Foster Sylvers, the bassist and vocalist for The Sylvers who helped deliver the disco hit “Boogie Fever” to the top of the charts in 1976, died on Saturday, May 30, 2026, according to his family. He was 64.
His brother Leon Sylvers III confirmed the death the following day. Foster Sylvers had been battling stage four pancreatic cancer. His sister Pat Sylvers is expected to provide additional details.
His death marks the third brother in the family to pass away. Edmund Sylvers, who shared co-lead vocals with Foster on “Boogie Fever,” died of lung cancer in 2004. Christopher Sylvers, the youngest sibling, died in 1985 at age 18. A group photograph that has circulated widely since the news broke shows James, Foster, Edmund, Ricky and Angie — three of the five now gone.
Child Star to Chart Success
Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Foster Sylvers became a star at 11 years old. His 1973 self-titled debut album included “Misdemeanor,” written by Leon Sylvers III, which climbed to No. 7 on the Billboard R&B chart and No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100. The success brought him immediate fame on Soul Train and American Bandstand, the two most influential music programs of the era.
A second album followed in 1974. Then Foster joined his siblings in The Sylvers.
Joining the Family Group
The Sylvers had originally formed under the name The Little Angels, featuring siblings Olympia, Leon, Charmaine and James, and had been gaining momentum for years before Foster’s arrival. He joined in 1975, just as the group reached its commercial peak with the album “Showcase.”
Foster played bass and shared co-lead vocals with his brother Edmund on “Boogie Fever,” which topped both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot Soul Singles chart in 1976. The track became the family’s defining hit.
The family act became one of the defining groups of the disco era, releasing a string of hits including “Fool’s Paradise” and “Hot Line,” along with albums titled “The Sylvers,” “The Sylvers 2” and “The Sylvers 3.” The group disbanded in 1985.
Life After the Group
Following the breakup, Foster Sylvers continued as a multi-instrumentalist and accomplished bassist based in Los Angeles, California. He lent his talents to Dynasty and Evelyn “Champagne” King, building a reputation as a respected session musician while also pursuing solo work.
In 1984, he co-wrote and performed on “Shake Down,” which became an R&B hit. He later formed the band Hy-Tech and released music as Foster Sylvers and Hy-Tech through EMI America and A&M Records. His work as a songwriter, producer and studio collaborator continued long after the group’s heyday ended, spanning a career of more than four decades from his breakthrough in 1973 to session work that extended into the 2000s.
A Conviction That Followed Him
Foster Sylvers was convicted of a sex offense in 1994 for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman. He served a prison sentence and was required to register as a sex offender in California, remaining on the registry for the rest of his life.
His family has never tried to erase that duality, which resurfaced in obituaries announcing his death over the weekend. The conviction became a permanent part of his public record, sitting uneasily alongside his chart triumphs.
Tributes From Family and Friends
His daughter, Erin Sylvers, paid tribute on social media with a photograph of her father, saying “Rest well, Daddy. I love you so much.”
Kevin H. Donan, a Hollywood record store owner who had known Foster for nearly five decades, recalled meeting him as a teenager. Donan said he and Foster met at the Sylvers family Bel-Air home when Donan first arrived in 1978 from Flint, Michigan, and recalled early demo sessions with members of the family before the group’s records reached commercial release.
Donan added that his heart goes out to the entire Sylvers family in prayer and expressed hope to rest in music Heaven with his friend. Musician Lawrence “LAW” Worrell shared his own remembrance, saying he had watched Foster fight the cancer in their final visits but preferred to remember the years of working together.
