Sly Stone, the influential frontman of the iconic funk band Sly and the Family Stone, has passed away at the age of 82, according to a statement from his family.
Stone died following a prolonged struggle with COPD and other underlying health issues.
He left this world peacefully, surrounded by his three children, his closest friend, and extended family.
While mourning his absence, his family expressed solace in the knowledge that his remarkable musical legacy will continue to inspire generations to come.
Born Sylvester Stewart in Texas in 1943, Sly was the second eldest of five siblings.
His family relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area during his childhood, where he later began a career as a disc jockey in the early 1960s, integrating various genres including British rock and soul music into his repertoire.
Sly formed Sly and the Family Stone in 1966, combining his band with that of his brother Freddie.
Sister Rose also joined the group, while Loretta chose a different path in music, and younger sister Vaetta performed in her own band, Little Sister, before occasionally collaborating with Sly and the Family Stone.
Initially a guitarist, Sly shifted to keyboards in his new band, allowing Freddie to take the lead guitar role.
A talented prodigy, he learned to play multiple instruments, including guitar, keyboard, bass, and drums, during his childhood.
One notable achievement of the group was being the first major American rock band to achieve racial integration.
Sly and the Family Stone released their debut album, “A Whole New Thing,” in October 1967, though it initially garnered limited recognition.
However, just a month later, they skyrocketed to fame with the release of the single “Dance to the Music,” which peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart.
Reflecting on the success of “Dance to the Music,” Sly remarked in a 2023 interview, “I knew the music worked, but I didn’t know if people would get it.”
Despite the complexities of music appreciation, he recognized that the simpler version of the song resonated more broadly with audiences.
By 1969, Sly and the Family Stone had become one of the biggest musical acts in the world, propelled by their engaging and high-energy performances.
Their album “Stand!” released the same year, produced the group’s first No. 1 single, “Everyday People,” as well as the hit “Hot Fun in the Summertime,” which climbed to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Questlove, drummer for The Roots and director of the recent documentary “Sly Lives!”, spoke about Sly’s cultural influence, stating, “Timing is everything; you can’t plan lightning in a bottle, and Sly just happened to come at a time period in which the paradigm shift was gonna change culturally for music.”
He noted Sly’s unique ability to compose confessional songs that addressed deeper emotions and political themes, a rarity among artists at the time, placing him alongside iconic figures like Bob Dylan.
The band delivered a memorable performance at the original Woodstock festival in August 1969, taking the stage in the early morning hours to electrify the audience with a medley of hits that included “Everyday People” and “Dance to the Music.”
However, following their peak, the band faced struggles marked by substance abuse and internal conflicts, with Sly admitting in his memoir to becoming dependent on cocaine and PCP.
The group released several albums throughout the 1970s, but none achieved the same success as earlier works, including Sly’s solo efforts during the late ’70s and early ’80s, often released under the Family Stone name.
Questlove reflected on the complicated legacy of Sly, emphasizing, “Even though he invented the alphabet for which we write many of the books, the culture doesn’t know. They know him for not showing up for shows, being late, being an addict.”
Instead of labeling him merely as an addict, Questlove urged a focus on the circumstances that contribute to such challenges, highlighting the complexity of Sly’s life story.
After years in relative obscurity, Sly made a surprise appearance at the 2006 Grammy Awards, which marked his first performance in decades.
He continued to make occasional public appearances in subsequent years, and in 1993, Sly and the Family Stone were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
At the induction ceremony, fellow musician George Clinton of Parliament Funkadelic hailed the band as the greatest funk ensemble and termed Sly as the “single greatest writer that I can try to think of.”
In light of Sly’s passing, his family revealed that a documentary chronicling his life was recently released, alongside news that a film based on his life story is also in development.
In their statement, the family expressed gratitude for the overwhelming outpouring of love and support during this difficult time.
They believe that Sly’s enduring creative spirit will live on through his music, stating, “In a testament to his enduring creative spirit, Sly recently completed the screenplay for his life story, a project we are eager to share with the world in due course.”
The family also expressed their wishes for peace and harmony for all who were touched by Sly’s life and his iconic contributions to music.
Sly married model Kathy Silva onstage during a concert at Madison Square Garden in June 1974.
The couple welcomed a son, Sylvester Jr., in 1973, but they later separated in 1976.
He also has two daughters, Sylvyette, who is known by her middle name Phunne, born in 1976, and Novena Carmel, born in 1982.
Sly Stone’s impact on music, particularly funk, continues to be felt, and his legacy as a trailblazer who broke down barriers in the music world remains undeniable.
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