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Sly Stone, funk-rock progenitor, dies at 82

BBG News

Legendary funk artist Sly Stone, who left an indelible mark on music with his band Sly and the Family Stone, passed away at the age of 82. His influence, despite a relatively short career span, remained steadfast.

Prior to disappearing from public view, Stone passed away following a long struggle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and additional health complications, as per his family’s statement, though they did not disclose the exact location or time of his death.

Stone emerged from a gospel family band and a vibrant San Francisco disc jockey role, eventually becoming a significant pioneer in R&B, rock, and pop music genres. His group’s sound was constantly evolving, reflecting a strong desire for exploration, even experimentation, during their brief but spectacular reign at the top.

Stone skillfully captured the spirit of an evolving America, expressing collective jubilation (“Dance to the Music”), promoting racial unity (“Everyday People”), seeking spiritual elevation (“I Want To Take You Higher”), and reflecting the shattered idealism that marked the end of the 1960s (“Don’t Call Me Nigger, Whitey”). In this chronology, he laid the groundwork for future funk-rock blends.

Following a remarkable six-year run in the music industry, Stone put out a series of less impactful albums, struggled with drug dependencies on cocaine and tranquilizers for decades, was apprehended for crack possession, and lived out his days in a camper van, a shadow of his once lively and energetic youth.

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1966 saw the inception of Sly and the Family Stone by its founder, who also served as keyboardist, guitarist, bassist, and drummer within the band. His siblings Freddie (on guitar) and Rose (at the piano) were additional members. The man behind this versatile talent wrote, arranged, and produced all their music, earning him praise from funk bass legend Bootsy Collins who deemed him “the most talented musician I know.

Sly Stone envisioned the Family Stone as a harmonious blend of soul music, incorporating both male and female, as well as white and Black members. At this time, traditional R&B was undergoing a broad, revolutionary transformation, which Stone significantly advanced through his groundbreaking work in funk, rock, psychedelia, and fashion. In one interview, he arrived wearing knee-high fox fur boots, velvet shorts cut above the knee, and a red satin shirt with long, 20-inch fringe on the sleeves.

From 1967 to 1973, Sly and the Family Stone placed nine of their singles on the Top 40 charts. The upbeat track “Dance to the Music,” from their second album, even reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. Following this success, they produced three No. 1 hits: “Everyday People,” “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again),” and “Family Affair.” They also achieved a No. 2 hit with “Hot Fun in the Summertime.

The scope of artists impacted by him varies widely, from Miles Davis and Janet Jackson to Herbie Hancock and Ice-T. Notably, “Everyday People” has been covered by numerous musicians such as Aretha Franklin, Joan Jett, the Staples Singers, the Supremes, and Pearl Jam. It was also referenced by Arrested Development in their 1992 hit “People Everyday.” John Legend won a Grammy for his cover of “Family Affair” in 2007. Interestingly, Prince, who admired Stone greatly, enlisted the horn section from the Family Stone to tour with him in 1997.

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In August 1969, the group arguably gained their most significant recognition during the Woodstock Music Festival. They were assigned an esteemed performance slot on the second day, following Janis Joplin and preceding The Who.

During their performance over the weekend, similar to many other groups, they encountered some technical difficulties but managed to overcome them with a brilliant 20-minute medley of “Everyday People” and “Dance to the Music”. As noted by journalist Ellen Sander in the liner notes for the 2019 box set “Woodstock — Back to the Garden: The Definitive 50th Anniversary Archive”, the excitement reached its zenith during Sly & the Family Stone’s set.

In some of his rare public appearances, Stone openly identified himself as someone who strongly advocated for racial equality during that period. As he stated to The New York Times in 1970, “Everyone within our circle maintains a neutral stance on race. All of us in the group are aware that Blacks have historically been unfairly treated by whites, and that most whites harbor prejudice.

After Woodstock, the band relocated to L.A., but they encountered difficulties swiftly. The Black Panthers encouraged Stone to swap out the two white band members with African-American musicians. Some bandmates were abusing drugs like cocaine and PCP. As Jerry Martini, the saxophonist of Family Stone, told author Joel Selvin, “It was chaos. It was incredibly gangsterish, perilous. The atmosphere was very dark at that time.” Often, their performances would begin significantly late, or not start at all.

In 1971, upon their return with “There’s a Riot Goin’ On,” the group’s music lost its initial excitement and took on a more somber feel. The songs had a hardened exterior and carried a troubled mood. Drum machines were incorporated into the complex layers of sound that Stone created. The cover depicted an American flag with red, white, and black stripes; “Africa Talks to You” was slow-moving – funk without any rhythmic bounce. The overall feeling was grim, dissonant, even stagnant.

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In the passage of time, “There’s a Riot Goin’ On” was later acknowledged as a visionary album, one of the rare ones that encapsulated the demise of the optimistic spirit of the 1960s. This was the most substantial music release that Stone had made since then.

Born on March 15, 1944, in Denton, Texas, Sylvester Stewart spent his early life there before his parents, K.C. and Alpha Stewart, relocated the family to Vallejo, California at the age of three months. Growing up, they were deeply involved in gospel music and were active members of the Church of God in Christ, with K.C. serving as a deacon. Stone later reminisced, “I thought everyone in the world was into music.

As a young man, Sylvester made his first recording with his siblings Freddie, Rose, and Vaetta as the Stewart Four. In fifth grade, a classmate misspelled his name on the classroom chalkboard, creating an enduring nickname – Sly.

Prior to hitting puberty, Sly had already become proficient with multiple musical instruments. During his teenage years, he occasionally recorded with diverse doo-wop and R&B groups. He furthered his education in music theory at Vallejo Junior College and attended the Chris Borden School of Modern Broadcasting. In 1964, Sly landed a position at the R&B radio station KSOL, where he introduced the Beatles and Rolling Stones into their playlist and displayed his smooth speaking style. The radio station called him Sly Sloan, but he disliked this nickname, so he identified himself to listeners as Sly Stone — a hint of the obstinacy that would follow.

1966 marked my personal journey in music, where I’d dabbled sporadically up until then. I decided to take the plunge and form a new band, one that would become a musical powerhouse. To accomplish this, I handpicked the most talented musicians from my band, Sly and the Stoners, as well as my brother’s group. These included drummer Gregg Errico and saxophonist Jerry Martini.

To further bolster our sound, I enlisted the extraordinary bass guitar skills of Larry Graham, who was then playing in a local jazz duo with his mother. This lineup would go on to create some of the most memorable music of the era.

As a passionate cinephile reminiscing about my favorite band’s humble beginnings, I recall their debut album “A Whole New Thing” not making it on the charts. Clive Davis, the head honcho at CBS Records and the man behind Epic, suggested a more commercial sound for them to try. With that advice in mind, they nailed it with their first shot – “Dance to the Music.” This rhythmic anthem showcased a shared-vocal funk extravaganza where our lead musician started to develop his distinctive “thumping and plucking” style of bass, while the trumpeter, Cynthia Robinson, playfully urged, “All those stiff folks, head home!

The third album of the band, titled “Life,” received mediocre reviews despite hits like “Life” and “M’Lady.” Following its release, the artist known as Stone produced “Everyday People,” a cheerful tune advocating for tolerance that showcased an unconventional one-note bassline by Graham. This song became popular and introduced the phrase “different strokes for different folks.” Among other tracks, 1969’s “Stand!” featured “Everyday People,” “Sing a Simple Song,” “I Want to Take You Higher,” “You Can Make It If You Try” and the provocative six-minute track “Don’t Call Me Nigger, Whitey,” which utilized a vocoder, delay, and distortion to create an ominous artificiality that resonated with Parliament-Funkadelic and was later revived by T-Pain.

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Stone considered the band’s fifth album, “There’s a Riot Goin’ On,” from 1971, to be an incredibly truthful one, released at a particularly truthful time in history. He believed this was the essence of the album because he trusts that truth always wins out. And that’s precisely what his music represents.

However, there were other facts, notably concerning drug addiction, which Stone sought to conceal. Initially, Errico and subsequently Graham left the band (founder of funk group Graham Central Station). Later on, Freddie Stone and Martini also departed.

This version maintains the original’s structure while using simpler language and making it easier for readers to understand.

In 1973, “Fresh” marked the release of the band’s last top-20 hit single, “If You Want Me to Stay.” According to producer Brian Eno, this album represented a significant turning point in production where the rhythm instruments, notably the bass drum and bass, gained prominence in the mix. The subsequent album, “Small Talk,” released the following year, saw minor success with “Time for Livin’,” and featured a cover photograph of Sly, his wife Kathy Silva (a well-known Hawaiian actress), and their son, Sylvester Jr., whom they had married onstage at Madison Square Garden.

Looking back at that cheerful family photo, it was anything but truthful. Later on, I confided in People magazine that he had physically abused me, kept me imprisoned, and desired threesomes – something I vehemently rejected. I longed to escape his world of drugs and bizarre antics. I finally managed to leave him in 1976 when his pit bull viciously attacked Sylvester Jr., who was just two years old at the time. Stone, my partner, had a daughter with Family Stone’s trumpeter Robinson named Sylvette Phunne Robinson, and another daughter named Novena Carmel.

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Sly and the Family Stone’s albums “High on You” and “Heard You Missed Me, Well I’m Back” didn’t sell well. However, “Back on the Right Track,” released in 1979, contrasted its optimistic title. Another album was released in 1983. The term “reclusive” became synonymous with him since then.

Or, for a more conversational tone:

Sly and the Family Stone’s albums “High on You” and “Heard You Missed Me, Well I’m Back” didn’t do so hot on the charts. But “Back on the Right Track,” from 1979, was a bit misleading with its upbeat title. Another album came out in 1983, and since then, he became known as a recluse.

Gossips consistently surfaced, fueled by his prolonged silence: He allegedly produced fresh tracks, collaborated with Prince, supposedly had over 200 new songs – no, it was said he had 1000 – he was reportedly on the brink of a resurgence, constantly teasing us. However, he was found guilty of cocaine possession in 1987. Two years after that, he was detained by FBI agents for evading prosecution on those charges. He was arrested again for cocaine possession in 2011, following which he declared he’d been to rehab seven times.

Back in 1993, when Sly and the Family Stone were honored at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I, a devoted fan, couldn’t hide my excitement. As they were inducted, Sly himself approached the microphone, uttered “See you soon,” and vanished from public view for quite some time. It wasn’t until years later that we fans caught another glimpse of him.

2006 saw the Grammys honoring Stone with a special tribute. A series of his popular songs were performed by artists like John Legend, will.i.am from Black Eyed Peas, Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, and others. When it was his turn, Stone made an entrance in a white mohawk, sunglasses, and a shiny coat, with a cast on his right hand. He leaned over a keyboard, half-heartedly sang a bit of “I Want to Take You Higher”, seemed to miss some cues, and left the stage before the song was fully performed.

2010 saw Stone scheduled to perform at Coachella, following allegations of homelessness. However, his performance was criticized as dismal and bewildered by The Guardian. Arriving three and a half hours late on stage, he either mumbled or abruptly halted his speech mid-sentence. He claimed to have been kidnapped and swindled by managers. His performances started strong but quickly faltered, with him seemingly under the influence of something stronger. A New Yorker writer remarked that he appeared intoxicated, while the L.A. Weekly termed it a “tragic display.

seldom did a renowned musician experience such a swift, drastic, and permanent decline that defied easy explanation. Many found it difficult to comprehend.

In 1996, following his 45-day stint in rehab, Sylvester Stewart Jr., his son, stated that Stone had struggled due to not being able to mature properly. He also emphasized that Stone intended no harm to anyone.

According to his former spouse, Silva, Sly has not managed to move beyond his drug problems. She stated that he weakened and jeopardized his own future.

It was left to his brother Freddie to speak up for Sly.

He shared with Wax Poetics that when people inquire about the secrets behind the scenes and the creation of such remarkable music, he responds by saying it was Sly composing from what he felt deeply within his heart and soul. In his view, Sly is a genuine genius.

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2025-06-09 23:01

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