Early Career
Sylvia's musical journey began at age three when she was asked to sing at a small church near her hometown of Kokomo, Indiana. 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 such luminaries as Barbara Mandrell and Ronnie Milsap.
After auditioning for Dave & Sugar, Sylvia was signed as a solo artist by RCA Records in 1979. . Her first RCA single was called "You Don't Miss a Thing". The song reached the Country Top 40, which got her name noticed. In 1980 she released another single, "It Don't Hurt to Dream". The record was slightly more successful than the previous title, going to No. 35. That same year, she finally made it to the Top 10 with "Tumbleweed". In 1981 her song "Drifter" hit No. 1 on the country charts, and two other songs, "The Matador" and "Heart on the Mend" landed in the Top 10. "The Matador" was country music's first conceptual music video to air on CMT. "Drifter" was the title of her 1981 RCA debut album. The album contained several top-ten songs, including "Tumbleweed" and "Heart On The Mend".
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