What Happened to Brenda Sykes?

Back in the early 1970s any young men who saw Black movies, television shows, or read Jet and Ebony Magazines has memories of a number of Black beauties, but the ONE that stood out above them all was Brenda Sykes. You probably never heard of her, but during her short period of stardom this dark-skinned beauty was everywhere in Black entertainment. This was the first time we had seen anyone like her. No one in Black entertainment was like he. She wasn't the mammy type nor was she the Hollywood bombshell. Hollywood had never produced a dark chocolate skinned beauty like this without her being an unbelieverable character or being an overweight servant. After being discovered on the Dating Game, Brenda Sykes would co-star in 70s such films like Cleopatra Jones, Black Gunn, Mandingo, and The Liberation of L.B. Jones amoung. And she appeared in numerous television series like Good Times, Executive Suites, The Streets of San Francisco, etc. and even appeared in a soap opera. Brenda Sykes was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. And was married to musician Gil Scott-Heron. This union produced daughter and poet Gia Scott-Heron. The ultra shy beauty really never fit into the Hollywood scene and decided to leave the celebrity atmosphere and spend her life as an everyday person. When you think "Black is Beautiful", think of Brenda Sykes.