Sylvia (singer)

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Template:Short description Template:About Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox person Sylvia Jane Kirby (born December 9, 1956), known professionally as Sylvia, is an American singer, songwriter and life coach. In the 1980s decade, she had 11 US top ten country chart songs, including "Nobody" (1982), which crossed over onto the pop charts around the world.

She was signed to RCA Records in 1979 and began working with producer Tom Collins, who produced her 1981 debut album, Drifter. The LP spawned four top ten country songs, including the title track and "The Matador". Her second album, Just Sylvia (1982), sold nearly a million records in both the US and Canada, along with featuring "Nobody" and the top ten song, "Like Nothing Ever Happened". Although she did not have further crossover success, Snapshot (1983), spawned three more successful singles, including the title song, which was also Sylvia's second music video. Following the less-successful, Surprise (1984), Sylvia was produced by Brent Maher on 1985's One Step Closer. The album featured three top ten singles including a cover of "Cry Just a Little Bit".

After years of touring, Sylvia took a professional hiatus and explored songwriting with musician, John Mock. He would help craft her 1996 album, The Real Story, which was released on her own label titled Red Pony Records. She also became life coach during this period and worked with clients to help them make personal and professional decisions. Sylvia then released two albums in 2002 on Red Pony: Where in the World (a collection of covers) and A Cradle in Bethlehem (a Christmas project). She returned in 2016 with an album inspired by her upbringing titled It's All in the Family, followed by two more studio albums since 2022. Sylvia also continues to tour and perform across North America.

Early life

Sylvia Jane Kirby was born on December 9, 1956, in Kokomo, Indiana, United States.<ref name="LarkinCountry">Template:Cite book</ref> Her parents made automobile radios for the General Motors company while her grandfather operated a sawmill and grew tobacco.<ref name="Huff">Template:Cite news</ref> Although both her parents were not musically inclined, her mother often wrote poems and songs as a hobby. Her family spent time in Tennessee during her childhood where Kirby was routinely exposed to country music.<ref name="Riffs">Template:Cite journal</ref> As a young child she started singing in Kokomo's Pilgrim Holiness Church<ref name="Country Music International">Template:Cite magazine</ref> and routinely sang in front of her parent's bathroom mirror while listening to country music.<ref name="Trucker">Template:Cite news</ref> Following high school graduation in November 1975, Kirby moved to Nashville, Tennessee in pursuit of country music stardom.<ref name="Rough Guide">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="allmusicbio">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Trucker"/>

Kirby's first Nashville job was working as a secretary at Pi-Gem Records under the supervision of record producer, Tom Collins.<ref name="Trucker"/> According to her website, Kirby stayed with Pi-Gem for four years, doing secretarial tasks and learning the music business.<ref name="Sylvia">Template:Cite web</ref> Kirby also had interest in recording with Collins. Collins believed she had potential if she made changes to her appearance and continued working on her vocals.<ref name=People>Template:Cite journal</ref> Collins helped her become a demo singer and background vocalist for Janie Fricke and Barbara Mandrell. She also auditioned for the country group, Dave & Sugar, but did get into the group.<ref name="Rough Guide"/> Kirby's new connections and Collins's support helped her secure a recording contract,<ref name="allmusicbio"/><ref name="Rough Guide"/> with Jerry Bradley signing her to RCA Records in 1979.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Career

1979–1984: Breakthrough and pop crossover

To distinguish her from RCA's Deborah Allen, Kirby (whose married name at the time was "Sylvia Allen") was billed only under first name, "Sylvia".<ref name="Sylvia Hutton">Template:Cite news</ref> Her first RCA single was released in 1979 called "You Don't Miss a Thing",<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="Orange Coast">Template:Cite magazine</ref> a top 40 US country chart song that year. A second single, "It Don't Hurt to Dream" (1980), also made the US country top 40.<ref name="Country Songs">Template:Cite book</ref> Despite never performing before a live audience,<ref name="allmusicbio"/> the singles' chart appearances led to her serving as the opening act in Charley Pride's 1979 tour.<ref name="Orange Coast"/> Sylvia also learned performance techniques in the recording studio alongside Tom Collins, who was now serving has her producer.<ref name="Country Music People">Template:Cite magazine</ref> In late 1980, "Tumbleweed" was her first single to make the US country top ten. It was followed by Sylvia's first US number one single, "Drifter",<ref name="Country Songs"/> which also climbed to number 13 on Canada's Country Tracks chart.<ref name="RPM Country Songs">Template:Cite web</ref> Sylvia had two more US-Canadian top ten country hits in 1981: "The Matador" and "Heart on the Mend".<ref name="Country Songs"/><ref name="RPM Country Songs"/> All were featured on her 1981 debut album, also titled Drifter,<ref name="Country Music People"/> which reached number ten on the US Country LP's chart.<ref name="Country Albums">Template:Cite book</ref> The album incorporated a western theme that was described as "airy" by critics while also being self-described by Sylvia as "prairie music".<ref name="Encyclopedia">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Women">Template:Cite book</ref> RCA then promoted the LP with appearances on Johnny Cash's television special, Hee Haw and The Mike Douglas Show.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Sylvia's sound moved further towards pop and country pop with her second album in 1982 titled Just Sylvia.<ref name="Country Music People"/> Its lead single, "Sweet Yesterday", made the US and Canadian country top 15 while its second release, "Nobody", became a number one country song in both countries.<ref name="Country Songs"/><ref name="RPM Country Songs"/> The song (whose story centers on a wife who suspects her spouse is committing infidelity)<ref name="Trucker"/> was a crossover success on the pop charts,<ref name="Women"/><ref name="Encyclopedia"/><ref name="allmusicbio"/> reaching number 15 on the US Hot 100,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> number five on the Canadian Top Singles chart<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and number two on New Zealand's Recorded Music chart.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> "Nobody" then received a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America, making Sylvia the only country artist to receive one in 1982. Its success also pushed Just Sylvia towards a gold certification as well.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Sales of "Nobody" kept Just Sylvia on the US charts through 1983, eventually peaking at number two on the US country albums chart<ref name="Country Albums"/> and number 56 on the US Billboard 200.<ref name="Billboard 200">Template:Cite book</ref>

With "Nobody's" success, Sylvia started touring more than 250 dates annually,<ref name="Country Music International"/> most of which were county and state fairs that attracted crowds as high as 7,000.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She also made appearances on television shows like American Bandstand<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Solid Gold.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> She also received nominations from the Grammy Awards and Academy of Country Music Awards.<ref name="Huff"/> "Nobody" was followed in late 1982 by "Like Nothing Ever Happened", which made the US country top five<ref name="Country Songs"/> and became her second Canadian country chart topper.<ref name="RPM Country Songs"/>

Sylvia's third album, Snapshot, was released by RCA in May 1983 and a similar musical style that included more uptempo selections.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Critics compared the album's sound and material to that of Just Sylvia while also highlighting its use of crossover production styles.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Snapshot became Sylvia's third top ten album on the US country chart<ref name="Country Albums"/> and third to make the US Billboard 200.<ref name="Billboard 200"/> Its title tune was the LP's lead single and became another US-Canadian country top five hit.<ref name="Country Songs"/><ref name="RPM Country Songs"/> The single also featured a music video, which was considered one of country music's first "modern video clips".<ref name="Encyclopedia"/> The LP also spawned the US top 20 song, "The Boy Gets Around", and another US-Canadian top five song titled "I Never Quite Got Back (From Loving You)".<ref name="Country Songs"/><ref name="RPM Country Songs"/> Sylvia also won the Top Female Vocalist accolade from the Academy of Country Music Awards in 1983.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> With a new hairstyle on the front cover came the release of her 1984 album, Surprise.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It received less favorable critical reception for moving further away from country<ref name="Pittsburgh Press">Template:Cite news</ref> while other critics favored the depth of its song choices.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The album itself was less commercially successful, only reaching number 40 on the US country chart,<ref name="Country Albums"/> while both of its singles only made the US country top 40.<ref name="Country Songs"/>

1985–1989: Continued success and stepping back

Sylvia took a new musical direction after becoming frustrated by the country pop and upbeat material she was recording. Instead, she sought out producer, Brent Maher (known for his work with The Judds), and recorded material that had traditional country music elements. The resulting album was Sylvia's fifth for RCA titled One Step Closer.<ref name="Orange Coast"/><ref name="allmusicbio"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It was also her fifth to make the US country albums chart and peaked at number 19 in 1985.<ref name="Country Albums"/> Its lead single, "Fallin' in Love", rose to number two on the US country songs chart<ref name="Country Songs"/> and became her third chart-topping Canadian country song.<ref name="RPM Country Songs"/> It was followed by her cover of Shakin' Stevens's "Cry Just a Little Bit" that became a US-Canadian country top ten hit.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> She helped bring 1970s pop artist, Michael Johnson, to the attention of country audiences with their duet of "I Love You by Heart" (his first country album was released in response to their duet).<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Their collaborative recording reached the US and Canadian country top ten in 1985.<ref name="Country Songs"/><ref name="RPM Country Songs"/>

In 1986, Sylvia collaborated with Maher on what was set to be her next studio album titled, Knockin' Around. However, the project went unreleased by RCA,<ref name="allmusicbio"/><ref name="Rough Guide"/> while its intended lead single was still issued called "Nothin' Ventured Nothin' Gained". The song made the US country top 40 in 1986<ref name="Country Songs"/> while Knockin' Around remained shelved until 2024 when the 11-track collection was ultimately released by RCA and Legacy Recordings.<ref name="Knockin Around">Template:Cite magazine</ref> A compilation album of Sylvia's Greatest Hits was released by RCA in 1987 that featured two new recordings ("Never My Love" and "Straight from My Heart") along with seven of her hits.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Of its new cuts, "Straight from the Heart", was issued as a single, which Billboard named it one of its "recommended" picks.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The song only reached number 63 on the US country chart<ref name="Country Songs"/> and Sylvia left RCA Records in late 1987.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

In the late 1980s, Sylvia decided to stop touring and recording after years of constant work.<ref name="Rough Guide"/><ref name="allmusicbio"/> Despite this, she remained visible in the media by appearing regularly on television, including a special held in Las Vegas called "Country Top 20" in 1989.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Between 1988 and 1989, she hosted her own television cooking program on The Nashville Network (TNN) titled Holiday Gourmet,<ref name="Sylvia Hutton"/> a 30-minute show that featured country artists on each episode including Roy Clark, Mel Tillis and Dottie West.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She also was a consistent guest-host of another TNN program between 1988 and 1989 titled Crook & Chase.<ref name="Trucker"/>

1990–present: Hiatus, musical transition, and life coaching

Sylvia felt professionally stuck following her split with RCA, telling HuffPost, "It was a scary time. I had likened it to feeling like you're floating around in outer space untethered."<ref name="Huff"/> In the early 1990s, she explored songwriting and collaborated with Nashville music composers like Craig Bickhardt, Verlon Thompson and Kent Robbins.<ref name="Sylvia Hutton"/> John Mock also assisted her with production and arrangement, being a collaborator of hers ever since then.<ref name="Sylvia"/> Now under the name "Sylvia Hutton", she began performing her self-penned songs and tried to get a Nashville recording contract, but was unsuccessful in doing so.<ref name="Country Music International"/><ref name="Sylvia Hutton"/> As a result, Sylvia formed her own independent label titled Red Pony Records and issued her next album in 1996 titled The Real Story.<ref name="Country Music International"/><ref name="Trucker"/> The project featured 13 songs (seven of which were self-composed) taken from moments of her own life.<ref name="Sylvia Hutton"/> Sylvia released her next Red Pony studio album in 2002 titled Where in the World, a collection of acoustic covers including "Bird on a Wire" by Leonard Cohen and "Marcie" by Joni Mitchell.<ref name="Sylvia"/><ref name="Where in the World">Template:Cite journal</ref> The same year, she issued an album of Christmas music titled A Cradle in Bethlehem<ref name="Sylvia"/> featuring covers of songs like "O Holy Night", "What Child Is This?" and "My Grown Up Christmas List".<ref name="Cradle">Template:Cite journal</ref>

File:Sylvia -- Headshot.jpg
A headshot of Sylvia, circa 2020.

Although Sylvia had released three albums on her own label, it was challenging for her recordings to gain a wider audience. Inspired by a passion for psychology<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> she took a new direction and became a life and career coach,<ref name="Huff"/> graduating in 2002 from the Hudson Institute in Santa Barbara, California. According to her coaching website, Sylvia focuses on "developing human potential – helping people grow into their highest potential to live a more fulfilling and intentional life."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She also explained that coaching is about non-judgmentally guiding people through their personal or professional transitions while also being present in the current moment.<ref name="Huff"/><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Sylvia then took a 14-year hiatus from recording new music.<ref name="Huff"/> In 2016, she released her first album in 14 years titled It's All in the Family,<ref name="Huff"/> featuring material co-written by Sylvia, Bickhart, Kate Campbell and Thom Schuyler.<ref name="MusicRow">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The project's 12 song-collection focused on themes of family and overcoming obstacles.<ref name="Huff"/> The album received critical acclaim for its song choices and Sylvia's vocal delivery.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She followed it in 2018 with, Second Bloom: The Hits Re-Imagined, an album of her re-recorded 1980s hits reworked to fit contemporary styles.<ref name="Second Bloom">Template:Cite magazine</ref> It received critical acclaim for keeping the foundations of the songs the same while also modernizing their musical style.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2022, she issued Nature Child: A Dreamer's Journey, a project of children's music. The album was inspired by the amount of child fans Sylvia had during her commercial years and was also dedicated to the "inner child" child within herself.<ref name="Nature Child">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Artistry

Sylvia's 1980s music was rooted in the country genre,<ref name="Rough Guide"/> but also embedded country pop,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> disco<ref name="Rough Guide"/> and adult contemporary.<ref name="Pittsburgh Press 2">Template:Cite news</ref> AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote, "At a time when country music already trending toward light, sweet pop music, Sylvia's records were the aural equivalent of cotton candy, so light they nearly floated in the air."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Kurt Wolff, author of Country Music: The Rough Guide, believed that her "youthful vigor and bouncy, chirpy style foreshadowed the late-80's success of adolescent pop singers like Debbie Gibson and Tiffany." Wolff also found songs like "Tumbleweed" blended country with disco.<ref name="Rough Guide"/> Rolling Stone's Stephen L. Betts noted a similar finding with Sylvia's "The Matador", describing it as having a "throbbing disco beat". Betts further wrote, "For a brief, shining moment, Sylvia was Olivia Newton-John and ABBA rolled up into one."<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Sylvia credited Patsy Cline as her primary musical inspiration,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> later saying, "I used to listen to Patsy Cline so much that I felt like I knew her. I wish I really had."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Sylvia regularly attends vocal lessons to maintain her singing voice, crediting her vocal coach, Gerald Arthur, in a 2022 interview. From his vocal lessons, she learned about control and identifying with song lyrics to help bring out stronger lyrical messages.<ref name="Nature Child"/>

Personal life

Sylvia has been married and divorced three times. Her first marriage was in 1978 to photographer, Mike Allen,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> which ended in divorce in 1983.<ref name="Pittsburgh Press"/> In a 1983 interview, Sylvia explained that the couple "married young and grew apart", yet remained on friendly terms.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1984, she married musician Tom Rutledge.<ref name="Orange Coast"/><ref name="Pittsburgh Press"/> In 1990, she married for a third name and changed her last name to "Hutton". Her third husband's first name has not been publicly revealed. However, she told The Huffington Post that her marriage had ended in 2014.<ref name="Huff"/>

Discography

Template:Main

Studio albums

Awards and nominations

Template:Awards table !Template:Abbr |- | 1979 | 15th Academy of Country Music Awards | Top New Female Vocalist | Template:Nom | align="center"| <ref name="ACM">Template:Cite web</ref> |- | 1980 | Cashbox | Top New Female Vocalist – Singles | Template:Nom | align="center"| <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> |- | rowspan="2"| 1981 | 17th Academy of Country Music Awards | Top Female Vocalist | Template:Nom | align="center"| <ref name="ACM"/> |- | Billboard | Top Female Artist | Template:Nom | align="center"| <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> |- | rowspan="4"| 1982 | rowspan="3"| 18th Academy of Country Music Awards | Single Record of the Year –"Nobody" | Template:Nom | align="center" rowspan="3"| <ref name="ACM"/> |- | Song of the Year – "Nobody" | Template:Nom |- | Top Female Vocalist | Template:Won |- | Billboard | Top Female Artist – Singles | Template:Nom | align="center"| <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> |- | rowspan="7"| 1983 | 10th American Music Awards | Favorite Country Female Artist | Template:Nom | align="center"| <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |- | 25th Annual Grammy Awards | Best Country Vocal Performance, Female – "Nobody" | Template:Nom | align="center"| <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |- | 19th Academy of Country Music Awards | Top Female Vocalist | Template:Nom | align="center"| <ref name="ACM"/> |- | rowspan="2"| Billboard | Top Female Album Artist | Template:Won | align="center" rowspan="2"| <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> |- | Top Singles Female Artist | Template:Nom |- | rowspan="2"| Cashbox | Top Female Vocalist – Albums | Template:Won | align="center" rowspan="2"| <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> |- | Top Female Vocalist – Singles | Template:Nom |- | 1984 | 11th American Music Awards | Favorite Country Female Artist | Template:Nom | align="center"| <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |- | 1985 | Cashbox | Top Female Vocalist – Singles | Template:Nom | align="center"| <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> |- | 1986 | Billboard | Overall Top Duos Template:Small | Template:Nom | align="center"| <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> |- |}

References

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