Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, on April 29, 1955, Sylvia Howard grew up in Los Angeles, where she practiced gospel singing from childhood, both with her family and in church. Steeped in the African-American musical tradition, she participated in choir and theater performances, while working as an office clerk in Phoenix, Arizona, and singing in the city's clubs at night. After a three-month residency at the Westin Plaza in Singapore, she pursued her career in other luxury hotels in Jakarta, Hong Kong, Bali and Kuala Lumpur, before moving to Paris in 2000. She travels the French scene, between jazz clubs and summer festivals, and collaborates on the soundtracks of Cédric Klapisch's films, Peut-être and Ni pour, ni contre. She performs in quartet in Parisian clubs such as Les Deux Magots, the Sunset, the Petit Journal Montparnasse, or at the Mezzanine de Pierrelaye, in a repertoire oriented towards jazz, blues and gospel standards. Following the release of the EP It's in My Praise (2010) and the album of standards Now or Never (2015), 2018 sees the release of the live album Time Expired, recorded in September 2016 in the quartet format. In 2021 follows Thank You and in 2025 Luv U Madly, placed 49th in the SNEP jazz sales and listening chart.