Mickey & Sylvia was an R&B duo composed of Mickey “Guitar” Baker and Sylvia Van der Pool Robinson. They were the first big seller for Groove Records.
Mickey “Guitar” Baker was a music instructor, and Sylvia Robinson was one of his pupils. His guitar stylings, especially the insane soloing on “Love Is Strange”, inspired a plethora of guitarists, including Sterling Morrison of the Velvet Underground.
Mickey & Sylvia had a hit with “Love Is Strange” in 1957. They continued to record together until 1965. After that, Mickey had a successful career as a studio musician. Sylvia had a huge hit (#1 R&B, #3 Pop) in 1973 with the song “Pillow Talk”, and later assisted in the formation of the Sugar Hill rap label. |
