American funk legend Sly Stone, founder of the trailblazing group Sly and the Family Stone, whose songs drove a civil rights-inflected soul explosion in the 1960s, has died at the age of 82.
Stone's publicist confirmed he passed away in Los Angeles on Monday, surrounded by family, after suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other health issues.
"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 family added.
Born Sylvester Stewart in Texas in 1942, Stone worked his way up as a disc jockey and record producer. By the late 1960s, he formed Sly and the Family Stone. A multi-instrumentalist, he not only led the band but wrote lyrics, sang lead vocals and produced.
The group was one of the first major American bands to feature both black and white members, as well as both men and women – symbolising the ideals of the civil rights era.
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Optimism and disillusion
Blending soul, rock, funk, and psychedelia, they got their breakthrough in 1968 with Dance to the Music – the title track of their second album – which reached the top 10 in the charts.
The group’s success was short but influential. Between 1968 and 1973, they released several top-10 singles such as Family Affair. The abums There’s a Riot Goin’ On, Stand! and Greatest Hits sold more than a million copies each.
Their work reflected both the optimism and disillusionment of the time.
Sly and the Family Stone’s performance at Woodstock in 1969 remains one of the festival’s most iconic moments. Taking the stage in the early hours of the morning, the band electrified the crowd with a high-energy set, embodying the spirit of unity and rebellion that defined the era. Their call-and-response anthem I Want to Take You Higher turned the muddy field into a massive, dancing crowd – a moment often cited as one of Woodstock’s emotional high points.
'Force for positive change'
Stone’s innovative style influenced generations of artists, from George Clinton and Prince to contemporary hip-hop and R&B performers. His riffs and vocal arrangements have been sampled by artists such as Dr. Dre and the Beastie Boys. A tribute disk was recorded in 2005 with Maroon 5, John Legend and The Roots.
For French music journalist Olivier Cachin, Sly Stone was “a pioneer of funk and a key figure in 20th century music".
Sly and the Family Stone were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. "Their songs were more than danceable hits – they were a force for positive change" it said.
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But Stone struggled to contain the forces and pressures that came with fame. He slid into addiction, missed concerts and his musical output, once bankable, became erratic.
By 1973, the band imploded.
In his 2023 memoir, Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin), Stone acknowledged he was lost in a deluge of cocaine and PCP, but that he finally went clean in 2019.
Drugs gave him "confidence" and energy, he wrote.
But he regretted "the way I let drugs run my life," he added.
"I thought I could control them but then at some point they were controlling me."
(with newswires)
