Sylvia Robinson dies at 76

Sylvia Robinson, the R&B and disco artist who grew to become "mom of stylish-hop" together with her label Sugar Hill Records, died Sept. 29 inside a Secaucus, N.J., hospital. She was 75 and apparently experienced from congestive heart failure. Born Sylvia Vanderpool in NY, she recorded her first single for Savoy Records in 1951. She was courted by hustler Joe Robinson, who grew to become her manager within the mid-'50s, and also the pair married in 1964. At Robinson's suggestion, Sylvia started recording together with her guitar teacher, Mickey Baker. In 1956, Mickey & Sylvia's reworking of Bo Diddley's "Love Is Strange" grew to become a No. 1 R&B hit with no. 11 pop success. The duo separated ways when Baker gone to live in France in early '60s. Through the years, Sylvia authored, arranged and created hits for Joe Johnson, Ove & Tina Turner, the Moments and Shirley & Company. She also recorded hits of her very own: "Pillow Talk," a lubricious number she'd unsuccessfully demoed for Al Eco-friendly, hopped to No. 1 around the R&B chart (with no. 3 around the pop list) in 1973. Within the next decade, she'd cut 11 more R&B chart singles. Through the late '70s, the Robinsons' label All Platinum -- which for some time controlled the Chess Records catalog -- is at serious financial trouble. In 1979 the pair began another imprint, Sugar Hill Records, with money lent from Roulette Records' well known owner Morris Levy. Sylvia required principal charge of its talent. Sugar Hill grew to become a crucible of early rap. Its breakout hit was the Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" (1979), adopted in quick succession by extremely popular 12-inch singles by Grandmaster Expensive & the Furious Five, Melle Mel, the Treacherous Three, Funky Four Plus One and also the West Street Mob (whose people includes the Robinsons' boy, Joey). Sugar Hill's reign in rap ended following a distribution cope with MCA Records -- brokered by reputed mobster Salvatore Pisello -- flattened within the late 1980s. Rhino Records bought the business's catalog in 1995. Joe Robinson died in 2000. Robinson is made it by three sons, several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com