Around 1979 gay pop star Sylvester appeared on the decidedly conservative TV chat show The Merv Griffin Show, where after belting out his latest hit tune, he sat down with Merv, who asked the disco superstar about his upcoming projects.
"I'm in the film
The Rose with Miss Bette Midler," Sylvester said in his most effeminate voice. "I play Miss Billie Holiday".
It's very possible that Sylvester, who died in 1988 from AIDS, was the first openly gay pop star. Tunes like "Dance" (Disco Heat) and "You Make Me Feel" (Mighty Real) became anthems for that first generation of American gay men who were able to safely come out. In the years prior to the onset of AIDS, Sylvester's music told gay men that it was okay to dance in the street and be who they were.
