Sly Stone, frontman for Sly and the Family Stone, dead at 82
Funk master and iconic music innovator Sly Stone, whose songs drove a civil rights-inflected soul explosion in the 1960s, sparking influential albums but also a slide into drug addiction, has died, his family said on Monday. He was 82.
Stone was the multi-instrumentalist frontman for Sly and the Family Stone – rock's first racially integrated, mixed-gender line-up.
He 'passed away peacefully, surrounded by his three children, his closest friend and his extended family,' after a prolonged battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other health issues, Stone's family said in a statement.
'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,' it added.
A Sly and the Family Stone album cover shoot in the 1970s. File photo: Epic Records via TNS
With his vibrant onstage energy, killer hooks and lyrics that often decried prejudice, Stone became a superstar, releasing pivotal records that straddled musical genres and performing a memorable set at Woodstock.
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