3 days ago
Tributes pour in as music industry icon dead at 82
Sly Stone, the American funk and soul pioneer and leader of the group Sly and the Family Stone has died aged 82.
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, his family announced 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.
With their blend of soul, psychedelic rock and gospel, Sly and The Family Stone are widely considered to be some of the key progenitors of the 1970s funk sound alongside James Brown and others.
Stone, born Sylvester Stewart, grew up singing gospel music in a quartet with his brothers and sisters, and started his career as a disc jockey for radio stations in California, as well as a multi-instrumentalist and producer.
In 1966, he fused his band Sly and the Stoners with his brother Freddie's group Freddie and the Stone Souls, to form Sly and the Family Stone.
Their breakthrough came through the 1967 single Dance to the Music, which reached No.8 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart, before they released their fourth album, the 1969 Stand! , which went on to sell over three million copies.
In 1969, Sly and the Family Stone played both of the defining music festivals of the year, Woodstock and the Harlem cultural festival.
The 1971 album There's a Riot Goin On , a reflection on civil rights and the corrupted idealism of the postwar era, was recorded by Stone predominantly apart from the rest of his band, which was slowly fracturing in the early 70s. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest albums of the 20th century, and featured one of the earliest uses of a drum machine.
Although the band split entirely in 1975, Stone continued to use the band name for solo releases. He continued to perform with bands such as Funkadelic and Bobby Womack before releases slowly quieted down.
He only performed in public again in 2006 in a tribute to Sly and the Family Stone at the Grammy awards.
Sly was a monumental figure, a groundbreaking innovator, and a true pioneer who redefined the landscape of pop, funk, and rock music, the family statement added. His iconic songs have left an indelible mark on the world, and his influence remains undeniable. 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, which follows a memoir published in 2024.
