American singer-songwriter Sylvester was BOTD in 1947. Born Sylvester James Jr. in Los Angeles to a middle-class family, he developed a love of singing in his church gospel choir. Identifying as gay by his teens, he left his church due to their disapproval of his sexuality. He moved to San Francisco in 1970 and embraced the counter-cultural movement, joining avant-garde drag troupe The Cockettes in which he performed with Divine. He fronted a rock band for two years, before reinventing himself as a solo artist. His 1978 album Step II, a high-energy mix of disco, R&B and soul, was an international success, and the hit singles You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) and Dance (Disco Heat) became instant gay anthems. Known for his flamboyant stage performances, androgynous appearance and powerful falsetto voice, he was dubbed “The Queen of Disco”, though moved into electronic music in the 1980s, scoring another hit with Do Ya Wanna Funk? Alternatively outspoken and vague about his sexuality, he responded to a question from Joan Rivers during a 1986 talk show interview with “I’m Sylvester”. As the HIV/AIDS crisis ravaged San Francisco’s gay community, he was at the vanguard of community support, volunteering at hospitals and staging fundraising concerts. In 1987, his partner Rick Cramner died of an AIDS-related illness. Sylvester was diagnosed HIV+ soon after, and went public with his condition, seeking to highlight the devastation caused to the gay and African-American communities. He died in 1988, aged 41. Amid many posthumous tributes, he was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame and San Francisco’s Rainbow Honor Walk.