Sylvia | |
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Sylvia at Oscoda High School, Oscoda, Michigan, summer 2016.
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Background information | |
Birth name | Sylvia Jane Kirby |
Also known as | Sylvia |
Born | December 9, 1956 |
Origin | Kokomo, Indiana, United States |
Genres | Country, pop, countrypolitan |
Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
Instruments | Vocals |
Years active | 1979–present |
Labels | RCA Records, Red Pony Records |
Associated acts | Juice Newton, Janie Fricke |
Sylvia Jane Hutton (née Kirby, born December 9, 1956), known simply by her first name Sylvia during the 1980s, is an American country music and country pop singer and songwriter. Some original source books have her birth name as Sylvia Kirby Allen; however, Allen was her first husband's last name. She consequently used only her first name. There was also a point in time that she used Sylvia Rutledge. She is currently using her married name and is promoted as Sylvia Hutton.
She enjoyed crossover music success with her single "Nobody" in 1982. It reached No. 15 Pop and No. 1 Country. The song earned her a gold record certification and a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Country Vocal Performance (the Grammy went to Juice Newton for her hit "Break It to Me Gently"). Although "Nobody" was Sylvia's only single to reach the Billboard pop charts, her other big country hits include "Drifter" (No. 1 Country, 1981), "Fallin' in Love", "Tumbleweed" and "Snapshot". In 1982, she was named Female Vocalist of the Year by the Academy of Country Music. She is also credited with making the first "concept" music video clip to air on Country Music Television (CMT), with "The Matador".
Sylvia was born in Kokomo, Indiana. She began performing at age three when she was asked to sing at a small local church. This set Sylvia on a course that eventually led her to Nashville on December 26, 1976. With a burning desire to become a recording artist like her idols Patsy Cline and Dolly Parton, Sylvia packed her bags and a demo tape and headed for Music City, where she ultimately landed a job as a secretary for producer/publisher Tom Collins, who produced records for both Barbara Mandrell and Ronnie Milsap.