R.I.P. Sly Stone
Legendary musician, songwriter and bandleader Sly Stone has died. He was 82. Stone had been suffering from health problems including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in recent years.
A statement from his family reads: It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved dad, Sly Stone of Sly and the Family Stone. After a prolonged battle with COPD and other underlying health issues, Sly passed away peacefully, surrounded by his three children, his closest friend, and his extended family. While we mourn his absence, we take solace in knowing that his extraordinary musical legacy will continue to resonate and inspire for generations to come.
Born in Denton, Texas and raised in Vallejo, California, Stone began his career in music as a disc jockey in the 1960s at San Francisco’s KSOL. He formed a band shortly thereafter, Sly and the Stoners, which later became Sly and the Family Stone.
The lineup of Sly and the Family Stone featured three of his siblings—guitarist Freddie, singer and keyboardist Rose, and background singer Vet—along with bassist and vocalist Larry Graham, saxophonist Jerry Martini, trumpeter, Cynthia Robinson, and drummer Greg Errico. Sly and the Family Stone released their debut single “Underdog” in September 1967, followed a month later by their debut album, A Whole New Thing.
The group were known for their groundbreaking blend of rock, R&B, funk and psychedelia, as well as a legendary live presence, as captured in films like Summer of Soul. They released 10 albums between 1967 and 1982, including 1969’s Stand!, one of the greatest albums of the 1960s, as well as darkly political There’s a Riot Goin’ On.
After the group’s final album, 1982’s Ain’t But the One Way, Stone became more reclusive, mostly avoiding public appearances. However, he attended the 1993 induction of Sly and the Family Stone into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as well as making his first live performance in nearly two decades in 2006, as part of a Sly and the Family Stone tribute at the Grammys.
