Latest news with #Roots
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Questlove Pays Tribute to Sly Stone: ‘You Will Forever Live'
Ahmir 'Questlove' Thompson, who directed the new documentary 'Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius),' has shared a remembrance of the subject of his film, Sly Stone. The 82 year-old died of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and other underlying health issues. '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,' the Roots drummer wrote on Instagram. '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.' More from Variety Sly Stone's 10 Essential Songs: From 'Dance to the Music' to 'Everyday People' to 'Family Affair,' and More Sly & the Family Stone Live Album From 1967 Will Finally See Light of Day Questlove on Why His 'SNL' Music Doc Couldn't Get a Clearance From Pavarotti, but How Eminem Saved the Day View this post on Instagram A post shared by Questlove (@questlove) As songwriter, producer, arranger, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and showman, Stone and his group Sly and the Family Stone dominated the top of the charts with energetic singles and albums. His life and career were documented in Questlove's film, which also features unfiltered commentary from multiple Black artists about the pressures that come with success. 'Yes, Sly battled addiction,' Questlove continued in Monday's statement. '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.' He continued, highlighting two lines spoken and sung by Stone — 'We deserve everything we get in this life,' and ''the eternal cry of 'Everyday People': 'We got to live together!'' Questlove writes, '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.' Besides his children with Silva and Robinson, Stone is survived by another daughter, L.A. musician Novena Carmel. Best of Variety 25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Animated Program — Can Netflix Score Big With 'Arcane,' 'Devil May Cry' and the Final Season of 'Big Mouth?'
San Francisco Chronicle
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Sly Stone, Bay Area funk pioneer and Family Stone frontman, dies at 82
Sly Stone, the kaleidoscopic genius who turned San Francisco into the pulsing heart of funk-rock with his groundbreaking band Sly and the Family Stone, has died at 82. The trailblazing musician who transformed popular music in the 1960s and '70s and beyond with such hits as 'Everyday People,' 'Stand!' and 'Family Affair,' passed away peacefully, according to a statement from his family, after a long battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other health issues. 'Sly passed away peacefully, surrounded by his three children, his closest friend and his extended family,' said the statement, released Monday, June 9. '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 Sylvester Stewart on March 15, 1943, in Denton, Texas, and raised from infancy in Vallejo, Stone's journey from Pentecostal gospel prodigy to countercultural icon defined an era of musical transformation and social upheaval. He was the second of five children in a close, religious family who became 'Sly' after a teacher mistakenly spelled his name 'Slyvester.' Vallejo remained a touchstone in his life and career, where his early talent emerged through church music and adolescent doo-wop outfits. By his early 20s, Stone was a Bay Area fixture — spinning genre-defying sets as a disc jockey at KSOL and producing hits for local acts at Autumn Records. He had a gift not only for performance but also for collapsing boundaries, musical and otherwise. Through his radio industry connections, Sly Stone began producing top San Francisco acts, including the Great Society, the band Grace Slick fronted before joining Jefferson Airplane. Working alongside early mentor and local DJ Tom 'Big Daddy' Donahue, he produced a mix of rhythm and blues and rock hits — among them Bobby Freeman's 'C'mon and Swim' and the Beau Brummels' Beatles-inspired 'Laugh, Laugh.' At the same time, he was quietly assembling his own group, drawing in family members and local talent, eventually naming the band Sly and the Family Stone in 1966. 'Sly's sound was totally integrated, not just musically, but sexually and racially,' wrote former Creem magazine editor and music critic Dave Marsh. 'Everyone did something unexpected, which was the only thing the listener could expect.' Its lineup, diverse in race and gender, embodied the spirit of its city and its time. The group's blend of rock, funk, soul and psychedelia birthed anthems like 'Dance to the Music' and 'Higher.' Their vibrant sound, forged in San Francisco clubs and immortalized on the mud-slick stage at Woodstock in 1969, helped rewrite the DNA of American pop. Stone's legacy echoed far beyond the Bay Area. His innovations in multi-tracking and drum machines laid the groundwork for artists like Stevie Wonder, Prince and hip-hop pioneers like the Roots. 'Sly created the alphabet that we are still using to express music,' said the Roots drummer and filmmaker Questlove, who documented Stone's life in the recent film 'Sly Lives: aka the Burden of Black Genius.' But the same intensity that fueled his artistry also led to a spectacular unraveling. In the 1970s, amid growing paranoia and drug use, his music darkened, and Stone's once-electric live shows became sporadic or nonexistent. The landmark album 'There's a Riot Goin' On' captured this shift — a brooding, drum-machine-driven masterpiece reflecting the national mood and Stone's inner turmoil. By the 1980s, Stone had receded into infamy and isolation, his public appearances more cautionary tale than triumphant return. Sly and the Family Stone were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and honored at the Grammy Awards in 2006. But after the early 1980s, Sly released only one album: 'I'm Back! Family & Friends,' which mostly featured updated versions of his earlier hits. He lived at times in motels and vans, battling addiction and chasing legal claims for unpaid royalties. But his influence remained magnetic, his sampled grooves a bedrock of hip-hop and funk revivalism. In recent years, Stone had resurfaced in fits and starts. His memoir, 'Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin),' published in 2023 with help from Questlove and co-author Ben Greenman, offered a sharp, playful account of his storied past. 'You couldn't take turns with freedom,' he wrote. 'Everyone had to be free all the time or no one was free at all.' Stone had three children, including a daughter with Family Stone trumpeter Cynthia Robinson. In 1974, he wed actress Kathy Silva on stage at Madison Square Garden, a marriage that ended in divorce shortly afterward.
National Post
9 hours ago
- Lifestyle
- National Post
Behind the scenes of the Roots factory: Future of made in Canada
Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Article content I still wear a pair of Roots sweatpants from my bat mitzvah, which was 25 years ago. Roots is known for its sweatpants, leather goods and other comfy gear — products made with quality that can last decades. Article content I recently visited the Roots leather factory in Toronto (Roots is one of my favourite brands). I learned about the production of the brand's leather and embroidered products, including how you can have your Roots leather goods repaired by the same factory that manufactured them. I saw some bags that were over 20 years old that are still going strong, aside from some wear and tear on the lining. Article content Article content Article content Article content We also saw some embroidery work with the Toronto Blue Jays logo. That's what stood out the most. How bespoke and hyper-local Roots collaborations can be because its leather goods (and other collections) are made in Toronto. Article content
Globe and Mail
4 days ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Roots Announces Details of its Fiscal 2025 First Quarter Results Conference Call
Roots Corporation ('Roots' or the 'Company') (TSX: ROOT), the premium outdoor-lifestyle brand, today announced that the Company will host a conference call to discuss its Fiscal 2025 first quarter results on Friday, June 13, 2025. Ms. Meghan Roach, President & Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Leon Wu, Chief Financial Officer, will host the call. About Roots Established in 1973, Roots is a global lifestyle brand. Starting from a small cabin in northern Canada, Roots has become a global brand with over 100 corporate retail stores in Canada, two stores in the United States, and an eCommerce platform, We have more than 100 partner-operated stores in Asia, and we also operate a dedicated Roots-branded storefront on in China. We design, market, and sell a broad selection of products in different departments, including women's men's, children's, and gender-free apparel, leather goods, footwear, and accessories. Our products are built with uncompromising comfort, quality, and style that allows you to feel At Home With Nature™. We offer products designed to meet life's everyday adventures and provide you with the versatility to live your life to the fullest. We also wholesale through business-to-business channels and license the brand to a select group of licensees selling products to major retailers. Roots Corporation is a Canadian corporation doing business as 'Roots' and 'Roots Canada'.
National Post
4 days ago
- Business
- National Post
Roots Announces Details of its Fiscal 2025 First Quarter Results Conference Call
Article content Article content Company to issue its Fiscal 2025 first quarter results press release on Friday, June 13, 2025 at 7:00 a.m. ET with a conference call to follow at 8:00 a.m. ET Article content Article content TORONTO — Roots Corporation ('Roots' or the 'Company') (TSX: ROOT), the premium outdoor-lifestyle brand, today announced that the Company will host a conference call to discuss its Fiscal 2025 first quarter results on Friday, June 13, 2025. Ms. Meghan Roach, President & Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Leon Wu, Chief Financial Officer, will host the call. Article content About Roots Article content Established in 1973, Roots is a global lifestyle brand. Starting from a small cabin in northern Canada, Roots has become a global brand with over 100 corporate retail stores in Canada, two stores in the United States, and an eCommerce platform, We have more than 100 partner-operated stores in Asia, and we also operate a dedicated Roots-branded storefront on in China. We design, market, and sell a broad selection of products in different departments, including women's men's, children's, and gender-free apparel, leather goods, footwear, and accessories. Our products are built with uncompromising comfort, quality, and style that allows you to feel At Home With Nature™. We offer products designed to meet life's everyday adventures and provide you with the versatility to live your life to the fullest. We also wholesale through business-to-business channels and license the brand to a select group of licensees selling products to major retailers. Roots Corporation is a Canadian corporation doing business as 'Roots' and 'Roots Canada'. Article content Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content For further information, please contact: Article content Article content Article content Article content
