. “It’s a Love Thing” by The Whispers was another R&B hit that helped propel the Imagination album to number three on the Top Soul Albums charts. Billboard magazine referred to him as “the man of the hour in R&B” in response to his success.
Who is Leon Sylvers III’s wife Nidra Beard?
Leon stated, “My ideal is to have the whole record sing, to work on the music tracks so they take on the same character as the vocals,” when describing his production approach in 1981.
Additionally, he concentrated on writing fast-paced songs, telling a reporter that “short, punchy records are better today than long ones.” I make an effort to avoid thinking in terms of pop or R&B because it’s easy to get lost in the noise.
The answer could be a synthesis of the two styles.” At this time, Leon joined Dynasty and married Nidra Beard, who was also a member of the Dynasty. Around the same time, Leon brought out his old family group (The Sylvers), who had signed with SOLAR. Leon produced neither Dynasty’s The Second Adventure nor The Sylvers’ Concept. These albums would be two of Leon’s few disappointments this year.
