‘Boogie Fever’ Singer Dies at 64

Foster Sylvers, the former child star whose smooth voice helped power one of the biggest R&B family groups of the 1970s, has died at 64 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

Sylvers, best known as a member of The Sylvers, the family band behind the disco-era smash “Boogie Fever,” died while in hospice care, his brother Leon Sylvers III told TMZ.

The Memphis-born singer was already a star before most kids his age were even thinking about a career.

Born on February 25, 1962, Foster Sylvers broke into the music world as a child sensation. He was just 11 years old when he released his self-titled debut album in 1973.

That album included “Misdemeanor,” the funky hit that helped make him one of the standout young voices of the era. It also featured tracks such as “I’m Your Puppet,” giving the young performer an early taste of success.

But his fame would grow even bigger when he joined forces with his siblings in The Sylvers, the soul and R&B group that became a fixture of the 1970s music scene.

The family act included several of the Sylvers siblings and became known for tight harmonies, catchy grooves, and polished performances that helped define the sound of the decade.

Foster played bass on the group’s 1975 album “Showdown,” which featured their most famous hit, “Boogie Fever.”

The song became a disco-era classic and remains the track most closely tied to The Sylvers’ name. With its infectious hook and dance-floor energy, “Boogie Fever” helped cement the group’s place in pop and R&B history.

At the height of their fame, The Sylvers were photographed and celebrated as one of music’s glamorous family groups, drawing comparisons to other sibling acts that dominated the charts during that period.

But as the 1980s arrived, the group’s commercial success began to fade.

Foster later shifted into other projects, working with artists including Dynasty and Evelyn “Champagne” King. He also continued pursuing solo music as he tried to carve out a new chapter after his childhood and family-band stardom.

His later years, however, were shadowed by serious legal trouble.

In 1994, Sylvers was convicted of a sex offense involving the sexual assault of an unconscious woman. As a result, he was required to register as a sex offender in California.

News of his death marks the end of a complicated life that began with early fame, bright lights, and chart-topping success, but later included personal struggles and controversy.

Foster Sylvers was 64.