Quick Facts
Biography
Sybil Anita Lynch (born June 2, 1966), known simply as Sybil, is an American R&B and pop singer–songwriter. Sybil gained notable success in her career with songs during the mid–1980s into the mid–1990s. She is the cousin of former En Vogue singer Maxine Jones.
Career
Sybil signed to Next Plateau Records in the USA (with a licensing deal with Champion Records in the UK) and began recording in 1986 with the release of her first single "Falling In Love". The record reached the top 30 on the R&B and Dance charts and began a successful career for Sybil, releasing her debut album Let Yourself Go a year later, which was a minor hit. Sybil achieved worldwide crossover hits with her cover versions of Dionne Warwick's hits "Don't Make Me Over" and "Walk On By", which were released in 1989 and 1990, respectively. The former became Sybil's biggest hit in the USA, peaking at #20, and was a #1 hit in New Zealand. "Walk On By" is still, to date, the highest charting position for this Burt Bacharach/Hal David classic in the UK, peaking at #6, closely followed by Gabrielle (#7). Sybil's second self-titled album became her biggest-selling album in the USA. She signed with PWL Records for the UK market for this album, a label she would be signed to until 1998.
Sybil's third album, Sybilization was released in the fall of 1990, but went largely unnoticed. In January 1993, Sybil achieved her most successful hit in the UK charts, with a cover of "The Love I Lost" peaking at #3; its follow-up "When I'm Good and Ready" peaked at #5. That same year, Sybil released two different albums: Doin' It Now! in North America and Good 'N' Ready in Europe. While sharing four songs on their track listing, Doin' It Now! has a more R&B/Soul sound, while Good N' Ready mixes her soul sound with Stock and Waterman-penned Europop. In the USA, "The Love I Lost" was released as a double A-side with the Sybil co-penned original "You're The Love Of My Life" as the first single of the album.
Later career
In 1997, Sybil terminated her contract with Next Plateau Records with a Greatest Hits album, and later that same year she released her last album to date, Still A Thrill, which was only released in Europe and Japan. Afterwards, Sybil kept a low profile, still touring and releasing new House/Dance singles in the new millennium aimed at the club market. Sybil appeared on the UK version of the television series Hit Me, Baby, One More Time in 2005 performing her hit "When I'm Good and Ready". She currently works in the field of education, formerly teaching Lyric & Songwriting Composition and Creative Writing, and is now a Program Coordinator and Lead Achievement Coach at a college, and is still doing gigs and releasing the occasional single.
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | CAN | NZ | UK | ||||||||||
| 1987 | Let Yourself Go
| — | — | — | — | 92 | ||||||||
| 1989 | Sybil
| 75 | 12 | 61 | 3 | 21 | ||||||||
| 1990 | Sybilization
| — | 70 | — | — | — | ||||||||
| 1993 | Doin' It Now!
| — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
Good 'N' Ready
| — | — | — | — | 13 | |||||||||
| 1997 | Still a Thrill
| — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
- A Album was released as Sybil in North America and Australasia and as Walk On By in the United Kingdom.
Compilation albums
- Greatest Hits (1997, Next Plateau)
- Sybil's Greatest Hits (2007)
Remix album
- Brighter Days: The Best Remix of Sybil (Japan only) (remix EP) (1998, eastwest)
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | US Dan | AUS | CAN | GER | IRE | NLD | NZ | UK | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1986 | "Falling in Love" | — | 29 | 29 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 68 | Let Yourself Go | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1987 | "Let Yourself Go" ft. Debbie Pender | — | 46 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 32 | |||||||||||||||||||
| "My Love Is Guaranteed" | — | 54 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 42 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1988 | "Can't Wait (On Tomorrow)" | — | 90 | 49 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Sybil | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1989 | "Don't Make Me Over" | 20 | 2 | 4 | 144 | 58 | 40 | — | 48 | 1 | 19 |
| ||||||||||||||||||
| "Walk On By" | 74 | 3 | 7 | — | — | — | 21 | 15 | 2 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "All Through the Night" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 84 | Let Yourself Go | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1990 | "Crazy 4 U" (featuring Salt-n-Pepa) | — | 19 | — | 147 | — | — | — | 30 | 26 | 71 | Sybil | ||||||||||||||||||
| "I Wanna Be Where You Are" | — | 86 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Make It Easy on Me" | — | 52 | — | 160 | — | — | — | 76 | — | 99 | Sybilization | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1991 | "Open Up the Door" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||
| "Go On" | — | 78 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Let It Rain" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Lovely Day" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993 | "You're the Love of My Life" | 90 | 37 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Doin' It Now! | ||||||||||||||||||
| "The Love I Lost" (with West End) | — | 18 | 145 | — | 68 | 9 | — | — | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "When I'm Good and Ready" | — | — | — | 213 | — | 46 | 6 | — | — | 5 | Good 'N' Ready | |||||||||||||||||||
| "Beyond Your Wildest Dreams" | — | 90 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 41 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Stronger Together" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 41 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "My Love Is Guaranteed" (Remix) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 48 | Non-album song | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1996 | "So Tired of Being Alone" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 53 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1997 | "When I'm Good and Ready" (Remix) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 66 | Greatest Hits | ||||||||||||||||||
| "Still a Thrill" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 55 | Still a Thrill | |||||||||||||||||||
| "Why" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 81 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998 | "When I Fall in Love" (with The Klub Family) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album song | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2002 | "When I Fall in Love" (with Blaze) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 91 | |||||||||||||||||||
| "You Should've Told Me | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | "Don't Give Up" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||
| "It's Too Late" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | "Shining Star" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | "Stronger (Don't Look Back)" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | "Troubled Waters" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | "Together You And I" (with The Four Kings) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||||||
Featured singles
| Year | Single | Artist | Peak position | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US R&B | ||||
| 1990 | "Independent" | Salt-n-Pepa | 85 | Blacks' Magic |
Covers
Her song "Make It Easy On Me" was covered by Lisa Scott-Lee on the Steps album Steptacular. The hook of the song "Don't Make Me Over" is sampled on the Caron Wheeler track "I Adore You".