Latest news with #Sly&TheFamilyStone
Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Sly Stone, leader of 1960s funk band, dies at 82
Funk music pioneer Sly Stone performs during a concert with Sly & The Family Stone at the 41st Montreux Jazz Festival early July 14, 2007. PHOTO: REUTERS Sly Stone, the driving force behind Sly and the Family Stone, a multiracial American band whose boiling mix of rock, soul and psychedelia embodied 1960s idealism and helped popularize funk music, has died at the age of 82, his family said on June 9. Stone died after a battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other health issues, a statement from his family said. '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,' the statement said. Stone was perhaps best known for his performance in 1969 at the historic Woodstock music festival, the hippie culture's coming-out party. His group was a regular on the US music charts in the late 1960s and 1970s, with hits such as Dance to the Music, I Want to Take You Higher, Family Affair, Everyday People, If You Want Me to Stay, and Hot Fun in the Summertime. But he later fell on hard times and became addicted to cocaine, never staging a successful comeback. The confident and mercurial Stone played a leading role in introducing funk, an Afrocentric style of music driven by grooves and syncopated rhythms, to a broader audience. James Brown had forged the elements of funk before Stone founded his band in 1966, but Stone's brand of funk drew new listeners. It was celebratory, eclectic, psychedelic and rooted in the counterculture of the late 1960s. 'They had the clarity of Motown but the volume of Jimi Hendrix or The Who,' Parliament-Funkadelic frontman George Clinton, a contemporary of Stone and another pioneering figure in funk, once wrote. When Sly and the Family Stone performed, it felt like the band was 'speaking to you personally', Clinton said. Stone made his California-based band, which included his brother Freddie and sister Rose, a symbol of integration. It included Black and white musicians, while women, including the late trumpeter Cynthia Robinson, had prominent roles. That was rare in a music industry often segregated along racial and gender lines. Stone, with his orb-like Afro hairstyle and wardrobe of vests, fringes and skin-tight leather, lived the life of a superstar. At the same time, he allowed bandmates to shine by fostering a collaborative, free-flowing approach that epitomized the 1960s hippie ethic. 'I wanted to be able for everyone to get a chance to sweat,' he told Rolling Stone magazine in 1970. Disc jockey to singer Born Sylvester Stewart in Denton, Texas, he moved as a child with his family to Northern California, where his father ran a janitorial business. He took the show business name Sly Stone and worked for a time as a radio disc jockey and a record producer for a small label before forming the band. The band's breakthrough came in 1968, when the title track to their second album, Dance to the Music, cracked the Top 10. A year later, Sly and the Family Stone performed at Woodstock before dawn. Stone woke up a crowd of 400,000 people at the music festival, leading them in call-and-response style singing. Stone's music became less joyous after the idealistic 1960s, reflecting the polarization of the country after opposition to the Vietnam War and racial tensions triggered unrest on college campuses and in African American neighborhoods in big US cities. In 1971, Sly and the Family Stone released There's a Riot Goin' On, which became the band's only No. 1 album. Critics said the album's bleak tone and slurred vocals denoted the increasing hold of cocaine on Stone. But some called the record a masterpiece, a eulogy to the 1960s. In the early 1970s, Stone became erratic and missed shows. Some members left the band. But the singer was still a big enough star in 1974 to attract a crowd of 21,000 for his wedding to actress and model Kathy Silva at Madison Square Garden in New York. Silva filed for divorce less than a year later. Sly and the Family Stone's album releases in the late 1970s and early 1980s flopped, as Stone racked up drug possession arrests. But the music helped shape disco and, years later, hip-hop artists kept the band's legacy alive by frequently sampling its musical hooks. The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and Stone was celebrated in an all-star tribute at the Grammy Awards in 2006. He sauntered on stage with a blond Mohawk but bewildered the audience by leaving mid-song. In 2011, after launching what would become a years-long legal battle to claim royalties he said were stolen, Stone was arrested for cocaine possession. That year, media reported Stone was living in a recreational vehicle parked on a street in South Los Angeles. Stone had a son, Sylvester, with Silva. He had two daughters, Novena Carmel, and Sylvette 'Phunne' Stone, whose mother was bandmate Cynthia Robinson. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Black America Web
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
Childish Gambino: A Genius Shaped by Diverse Influences
Source: Phillip Faraone/VF24 / Getty Donald Glover, better known by his stage name Childish Gambino, is an artist defined by his versatility and relentless ambition. Whether it's acting, writing, or making music, Gambino's work reflects a complex web of influences that spans genres and generations. From hip-hop legends like OutKast, Eminem, and Kanye West to funk and soul trailblazers such as Funkadelic and Sly & The Family Stone, and even the shimmering beats of LCD Soundsystem, Gambino's artistry is a melting pot of inspirations. This collision of styles and sounds has given birth to some of the most innovative projects in modern music. A standout example of these influences coming to life is his critically acclaimed album Awaken, My Love! , which wears its funk and soul inspirations on its sleeve while offering a distinctly modern twist. The Funkadelic Spark Behind Awaken, My Love! Full albumbelow. Released in 2016, Awaken, My Love! marked a dramatic departure from Gambino's earlier projects, trading sharp raps for soulful crooning and psychedelic funk arrangements. The album channels the raw energy and emotional depth of 1970s funk, heavily inspired by artists like Funkadelic and Sly & The Family Stone. Glover himself has credited these pioneers as integral to the album's creation. RELATED | Childish Gambino Surprise Drops New Album 'Atavista' & Announces World Tour Growing up, his father played records like Funkadelic's Maggot Brain , which Glover described as both 'sexual and scary' in an interview with Billboard . Sly Stone's ability to blend political messaging with groovy, genre-defying sounds also had a lasting impact on Gambino's vision for Awaken, My Love! A prime example of this influence is the track 'Redbone.' Its falsetto vocals and hypnotic bassline evoke Bootsy Collins-era Funkadelic while maintaining a contemporary edge. The haunting yet seductive tone of the song mirrors the visceral feelings Glover recalled experiencing when hearing Funkadelic as a child. Beyond its funk roots, 'Redbone' became a cultural anthem, finding renewed fame in the Oscar-winning film Get Out . See the scene in the movie below where Redbone is playing: One of the most fascinating connections between Gambino and his influences is the thread tying his work to artists like OutKast. Known for their fearless innovation and unapologetic eccentricity, OutKast opened doors for hip-hop to venture into uncharted territories. Their influence is particularly evident in Gambino's commitment to constantly reinventing his sound. Take 'Me and Your Mama,' the opening track of Awaken, My Love! It fuses the operatic grandeur of OutKast's The Love Below with the wild experimentation of vintage funk, proving that Gambino, much like Andre 3000, thrives in defying expectations. Similarly, LCD Soundsystem's electronic landscapes helped shape Gambino's earlier works, particularly in his album Because the Internet . Full album below. Tracks like '3005' incorporate the layered synths and emotional vulnerability reminiscent of James Murphy's best works. The fusion of electronic and emotional storytelling laid the groundwork for the soul-baring moments found later in Awaken, My Love! A Legacy in the Making Childish Gambino's artistry is a testament to how inspiration can be both a tribute to the past and a springboard into the future. By channeling the poetry of OutKast, the rawness of Funkadelic, and the intricacies of LCD Soundsystem, he has created a body of work that feels timeless yet refreshingly original. What makes Gambino's craft so compelling is not just the influences he draws from, but how he transforms them. He doesn't merely mimic; he reimagines. With Awaken, My Love! , the artist took the funk and soul soundscapes of the '70s and introduced them to a modern audience, ensuring that the music that inspired him lives on in new and vital ways. Childish Gambino's evolution proves that no genre or era exists in isolation. Instead, music flows across time, offering endless roots and rhythms to inspire the artists of tomorrow. Take a look below at some of the music from artists Childish Gambino has been influenced by. Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
Boston Globe
12-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
‘SLY LIVES!' asks: What is the burden of Black genius?
As Questlove parades a litany of famous songwriters, producers, and musicians before us in the film's opening montage, we get a brief primer on why his subject was so integral to music. 'It can't be overstated how massively popular they were,' we're told of the band. Stone was also the first songwriter to use a drum machine in a hit song, 'Family Affair.' He wrote music that was classified as R&B, soul, psychedelic, funk, and rock. Sometimes a song was all of those genres at once. You probably know the band's hits, either in their original form or as samples for too many rap songs to mention. LL Cool J famously opens 'I'm Gonna Knock You Out' with a Sly & the Family Stone sample. 'Everyday People,' 'Stand,' and 'Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)' became beloved anthems. The Advertisement Without Sly & the Family Stone, there would be no Prince and the Revolution, a notion seconded by fellow Minnesotans and Prince protégés Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. You can hear Stone's influence in Prince's music, plus both men played multiple instruments and wrote all their songs. Jam and Lewis are just two of the many talking heads the film interviews. Members of Sly & the Family Stone are also interviewed, looking much older than they do in the bounty of clips from nearly 60 years ago. The band members speak highly of their leader but also truthfully. Their tone is a mixture of love, exasperation, pain, and joy. Advertisement Director Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson and producer Joseph Patel. 'SLY LIVES! (a.k.a. The Burden of Black Genius)' examines the life and legacy of Sly & The Family Stone. Disney/Kelsey McNeal In addition to sounding great, 'SLY LIVES!' is superbly edited by Joshua L. Pearson. When you have a fellow musician and mix master like Questlove at the helm, every clip is perfectly selected; every song and sample feels part of a bigger thematic whole. Additionally, since this is a film by someone who understands how to make music, we get more than just platitudes. People like Chic's Nile Rodgers discuss how songs are crafted, and the unusual ways Stone incorporated instruments and hooks into his compositions. But all is not sunshine and flowers and hippies writhing around at Woodstock (where Sly & the Family Stone played). This is a darker film than 'Summer of Soul,' one that quickly puts us on notice. After that exhilarating and complementary montage introduces the film, Questlove presents archival footage of Sly Stone being interviewed — and it's like a kick in the gut. With the camera pointed at Stone, his interviewer says, 'There are guys and girls all over this country trying to get to the top, and you get there. And you blow it .' Immediately, you see the joy leave Stone's face. It's brutal, but it's also not untrue. Stone's own demons eventually led to drugs, run-ins with the law, and the demise of the band. If you were around for Sly & the Family Stone's Advertisement So what happened? Questlove has a theory that's summed up in his title's parenthetical aside. He presents this theory to his interview subjects. 'For Black artists in America, success can be more frightening than failure,' he says. 'The world's watching you … and I think that Sly was kind of the first Black artist to go through that publicly.' 'A burden came with his genius.' From there, 'SLY LIVES!' becomes an exploration of what 'Black genius' is, and why it may be a double-edged sword. And it's here where the film slightly disappoints — because we never get a definitive answer. Everyone has difficulty pinpointing the exact definition. I don't think I was expecting a conclusive argument, to be honest, but the creative part of me held out hope that I'd get one. Blackness forces your skillset to be held up as an example, whether you want it or not. We are not a monolith, but damn if we're not often judged as one. Perhaps Andre 3000 sums it up best when he basically says we'll know Black genius when we see it. 'SLY LIVES!' not only lets you see that genius, it also lets you hear it in the music of Sly & the Family Stone. And since this movie is streaming on Hulu, you can sing along and dance with impunity from the privacy of your own home. ★★★½ SLY LIVES! Directed by Questlove. On Hulu starting Thursday. 110 minutes. Unrated (profanity) Odie Henderson is the Boston Globe's film critic.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Questlove Says Taylor Swift Takes Uno to a Whole New ‘Level of Excitement' at His Star-Studded Game Nights
Questlove knows Taylor Swift isn't playing around when it comes to game night. On the Thursday, Feb. 6 episode of Hot Ones with Sean Evans, the director of the upcoming documentary Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) dished about his celebrity game nights — and how competitive it can get. "So, I see these pictures from these epic game nights that you throw with A-list guests that go from everyone to J.J. Abrams to Tyler, the Creator to Taylor Swift," Evans, 38, said, asking the Grammy winner, 54, if he had a Mount Rushmore of games. Related: Taylor Swift, Gigi Hadid, Channing Tatum and More Join Questlove for Game Night Questlove – nine spicy wings in at this point — listed Jenga, Operation and Clue, which has a "squad" for the "super dweebs," he said, calling the game Uno a "personality tester." "It shows me who a person is in a matter of minutes," added the musician of the card game. "Taylor actually, when she first played Uno with us, she took it to levels of excitement that I didn't know one could do in an Uno game," he continued of Swift, 35. The Roots frontman had shared Polaroid pictures from his FOMO-inducing game night in August 2023. Swift, Gigi Hadid, Jason Sudeikis, Channing Tatum, Cara Delevingne and Trevor Noah were among the attendees battling it out over board and card games. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. In October 2023, Questlove hosted another game night — this time, Chrissy Teigen, Tyler, the Creator and The Bear actor Lionel Boyce stopped by for Scrabble, Monopoly and Speak Out. "The Adventures in King of All Game Nights," Questlove called that particular evening's events. 'I have not been to an LA house party in many years because I thought I was too old but it turns out it's more fun when you are old and not on a mission to black out!!' Teigen, 39, wrote on Instagram about the game night alongside photos of her playing Speak Out. "Thank you @questlove for a truly innocent ass, pure night of joy and laughter. I usually get so anxious talking to new people but you have such a nice group of friends, friend. These should be monthly," she continued. "Also uno still reigns supreme but speak out is up there if you are ok with people u have never met seeing you drool." Related: Questlove Blasts Drake and Kendrick Lamar for 'Mudslinging' in Vicious Rap Beef: 'Hip-Hop Truly Is Dead' Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) focuses on the "life and legacy of Sly & The Family Stone, the groundbreaking band led by the charismatic and enigmatic Sly Stone," an official synopsis for the documentary reads. "The film captures the band's rise, reign and subsequent fadeout while shedding light on the unseen burden that comes with success for Black artists in America." Andre 3000, D'Angelo, Chaka Khan, Q-Tip, Nile Rogers, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, George Clinton, Ruth Copeland and Clive Davis are featured in Questlove's upcoming doc. Sly Lives! premieres on Thursday, Feb. 13 on Hulu. Read the original article on People
