Born in March 1954 in Harlem, New York. Sylvia Striplin is a jazz and soul vocalist. When she was young, a fire destroyed her family’s home and they relocated to the Bronx. Growing up there, she became interested in singing. Taking piano lesson during grade school, she began performing recitals while also singing professionally with neighborhood friends. After Sylvia Striplin graduated from high school, she performed in musical and theater productions in college and found work as a backup vocalist. She auditioned for the role of Dorothy in The Wiz and ended up in the show’s road company production, playing major cities such as Los Angeles, Miami, and Chicago to rave reviews. She joined funk and disco group Aquarian Dream and worked with Roy Ayers’ Eighties Ladies, recording an album with each project. She signed with Ayers’ Uno Melodic label and released the album Give Me Your Love (1981). The title track was released as a single, but it was the B-side – “You Can’t Turn Me Away” – that ended up as her most popular track. The song was used on the soundtrack of the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories as well as on several film soundtracks. “You Can’t Turn Me Away” has also been sampled by many artists including Armand Van Helden. In 1982, Sylvia Striplin released the single “Keep Pushing”, which remains her last known recording.
