Sylvia Robinson

Singer/songwriter/producer Sylvia Robinson had two chart toppers: as half of Mickey & Sylvia with "Love Is Strange" and her own solo gold single, the sensuous "Pillow Talk." Through the All Platinum label with husband Joe Robinson, she was instrumental in the careers of The Moments (she produced and co-wrote their number one R&B single "Love on a Two Way Street") and several hits by various artists including Donnie Elbert, Retta Young ("(Sending Out An) S.O.S."), the Whatnauts, Brother To Brother, Linda Lewis, Shirley And Company, The Rimshots ("Super Disco"), and many others. During the '80s, the couple helped launch rap through their Sugarhill Records including Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five and the seminal "Rappers Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang. The grungy sound quality of All Platinum's releases was a sonic alternative to the more polished sounds of the '70s and a precursor to the grainier hip-hop sound of the '80s and 90s.

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