Sylvester Makes Us Feel 'Mighty Real' Once Again

Lost member of Labelle? Donna Summer's sassy, chunkier sister? Actually, Sylvester is a San Francisco queen who played the androgyny card of the 1970s better than anyone.

It's been more than 25 years since the passing of the flamboyant disco and soul legend, but his wailing falsetto lives on forever in dance classics like "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" and "Dance (Disco Heat)." The beloved "Queen of Disco" is about to be reintroduced to future generations with an updated hits compilation appropriately titled Mighty Real: Greatest Dance Hits.

As Kevin Aviance told us a few years back:

Sylvester, a true international superstar, represented the black and gay cultural origins of disco to mainstream America, and made it possible for artists like me to achieve success in the music industry today. From the day he made his debut with the experimental theater troupe the Cockettes on January 1, 1970, Sylvester captivated the attention of the gay community with his flamboyant attitude and outrageous fashions. To the scores of well-known drag queens and performing artists around the world who came to perform in clubs and bars because of his chart-topping records, he became an iconic figure'a symbol of an era when gays still pressed on even though homosexuality was illegal and being different was even less accepted by society.

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To get warmed up for the greatest hits album, which drops June 25, let's go back to 1978 during the height of Sylvester's career with this camptastic extended video version of his biggest hit record, followed by the excellent Jimmy Somerville remake, released 10 years later. [Source: Gay.net]

Sylvester - "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" 1978 Original

Bonus Track! Jimmy Somerville - "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" 1989 Remake