H.I.V./AIDS in Hollywood - Sylvester James & Jermaine Stewart

Sylvester James (September 6, 1947 – December 16, 1988) better known as Sylvester, was a disco and soul singer, and a gay drag performer. Sylvester was sometimes known as the "Queen of Disco," although this moniker has also been bestowed on some of the women of the disco era (i.e. Gloria Gaynor, Donna Summer).

Sylvester James was born in Los Angeles, California, into a low-income family, and he was raised by his mother, Letha. According to TV One's Unsung, he lived in a tiny two-room house, where he and his brother shared a bunk bed. He was the oldest of six children. His father was not in his family's life. Many of the facts of his early life are uncertain, and birth dates from 1944 to 1948 have surfaced. One thing is certain though: Sylvester was a child gospel star.

Sylvester signed a solo deal with Fantasy Records in 1977, working with the production talents of legendary Motown producer Harvey Fuqua, who produced his album Stars in 1979. Sylvester later alleged that Fuqua cheated him out of millions of dollars. Sylvester soon met his frequent collaborator Patrick Cowley.

Cowley's synthesizer and Sylvester's voice proved to be a magical combination, and pushed Sylvester's sound in an increasingly dance-oriented direction; his second solo album, Step II (1978), unleashed two disco classics: "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)," and "Dance (Disco Heat)". These two songs charted together on the American dance chart, and spent six weeks at #1 on this chart in August and September 1978. By this time both his live shows and recordings also recognizably featured the back-up vocals of Two Tons O' Fun: future Weather Girls Martha Wash and Izora Rhodes. 1979 brought three Billboard awards and an appearance in the movie, The Rose, starring Bette Midler. He sung "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" live for The Castro Street Fair, thanks to future first openly gay supervisor Harvey Milk.

Sylvester died of complications from AIDS in San Francisco on December 16, 1988. He was 41 years old.
      On September 20, 2004 Sylvester's anthem record, "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)", was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame. A year later, on September 19, 2005, Sylvester himself was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame for his achievement as an artist.
(http://www.thepanachereport.com/ )

William Jermaine Stewart (September 7, 1957 – March 17, 1997) was an American R&B singer best known for his Billboard hits "The Word Is Out" (from his 1984 debut album of the same name) and "We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off" (in 1986, from the album Frantic Romantic).(WIKIPEDIA.ORG)
       Jermaine Stewart started off dancing on the Chicago version of ‘Soul Train’ before he relocated to Los Angeles to appear on the Hollywood version of the show.
With the help of Boy George and Mikey Craig of ‘Culture Club,’ Stewart released his first solo recording, ‘The Word Is Out,’ the record was a smash and Stewart followed it up with another hit, ‘You Don’t Have To Take Your Clothes Off.’ He would tour with the ‘Chi-Lites,’ ‘The Staple Singers,’ ‘Tavares,’ ‘Shalamar,’ and the ‘Temptations.’
The first time I saw Jermaine Stewart in person, was at a club named ‘The Dock Of The Bay,’ outside of San Francisco. Stewart’s dance skills were extraordinary and he ruled the dance floor that evening.

  A few days later, I met Jermaine Stewart through a gay friend (Cliff) of mine. They had met a few days before at a gay club and had begun dating.
I invited them over to dinner. Jermaine and I hit it off and traded numbers. We talked over the next few days. He discussed his career and the many boyfriends he had all over the world.
After he left the bay area, we lost touch.
A source would tell me, years later, that Jermaine was planning to write a book, detailing, homosexual flings he had with famous black celebrity men, many of them married, with families.
Jermaine Stewart would die of AIDS in Chicago at the age of 39 on March 17, 1997. The manuscript for the book disappeared and hasn’t been seen since.
(Myra Panache - http://www.panachereport.com/ )

H.I.V./AIDS in Hollywood - Raymond St. Jacques & Sterling St Jaques

Raymond St. Jacques (March 1, 1930 – August 27, 1990) was an African-American actor. Born in Hartford, Connecticut, he was known for playing the roles of Coffin Ed in the 1970 blaxploitation classic Cotton Comes to Harlem, Rawhide and a two year stint as Judge Clayton C. Thomas on the well-forgotten Syndicated TV show Superior Court from 1988 to 1990. He died from AIDS related lymphoma in Los Angeles, California at age 60. He was the father of Sterling St. Jacques (who died in 1984 from AIDS). St. Jacques and actor Paul Winfield were common fixtures at gay clubs in the Castro district of San Francisco when they were in town in the 70’s and 80’s.
http://www.panachereport.com/

Sterling St Jacques (Date of birth unkown Late40's -early 1950's) Model, Singer and dancer on the New York fashion scene during the late 1970s and 80s. Sterling was the adopted son of actor Raymond St. Jacques (Cotton Comes To Harlem).

Sterling St. Jacques was a party boy and top male model in the 1970's. His eyes appear blue (contacts) in the but they were actually grey in person. He was tall and breathtakingly handsome, he was also a professional dancer who traveled frequently between New York and Europe and he was a regular at Studio 54,he moved so gracefully on the dance floor; many considered him desirable.

He was a beautiful specimen, he stood over 6'0, he had smooth chocolate skin, his physique was awesome and his eyes were gray.This was before colored contact lens; this was his actual eye color. He was stunning and striking. His dance partner and good friend was runway icon Pat Cleveland. He even released an album. Allegedly, even back then, rumors circulated that he shared the beds of some of the most desirable men in the world, including: singers, rockers and actors, white and black. St. Jacques contracted AIDS and died in 1984 in New York City, not knowing who gave it to him.

H.I.V./AIDS in Hollywood - Larry Riley & Howard Rollins

Larry Riley (June 20, 1952 – June 6, 1992) was an American actor and musician, best known for his role as C.J. Memphis in the film A Soldier's Story (1984) and as Frank Williams in the prime-time TV soap opera Knots Landing.
     Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Riley began acting in high school before studying drama at the University of Memphis. He made his professional stage debut in 1971, and went on to appear in various stage productions on and off-Broadway including A Broadway Musical, Shakespeare's Cabaret, I Love My Wife, and Big River, a musical based on Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In 1982, Riley won a Clarence Derwent and Obie Award for his performance in A Soldier's Play. He later reprised the role in the 1984 film based on the play. From 1984 to 1985, Riley portrayed the role of Curtis Taylor, Jr. in the national touring company of Dreamgirls. He also appeared as the leading player in the U.S. touring company of Pippin.

From 1980 to 1982, Riley portrayed Calvin Barnes in the daytime soap opera The Doctors. He later had guest roles on Hill Street Blues and Miami Vice, and appeared in Louis Malle's 1984 film Crackers. In 1985, Riley starred in the short-lived sitcom Stir Crazy, based on the 1980 film of the same name. In 1988, he won the role of Frank Williams on the long-running nighttime soap Knots Landing, becoming the series' first regular African American cast member. The role garnered Riley a Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Actor in a Primetime Supporting Role in 1991.
He has also voiced the arch villain Dumping Jack Trash in the children's animated series Fantastic Max.

  In addition to acting, Riley was also a musician and singer. He sang in several episodes of Knots Landing and also composed the score for several episodes.
In May 1989, Riley entered rehab for drug and alcohol abuse. The following year, he discovered he was HIV positive. According to his wife Nina, Riley "was not gay. He was not bisexual. He did not use needles at all. He speculated it was from a woman. Because he was quite the womanizer." Fearful that news of his diagnosis would ruin his career, Riley did not disclose his illness to anyone except his wife and continued working on Knots Landing. To explain his dramatic weight loss, Riley claimed that he was suffering from kidney failure due to high blood pressure. Riley's true illness was revealed by his wife and doctor after his death.
On June 6, 1992, Riley died of AIDS-related renal failure in Burbank, California at the age of 39, only fourteen days short of his 40th birthday. He was survived by his second wife Nina and a son, Larry Jr. (WIKIPEDIA.ORG)

Howard Ellsworth Rollins, Jr. (October 17, 1950 – December 8, 1996) in Bayland,was an American television, film, and stage actor. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Coalhouse Walker, Jr. in the film Ragtime, and as Virgil Tibbs on the NBC/CBS television series In the Heat of the Night.
     
Howard Rollins was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Daytime Drama Series for his role on Another World. Rollins was also nominated for the 1981 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the motion picture, Ragtime.

       In 1984, he starred in director Norman Jewison's film, A Soldier's Story which led to his role as "Virgil Tibbs" on the In the Heat of the Night television series based on Jewison's acclaimed motion picture of the same name. In 1993, Rollins spent about a month in jail for driving under the influence and reckless driving. Because of continued legal problems, Rollins was ultimately dropped from In the Heat of the Night and was replaced by Carl Weathers. Rollins was invited back as a guest star on several episodes in the seventh season, but further legal problems led to his being totally banned from the county where the series was filmed. 

       During this time, Rollins changed his appearance and appeared on a talk show in feminine looking clothes. Rollins died in 1996 after complications from AIDS-related lymphoma and was interred in the Woodlawn Cemetery in his native Baltimore. He had been diagnosed with the condition approximately six weeks earlier. 

H.I.V./AIDS in Hollywood - Kevin Peter Hall & Franklyn Seales

Kevin Peter Hall (May 9, 1955 – April 10, 1991) was an American actor known for his roles in Misfits of Science, Prophecy, Without Warning, and Harry and the Hendersons. He was also best known as the title character in the first two films in the Predator franchise.
Hall was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His parents were of above-average stature; his father, Charles Hall, was 6' 6", and his mother, Sylvia Hall, was 6' 2". At 7' 2" tall,  he was the tallest of seven brothers, all over 6' 5". During his high school years at Penn Hills High School, he excelled at basketball and earned a scholarship to George Washington University in Washington, D.C.. In college, Hall continued to play basketball and majored in Theatrical Arts.^[3] After graduation, Hall moved to Venezuela to play basketball.
Hall made his acting debut in the 1979 horror film Prophecy. Due to his tall stature, he was often cast in monster roles. He appeared as "the alien" in the 1980 horror film Without Warning and as "Gorvil" in the 1982 television movie Mazes and Monsters. In 1985, he co-starred in the short-lived series Misfits of Science. He guest starred on the sitcom Night Court as a huge but gentle mental patient who humorously towered over bailiff Bull Shannon (played by Richard Moll, who is 6'8"). The next year, Hall portrayed yet another monster in the horror film Monster in the Closet, followed by the role of "Harry" in Harry and the Hendersons.

In 1986, Hall was cast as the main antagonist in Predator, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. During its developmental stages, the Predator was going to be played by Jean-Claude Van Damme, who played the Predator for the first few scenes and wasn't billed on end credits. The producers decided to recast with Hall so that the Predator could realistically physically dominate the film's human characters. Hall would go on to reprise the role in the 1990 sequel.
Following his role in Predator, Hall appeared in the film Big Top Pee-wee (1988) and had a guest spot on Star Trek: The Next Generation (a series for which he had once been a leading contender for two key roles, Geordi LaForge and Lt. Commander Data). From 1989 to 1990, he had a recurring role on the NBC sitcom 227. In 1990, Hall reprised his role as Harry on the television series based on the film. He died during the series' first season.

Hall met actress Alaina Reed while filming a guest spot on the television show 227. The couple would marry both on the show and in real life.
While working on the series Harry and the Hendersons, Hall announced that he had contracted HIV from a contaminated blood transfusion. On April 10, 1991, Hall died from pneumonia. He was 35 years old...(WIKIPEDIA.ORG)

Franklyn Seales (July 15, 1952 – May 14, 1990) was an American film, television and stage actor.
Born on the island of St. Vincent, Seales attended Juilliard before appearing in various television productions of Shakespearean plays including Macbeth and The Taming of the Shrew where he played the role of Petruchio. From 1983 to 1987, Seales portrayed the role of Dexter Stuffins in the sitcom Silver Spoons, followed by guest appearances on Wiseguy, Growing Pains, and Amen. His movie appearances include The Onion Field, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and Southern Comfort.
In addition to acting, Seales was also a painter.

On May 14, 1990, Seales died of complications from AIDS at his family's home in New York City. He was 37 years old

H.I.V./AIDS in Hollywood - Kenny 'G-Love' Greene & Melvin Lindsey

Kenny Greene (January 17, 1969 – October 1, 2001) was an Grammy-nominated American singer-songwriter who was also a member of the R&B group Intro.
As a member of the R&B group Intro, Greene wrote and produced most, if not all, of the group's tracks and was lead vocalist. He also wrote many songs for other artists, such as Mary J. Blige's "Reminisce" and "Love No Limit." For his work with Blige, Greene won the Songwriter of the Year award from the American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers'.  Greene also worked with Will Smith and 98 Degrees.
The last time he recorded was early in 2001 singing background vocals for Tyrese on the song "For Always" on the 2000 Watts album.

In a 2001 interview with Sister 2 Sister magazine, Greene revealed that he was bisexual  and that he was suffering from AIDS. He died in New York City at the age of 32 due to complications of the disease..(WIKIPEDIA.ORG)

Melvin Lindsey (1955 – March 26, 1992) was an American radio and television personality in the Washington, D.C. area. He is widely known for originating the "Quiet Storm" late-night music programming format. Lindsey began his broadcast career as an intern at Howard University radio station WHUR-FM. In 1976, he brought the "Quiet Storm" to the station's late-night lineup, titled after a romantic hit single by tenor crooner Smokey Robinson. The show's soulfully melodic and moody musical fare made it a phenomenal success and the 'love song'-heavy format was quickly replicated at stations across the country that served an urban, African-American adult demographic.
   
      Lindsey's show also gave rise to a category of music of the same name. After a nine-year run on WHUR, Lindsey took his format to another local radio station, WKYS-FM, for five more years and later hosted Screen Scene for Black Entertainment Television (BET). He also worked for Washington, D.C. television stations WTTG-TV and WFTY-TV and for WJZ-TV in Baltimore, Maryland. Lindsey died of AIDS in 1992 at the age of 36, but the Quiet Storm format he originated remains a popular staple in radio programming today, three decades after its inception, across the nation, especially in evening and late-night radio programs. Many artists continue to create songs targeted towards Quiet Storm stations and shows.

H.I.V./AIDS in Hollywood - Michael Douglas Peters & Gene Anthony Ray

Michael Douglas Peters (6 August 1948 - 21 August 1994) was a choreographer. He may be the greatest black choreographer in history because he choreographed the greatest music video-Thriller. He also choreographed "Beat It," as well as the originial Broadway production of "Dreamgirls," yet he is all but forgotten. In his prime, you had to pay Peters' six figures to choreograph a video.
     Michael Peters was born in Brooklyn to an African-American father and Jewish mother. His first major breakthrough came when he did choreography for Donna Summer's "Love to Love You Baby" in 1975. He went on to stage other memorable dance sequences for music videos, including Pat Benatar's "Love is a Battlefield" (in which he has a brief cameo) and Lionel Richie's "Hello" (in which he also has a brief cameo as the dance instructor of Lionel Richie's blind love interest).

However, he was most recognized for his choreography work in Michael Jackson's videos. Especially the smash hit "Thriller", directed by John Landis, and "Beat It" directed by Bob Giraldi, which is vaguely reminiscent of "West Side Story" where Peters co-starred as one of two gang leaders who prepare for a dramatic showdown/knife fight, which is averted at the last moment by Jackson. Peters is dressed all in white, and wears sunglasses during the piece.
       Peters danced with Talley Beatty, Alvin Ailey, Bernice Johnson, and Fred Benjamin, and worked with Michael Bennett. Bennett and Peters shared a 1982 Tony Award for Best Choreography for their work on the Broadway musical Dreamgirls. In 1985 he directed and choreographed the Ellie Greenwich jukebox musical Leader of the Pack.
      Fred Astaire gave Michael Peters a personal award as either "The Greatest Living Dancer" or "The Greatest Living Choreographer."

Peters died in Los Angeles in 1994 of an AIDS related illness at 46.
( http://www.panachereport.com/ )

Gene Anthony Ray (May 24, 1962 – November 14, 2003) was an American actor, dancer, and choreographer. He was best known for his portrayal of dancer Leroy Johnson in both the 1980 film Fame and the 1982–1987 Fame television series based upon the film. (wikipedia.org)
    Gene Anthony Ray was born in Harlem and grew up street dancing. Later, like his character in Fame (Leroy), he enrolled at the ‘High School Of The Performing Arts,’ only to be expelled after the first year. “It was too disciplined for this wild child of mine,” said his mother.
Ray was 17 when he auditioned for ‘Fame.’ Despite, never taking a dance lesson and being ‘naturally’ talented, Ray beat out thousands of hopefuls to land the role. The movie was a smash and Ray stayed on board for the follow-up television series and was paid $25,000 per episode ($100,000 per month). Ray would later sign on with Irene Cara’s agent.

Ray was fired from the show in 1984 after his mother was arrested for running a big time drug ring in New York. Ray also failed to turn up for work 100+ times.
Ray would go on to dance for ‘The Weather Girls’ in their video ‘It’s Raining Men’ and he appeared in a production of Carrie in 1988. He also starred in the film ‘Out Of Sync’ in 1995 and appeared in Dr. Pepper and Diet Coke commercials. After the money ran out, he performed on cruise ships.

He remained a frantic partygoer with a self-confessed weakness for drink and drugs. As his life fell apart, he relocated overseas and slept on park benches and he shared a flat with a porn star. In 1996, he was diagnosed HIV positive. He would suffer a stroke and died on November 11th , 2003. ( http://www.panachereport.com/ )

H.I.V./AIDS in Hollywood - Curtis Bridgeforth & Willi Smith

The Platters-(not original Platters) frontman Curtis Bridgeforth, has quit the rock 'n' roll group to seek AIDS treatment. The 51-year-old singer released a statement confirming he was leave the Platters. He said, "I found out in 1990 that I was HIV positive and I've been living with HIV for the last 17 years. "Then two years ago, after suddenly losing 20 pounds and 30 percent of my eyesight, I learned that I had diabetes, in all probability stemming from my HIV medication. "Right now, my sugar count and cholesterol count are dangerously high, so to prevent a major heart attack or stroke, as well as deal with the HIV issue, I need to seek treatment in New York. There is a program offered there for people like me who don't have health insurance. "Ninety-nine per cent of the people I work with every night knew nothing of my HIV until now, although our management company has been aware since 2003. I don't want to hide it anymore - I'm an example of how to survive it and maybe I can help other people in the same situation. "After I get my health in check, I want to come back to performing. I've already been offered some opportunities. The most important thing I do on this planet is sing to people - I can make people smile and that's a God-given gift." Bridgeforth joined the group in 1994 and has recently been performing with them at the Sahara in Las Vegas. Sadly, Bridgeforth succumbed to AIDS in May of 2007.( http://www.panachereport.com/)

Willi Smith (February 29, 1948-April 17, 1987) was one of the most successful African-American fashion designers in fashion history. At its peak, his company WilliWear Ltd. sold $25 million worth of clothing a year. Although the company bared his name and he was the public figurehead, the majority of the revenue generated-went to white investors. Smith was also the brother of model Tookie Smith. Tookie had a long-term relationship with actor Robert DeNiro and is the mother of his twins.

Willie designed the wedding dress worn by Mary Jane Watson when she married Peter Parker in the Spider-Man comic book and comic strip in 1987 and the suits for Edwin Schlossberg and his groomsmen when he married Caroline Kennedy in 1986. Smith also designed clothes for Spike Lee 's 1987 film School Daze. Smith died unexpectedly at the relatively young age of 39 after contracting pneumonia while on a trip to India, apparently as a result of AIDS. It is suspected that Smith, himself, didn't know he had the disease although those around him knew he was fragile in his last days. .( http://www.panachereport.com/)

Sweet Ass Friday

Flex Appeal

Midnight Desires

Squeeze Me, Tease Me

Mmm Mmm Good - Anthony Gallo

Sweet Ass Friday

Bust A Move

FLONDO - Play Gypsy 4 Me