Cynthia Robinson, the trumpeter, vocalist and founding member of the renowned soul group Sly and the Family Stone, has died after being diagnosed with cancer. She was 69 years old.
“Our condolences go out to the Robinson family and her bandmates and all family and friends,” read a message posted to Robinson’s official Facebook page on 24 November. “You are in our thoughts and prayers, and we are here for you. Please continue to support the Cynthia Robinson Cancer Care Fund due to the rising medical costs (anything helps). This site will stay up in her memory. God bless you, Cynthia!”
Robinson joined Sly Stone’s group Sly and the Stoners in 1966, according to the Family Stone’s website. The group merged with Freddie Stone’s band Freddie and the Stone Souls, and Robinson became a founding member of Sly and the Family Stone in 1967.
The band’s original lineup went on to release eight albums, producing hits such as Everyday People, I Want to Take You Higher and Dance to the Music – on which Robinson famously called out: “Get on up and dance to the music.”
“She covered a lot of ground,” said saxophonist Jerry Martini, speaking to Billboard. “She wasn’t in the back. She was out front telling you to get up and dance to the music, and she could blow with the best of ’em, always.”
The group suffered internal turmoil and fell apart in 1975, although Sly released three more albums under the group’s name and Robinson continued to play on some of Sly’s albums. Robinson then started playing trumpet with P-funk legend George Clinton and ex-Sly and the Family Stone bassist Larry Graham in his Graham Central Station project.
Robinson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 as part of the Family Stone, making her the first African-American female trumpeter to receive the honour. She established a fund in October to raise funds for her cancer treatment, and played Glastonbury festival last June with the current iteration of the Family Stone.
Cynthia Robinson was born in California on 12 January 1946 and is survived by her daughters Sylvette Phunne and Laura Marie.
