In Memoriam: Sly Stone
Sly Stone, the leader of Sly and the Family Stone, died on Monday, June 9, 2025, after a long battle with COPD. He was 82 years old.
Stone was a multihyphenate singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, arranger, and producer. A pioneer of psychedelic funk and rock, Stone led the band in rousing performances in the 1960s and ‘70s for the Woodstock generation. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.
He was born Sylvester Stewart on March 15, 1943, in Denton, Texas, then spent much of his childhood in northern California near San Francisco. Stone was active in church at a young age, making his first recording when he was just 9 years old. By the time he graduated from high school, Stone could play guitar, keyboard, bass, and drums, and he was playing in several groups.
Stone appeared on local TV dance party shows, worked in production for Autumn Records, and became a popular DJ. With his growing knowledge of music and production, he decided to create a band that blended soul and rock. Sly and the Family Stone was born with his brother Freddie on guitar, his sister Rose on keyboards, Greg Errico on drums, Larry Graham on bass, Cynthia Robinson on trumpet, and Jerry Martini on saxophone.
It didn’t take long for the band to gain fans and get the attention of record producers. Their debut album A Whole New Thing was released in 1967, but it did not see success. They followed it with their breakout hit “Dance to the Music,” which reached the Top 10 on pop and R&B charts.
Their 1969 album Stand contained multiple singles that charted, including the title track, “Everyday People,” “Sing a Simple Song,” and “I Want to Take You Higher.” They became a major draw at concerts and music festivals, culminating in their performance at Woodstock. Sly and the Family Stone played at 3:30 AM during a downpour and managed to pump energy into the tired, waterlogged crowd.
Despite their success, off stage bickering and drug use became an issue for the band. In ’71, Stone released the largely solo album There’s a Riot Goin’ On, reaching No. 1 on the charts. The Family Stone started to part ways around this time, but Stone kept releasing more records through the early ‘80s. He was struggling with drug addiction and spent much of the ‘80s and ‘90s in and out of rehab and was arrested several times. He reemerged in 2006 for a performance at the Grammys, then he toured with a new incarnation of the Family Stone led by his sister, Vaetta, and other groups that included former bandmates.
Stone’s musical blend of funk, rock, and pop influenced performers like Prince and George Clinton, and it was widely sampled by hip hop acts like Public Enemy and Ice Cube. His journey in the music industry was featured in the documentary, Sly Lives: aka the Burden of Black Genius, which was directed by Questlove and included commentary from many other musicians.
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In Memoriam: Sly Stone
Sly Stone, the leader of Sly and the Family Stone, died on Monday, June 9, 2025, after a long battle with COPD. He was 82 years old.
Stone was a multihyphenate singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, arranger, and producer. A pioneer of psychedelic funk and rock, Stone led the band in rousing performances in the 1960s and ‘70s for the Woodstock generation. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.
He was born Sylvester Stewart on March 15, 1943, in Denton, Texas, then spent much of his childhood in northern California near San Francisco. Stone was active in church at a young age, making his first recording when he was just 9 years old. By the time he graduated from high school, Stone could play guitar, keyboard, bass, and drums, and he was playing in several groups.
Stone appeared on local TV dance party shows, worked in production for Autumn Records, and became a popular DJ. With his growing knowledge of music and production, he decided to create a band that blended soul and rock. Sly and the Family Stone was born with his brother Freddie on guitar, his sister Rose on keyboards, Greg Errico on drums, Larry Graham on bass, Cynthia Robinson on trumpet, and Jerry Martini on saxophone.
It didn’t take long for the band to gain fans and get the attention of record producers. Their debut album A Whole New Thing was released in 1967, but it did not see success. They followed it with their breakout hit “Dance to the Music,” which reached the Top 10 on pop and R&B charts.
Their 1969 album Stand contained multiple singles that charted, including the title track, “Everyday People,” “Sing a Simple Song,” and “I Want to Take You Higher.” They became a major draw at concerts and music festivals, culminating in their performance at Woodstock. Sly and the Family Stone played at 3:30 AM during a downpour and managed to pump energy into the tired, waterlogged crowd.
Despite their success, off stage bickering and drug use became an issue for the band. In ’71, Stone released the largely solo album There’s a Riot Goin’ On, reaching No. 1 on the charts. The Family Stone started to part ways around this time, but Stone kept releasing more records through the early ‘80s. He was struggling with drug addiction and spent much of the ‘80s and ‘90s in and out of rehab and was arrested several times. He reemerged in 2006 for a performance at the Grammys, then he toured with a new incarnation of the Family Stone led by his sister, Vaetta, and other groups that included former bandmates.
Stone’s musical blend of funk, rock, and pop influenced performers like Prince and George Clinton, and it was widely sampled by hip hop acts like Public Enemy and Ice Cube. His journey in the music industry was featured in the documentary, Sly Lives: aka the Burden of Black Genius, which was directed by Questlove and included commentary from many other musicians.
Popular Topics
Overstreet Access Quick Links
