Yesterday, legendary musician Sly Stone died at the age of 82. He was the front man of Sly and the Family Stone, and played an important role in the development of funk, with his fusion of soul, rock, psychedelia, and gospel in the 1960s and 70s. He was a musical prodigy from a young age, mastering the keyboards, guitar, bass, and drums by the age of 11. In 1966, Sly and his brother Freddie joined their bands together to become Sly and the Family Stone. The band was the first major American rock group to have a racially integrated and mixed-gender lineup.
After a mildly received debut album in 1967, Sly and the Family Stone had their first hit single with “Dance to the Music”. Their 4th album, Stand!, became a huge success in 1969, selling over 3 million copies and spawning a number one hit “Everyday People”. By the summer of 1969, the band was one of the biggest names in music. Sly and the Family Stone performed an early morning set at Woodstock, and their performance was said to be one of the best shows of the festival.
However, by 1975, drug problems and interpersonal issues caused the band to break up. Drug problems forced Sly’s effective retirement in 1987. In the 80s and 90s, he was largely out of the public eye, excited for occasional press reports of his run ins with the law. But his pioneering mix of styles had a major influence in the 80s on artists like Price and Rick James. And in the 90s, many artists, like Public Enemy, Beastie Boys, and LL Cool J sampled his songs.
He appeared at the 1993 Rock and Roll Induction Ceremony for Sly and the Family Stone. He was also part of a tribute to the band at the 2006 Grammy Awards, his first live performance since 1987. In 2023, he released an autobiography, and shortly before he died had completed a screenplay based on his life story. Learn more here.