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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Questlove Honors ‘Giant' Sly Stone: ‘His Music Will Echo Forever'
Questlove is remembering the late great, Sly Stone. In a lengthy and emotional Instagram post, the musician — who directed the documentary Sly Lives! (aka the Burden of Black Genius), about Stone's life and has long described him as an inspiration — reflected on the legend's legacy and enduring impact on music at large. 'Sly Stone, born Sylvester Stewart, left this earth today, but the changes he sparked while here will echo forever. From the moment his music reached me in the early 1970s, it became a part of my soul,' Questlove wrote. 'Sly was a giant — not just for his groundbreaking work with the Family Stone, but for the radical inclusivity and deep human truths he poured into every note.' More from Rolling Stone The Struggle for Sly's Soul at the Garden Watch Sly and the Family Stone Rip Through 'I Want to Take You Higher' at Woodstock Sly Stone, Family Stone Architect Who Fused Funk, Rock, and Soul, Dead at 82 'His songs weren't just about fighting injustice; they were about transforming the self to transform the world,' he added. 'He dared to be simple in the most complex ways — using childlike joy, wordless cries, and nursery rhyme cadences to express adult truths. His work looked straight at the brightest and darkest parts of life and demanded we do the same.' Questlove also acknowledged Stone's battle with addiction and how he 'disappeared from the spotlight,' but also how he outlasted his 'disciples' and was able to 'feel the ripples of his genius return through hip-hop samples, documentaries, and his memoir.' 'Still, none of that replaces the raw beauty of his original work. As I reflect on his legacy, two lines haunt me: 'We deserve everything we get in this life' — a line from the Sly Lives! documentary that feels like both a warning and a manifestation — and, of course, the eternal cry of 'Everyday People': 'We got to live together!' Once idealistic, now I hear it as a command.' Questlove ended his post by thanking Stone and reminding followers how Stone's music will 'likely speak to us even more now than it did then.' He concluded: 'You will forever live… Love to your family, loved ones and every human whose life you came across and [affected]. All of your disciples will be geeked to receive you.' Stone died Monday at the age of 82 following a 'prolonged battle with COPD and other underlying health issues,' according to a statement by his family. Questlove directed 2025's Sly Lives! (aka the Burden of Black Genius), which reexamined Stone's legacy and focused on how his influence continues to impact popular music today. It included commentary from Chaka Khan, D'Angelo, Q-Tip, and Family Stone members Larry Graham and Jerry Martini, among others. 'My intent was always to use Sly Stone to tell our story, my story, D'Angelo's story, Lauryn Hill's story, Frank Ocean's story,' Questlove told Rolling Stone. 'When you're talking about 'blowing it,' a lot of times the fear of failing or the fear of returning to where you came from — which is the very bottom — causes you anxiety about your future, and then causes you to fumble it.' Best of Rolling Stone Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Questlove Remembers Sly Stone: 'He Dared to Be Simple in the Most Complex Ways'
Questlove, who helmed Sly Lives! (aka the Burden of Black Genius), has paid tribute to the documentary's subject, Sly Stone, hours after the iconic artist died on Monday. Stone died after a 'prolonged battle with COPD and other underlying health issues,' his family shared on Monday. He was 82. More from The Hollywood Reporter Diddy's Ex Passed Out After Reading Cassie's Lawsuit Describing "Freak-Off" Orgies Sly Stone, Funk-Rock Pioneer, Dies at 82 Taylor Swift's 'Reputation' Album Surges Back to Top Five on Charts Following Masters Purchase 'Sly Stone, born Sylvester Stewart, left this earth today, but the changes he sparked while here will echo forever,' Questlove wrote in a tribute shared to his Instagram Monday. 'From the moment his music reached me in the early 1970s, it became a part of my soul. Sly was a giant — not just for his groundbreaking work with the Family Stone, but for the radical inclusivity and deep human truths he poured into every note. His songs weren't just about fighting injustice; they were about transforming the self to transform the world. He dared to be simple in the most complex ways — using childlike joy, wordless cries, and nursery rhyme cadences to express adult truths. His work looked straight at the brightest and darkest parts of life and demanded we do the same.' With Sly Lives!, which premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival, Questlove explored not only Stone's life and legacy, but also the burden of success and the challenges faced by Black artists in America. 'Yes, Sly battled addiction. Yes, he disappeared from the spotlight. But he lived long enough to outlast many of his disciples, to feel the ripples of his genius return through hip-hop samples, documentaries, and his memoir,' Questlove said. 'Still, none of that replaces the raw beauty of his original work. As I reflect on his legacy, two lines haunt me: 'We deserve everything we get in this life' — a line from the Sly Lives! documentary that feels like both a warning and a manifestation — and, of course, the eternal cry of 'Everyday People': 'We got to live together!' Once idealistic, now I hear it as a command. Sly's music will likely speak to us even more now than it did then. Thank you, Sly. You will forever live.' While Stone's career was plagued by drug problems and periodic disappearances, he still made his mark on the music world with hits like 'Everyday People,' 'Dance to the Music,' 'If You Want Me To Stay' and 'Hot Fun In The Summertime.' Sly and the Family Stone was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. 'Thankyoufaliftingushigher Sly,' Questlove wrote, conlcuding his post. 'Love to your family, loved ones and every human whose life you came across and effected [sic]. All of you disciples will be geeked to receive you.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More Hollywood's Most Notable Deaths of 2025 Hollywood's Highest-Profile Harris Endorsements: Taylor Swift, George Clooney, Bruce Springsteen and More
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Questlove Pays Tribute to Sly Stone: 'Changes He Sparked While Here Will Echo Forever'
The post Questlove Pays Tribute to Sly Stone: 'Changes He Sparked While Here Will Echo Forever' appeared first on Consequence. Questlove has paid tribute to late funk pioneer Sly Stone. In an Instagram post, The Roots drummer and music historian reflected on the musician's legacy and vast accomplishments, while also sharing his personal experience working on the original documentary Sly Lives! (aka the Burden of Black Genius). 'Sly Stone, born Sylvester Stewart, left this earth today, but the changes he sparked while here will echo forever. From the moment his music reached me in the early 1970s, it became a part of my soul,' Questlove wrote. 'Sly was a giant — not just for his groundbreaking work with the Family Stone, but for the radical inclusivity and deep human truths he poured into every note. His songs weren't just about fighting injustice; they were about transforming the self to transform the world. He dared to be simple in the most complex ways — using childlike joy, wordless cries, and nursery rhyme cadences to express adult truths. His work looked straight at the brightest and darkest parts of life and demanded we do the same.' Questlove continued by acknowledging Stone's addiction battle and disappearance from the spotlight before stating that the artist 'lived long enough to outlast many of his disciples, to feel the ripples of his genius return through hip-hop samples, documentaries, and his memoir.' 'Still, none of that replaces the raw beauty of his original work,' Questlove added. 'As I reflect on his legacy, two lines haunt me: 'We deserve everything we get in this life' — a line from the Sly Lives! documentary that feels like both a warning and a manifestation — and, of course, the eternal cry of 'Everyday People': 'We got to live together!' Once idealistic, now I hear it as a command. Sly's music will likely speak to us even more now than it did then. Thank you, Sly. You will forever live.' Stone's death at the age of 82 was announced by his family earlier today, June 9th. It followed 'a prolonged battle' with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and 'other underlying health issues.' Popular Posts Sabrina Carpenter Announces New Single "Manchild" Black Sabbath's All-Star Final Concert to Stream Worldwide Jack White Celebrates Trump and Elon Musk's Breakup: "More Popcorn Gruppenfuehrer!" T-Pain Announces 20th Anniversary US Tour Miley Cyrus Heckled at Something Beautiful Film Premiere: "Thought This Was a Concert!" Billie Joe Armstrong Tells ICE to "Fuck Off" in Message of Solidarity with LA Protestors Subscribe to Consequence's email digest and get the latest breaking news in music, film, and television, tour updates, access to exclusive giveaways, and more straight to your inbox.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sly Lives!' Filmmakers Questlove And Joseph Patel On Sly Stone's Genius And That Revealing Encounter With Maria Shriver – Contenders TV: Documentary, Unscripted & Variety
How's this for a hot 45? In 1969, Sly and the Family Stone released the song 'Stand!' as an A-side. On the B-side: 'I Want to Take You Higher.' A and B are considered two of the greatest rock songs ever. Most people have lost sight of the astonishing brilliance of the band and its driving force, the enigmatic, original, incredibly creative Sly Stone. His genius has been obscured by his slow-motion implosion, as Sly became known more for drug addiction and erratic behavior than for his musicianship. But the impact of Stone and his group is restored and examined in Sly Lives! (aka the Burden of Black Genius), directed by Ahmir 'Questlove' Thompson and produced by Joseph Patel, Oscar winners for Summer of Soul. More from Deadline Deadline's Contenders Television: Documentary, Unscripted & Variety Ready For Liftoff Deadline's Contenders Television Streaming Site Launches As Sean Combs Faces Trial, 'The Fall Of Diddy' Uncovers Alleged Shocking Pattern Of Abuse - Contenders TV: Documentary, Unscripted & Variety The new film, from Onyx Collective and streaming on Hulu, shows how Sly Stone innovated in multiple facets of music-making: in production, in style – fusing rock, soul, funk, psychedelia, gospel – and in forming a band that was integrated both in terms of race and gender. '[Sly] just happened to be at the helm creating the language and the alphabet for which even to this day, we are still using his tools and his tricks of the trade to express ourselves through music. But it's also extremely, it's very possible for all of that to get lost to history,' Questlove sad as he and Patel appeared on a panel for Deadline's Contenders Television: Documentary, Unscripted & Variety event. 'And that's kind of what this is about … What Joseph and I want to know is why would you get to the mountaintop and then just walk away from it? So, that's pretty much the 10 trillion-dollar question.' The documentary opens with Sly being interviewed, decades ago, by a young Maria Shriver. 'In the beginning when she's restating his accomplishments, you see him sort of white-knuckling the corner of the sofa,' Patel observed. 'There's a sweetness to him, but there's also a caginess and coyness and really a sort of unease with his success. And we liked that bite to start the film because it shows a few things. It shows 1, his accomplishments; 2, how uneasy he is with them; and 3, sort of the audacity of her to [tell] him, 'And then you blew it.' And so to us, it really struck a chord for some of the themes that we wanted to get into in the film right at the very beginning.' Sly Lives! explores the intense pressure Stone faced after the band rocketed to fame. Unlike white artists (David Bowie, for instance) who could shape-shift at will and dabble in politics if they liked, Sly was expected to resolve the contradictions between the objectives of the civil rights movement (integrationist in nature) and the emerging Black Power movement (to some extent, separatist in nature). He carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. 'On one side, you have to cross every 't' and dot every 'i' and represent and speak for yourself and your entire generation and your people,' Questlove said. 'And then on the other side of that pressure, it's, 'Okay, you're representing us, so don't mess up and don't embarrass us. Don't do anything that will make us look at you in shame.' So, there's pressure coming from both sides.' Questlove continued, 'Is the burden real enough to stop him from progressing or is all of this stuff self-inflicted? And that's what we investigate not only with him, but practically this is for every artist, myself included.' What does Sly – 82 now, and sober as of several years ago – think of the film? 'We heard that he loved it,' Patel said. 'The part that I was told was his favorite was seeing his kids in it… His kids have every reason to hate him, every reason to disassociate from him, but they love him, they adore him.' Check back Monday for the panel video. Best of Deadline Everything We Know About The 'Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping' Movie So Far Everything We Know About Netflix's 'The Thursday Murder Club' So Far TV Show Book Adaptations Arriving In 2025 So Far
Fox News
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Sly Stone's daughter once snorted lines of sidewalk chalk to mimic his cocaine use: doc
Growing up, Sly Stone's daughter wanted to be just like the star in every way. Phunne Stone is sharing the dark side of her childhood in a new Hulu documentary, "Sly Lives! (aka the Burden of Black Genius)." In it, Phunne described how, as a child, she snorted sidewalk chalk to mimic her dad. She even used one of the razor blades he collected to cut lines of cocaine. "I went and grabbed me one and my box of chalk," Phunne explained, as quoted by People magazine. "And I said, 'We gon' do what the grown folks do.' So, I got my chalk and I chopped up about 37 lines of chalk out there and got the Monopoly money, rolled up." "We were out there … about 19 lines," she said. "We sneezing and s--t." Phunne's mother, Sly and the Family Stone co-founder and trumpet player Cynthia Robinson, caught her daughter in the act. "My mama came out and was like, 'What are you doing?!'" Phunne recalled. "I mean, it's green and pink, 'cause you know the chalk [is] different colors. And I'm telling mom, 'Nothing!'" "I went and grabbed me one and my box of chalk. And I said, 'We gon' do what the grown folks do.' So, I got my chalk and I chopped up about 37 lines of chalk out there and got the Monopoly money, rolled up." "She beat the brakes off me," Phunne added. According to the outlet, Phunne was often the only child in her music family. She described living "in an adult world, to where I thought I was grown." While she admitted that the funk artist was not the most present father, she is adamant that her parents' love for each other was genuine. Robinson died in 2015 at age 69. "I think that my dad is ... shy, and I think drugs helped him be fearless," said Phunne, as quoted by the outlet. "My mom loved him more than any man. She never dated another man after my dad. But he wasn't always around when I lived with my mom." In the documentary, Phunne said that she has only recently rebuilt her relationship with Stone, 81. "He cried, I cried, everybody around us was crying," she said about their reunion. "And we [were] hugging and shaking and all that." WATCH: DIONNE WARWICK CALLS WORKING WITH DOLLY PARTON ON NEW GOSPEL SONG REFRESHING Born Sylvester Stewart in Texas and raised in Vallejo, California, across the bay from San Francisco, he studied music composition at a junior college while working as a radio DJ, becoming known for his whimsical patter and eclectic playlists. Stone went on to develop what was described as a no-barrier style of music that would meld Motown pop-soul, James Brown's funk, R&B, gospel and psychedelic rock. Shortly after forming in 1966, Sly and the Family Stone produced a string of hits, including "Everyday People," "I Want to Take You Higher," "Hot Fun in the Summertime" and "Stand!" Stone's music took a more cynical turn as drugs took hold of his life. While on tour, Stone carried a violin filled with cocaine. At concerts, fans never knew whether they'd get one of his famously ecstatic performances, or whether Stone would bother showing up at all. The band splintered soon after 1973's "Fresh." Stone then entered a decades-long cycle of addiction, doomed tours and tax woes. He later went on PCP binges. Stone was eventually overtaken by a dependence on crack cocaine. It resulted in ruined relationships, regular stints in jail and rehab. Today, Stone has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and has lost a large amount of his lung capacity, The Guardian reported. According to the outlet, he got clean in 2019. In 2023, Stone's memoir was published. At the time, he admitted that he occasionally had to depend on the recollections of others, because his memory wasn't always reliable. In the documentary, Stone's son Sylvester Stewart Jr. also spoke out. "As a kid, hearing about him being arrested for drugs or whatever, I didn't like it," said Sylvester in the film, as quoted by People magazine. "I always wanted him to be the person that I was always told he was when I was a baby." "… These last few years are the most normal times I've had with him," he added.
