T04:C07 - S04:E07 - The Sylvers

In an age of popular family singing groups, from the Jacksons to the Osmonds, the Sylvers were the largest and the liveliest of them all. Nine members strong, they became best known for their disco friendly hits Boogie Fever and Hot Line, which drew inevitable comparisons to the sound of the Jackson 5. But the Sylvers were performing together long before that. Even as young children, they made their mark on television as The Little Angels, and later scaled the charts with songs written by their oldest brother, Leon Sylvers III, from Fools Paradise to Misdemeanor, that showed off their musical range and uncanny family harmonies. But internal conflicts and fights with their management broke up the group at the height of their career, and in its aftermath some of their members fell prey to drink and drugs, with dire consequences. Yet through it all the Sylvers remain united as a family, finding strength in their trials, as they reveal their full story in this poignant episode of Unsung.