Mickey & Sylvia

Mickey & Sylvia was an American R&B duo,^[1] composed of Mickey Baker and Sylvia Robinson. They were the first big seller for Groove Records.^[2]

Mickey was a music instructor and Sylvia one of his pupils. Baker was inspired to form the group by the success of Les Paul & Mary Ford. They had a Top 20 hit with "Love Is Strange" in 1956. The record sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.^[3] The duo eventually bought their own nightclub, established a publishing company, and formed their own record label. Although Mickey & Sylvia disbanded by the end of the 1950s, they continued to record together on an infrequent basis until 1965, when Mickey quit the music industry in the United States.

After that, Mickey had a successful career as a session musician, moving to Paris, France. Sylvia had a hit record in 1973 with "Pillow Talk," and later assisted in the formation of the Sugar Hill rap label. She died on the morning of September 29, 2011, aged 75, at Meadowlands Hospital in Secaucus, New Jersey from congestive heart failure.

References

1. ^ Du Noyer, Paul (2003). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music (1st ed.). Fulham, London: Flame Tree Publishing. p. 181. ISBN 1-904041-96-5. 
2. ^ Shaw, Arnold (1978). Honkers and Shouters. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. pp. 460–466. ISBN 0-02-061740-2. 
3. ^ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 84. ISBN 0-214-20512-6. 

External links

• Mickey & Sylvia at Color-Radio
• Mickey & Sylvia Discography