Foster Sylvers, the R&B singer and musician who rose to fame as part of the Sylvers family group and as a solo child in the 1970s, has died at the age of 64.
His brother Léon Sylvers III confirmed TMZ that Foster died of pancreatic cancer while in hospice care.
He was born in Memphis, Tennessee on February 25, 1962.
Sylvers began his career remarkably early, releasing a self-titled solo album in 1973, at just 11 years old.
The record produced notable success Offensemaking him a true child star in the world of R&B. He then joined the Sylvers, a soul group made up largely of his own siblings, where he played bass and became a member of one of the most commercially successful groups of the decade.
The band’s 1975 album Showdown gave birth to the disco hit that defined the era Boogie feverwhich became the track most closely associated with the name Sylvers.
As the commercial landscape changed in the 1980s, the group’s fortunes faded and Sylvers embarked on collaborations with artists such as Dynasty and Evelyn “Champagne” King, alongside his own solo projects.
His later life was marked by serious legal problems.
In 1994, Sylvers was convicted of a misdemeanor for assaulting an unconscious woman and had to register as a sex offender in California.
He is survived by his family, including his brother Léon, who confirmed the news of his death.
