Psychedelic soul and funk pioneer Sly Stone, well-known as the lead of Sly and the Family Stone, died on June 9 2025 at the age of 82. The cause was chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Sly Stone was born Sylvester Stewart on March 15 1943 in Denton, Texas. His family moved to Vallejo, California when he was still very young. His family was deeply religious and he grew up in the church, which included music. He was only eight years old when he and three of his siblings recorded the gospel single, "On the Battlefield"/"Walking in Jesus' Name." As a child, Sly Stone was already skilled on keyboards. He had learned to play guitar, bass, and drums by the time he was eleven.
In high school Sly Stone (still going by his birth name) played with various bands. He was a member of a doo-wop group called The Viscaynes. It was in 1961 that they released the single "Stop What You Are Doing," on which Sly Stone sang harmony. Their next single was "Yellow Moon," which had been written by Sly Stone. The Viscaynes would release a few more singles.
Sly Stone attended Vallejo Junior College, after which he became a deejay at radio station KSOL in San Francisco. He later moved to radio station KDIA. It was during this same period that he produced records for the San Francisco based label Autumn Records. He produced records for Bobby Freeman, The Beau Brummels, and The Great Society, among others. It was also around this period that he took the name "Sly Stone."
It was in 1966 that he formed a band called Sly & The Stoners. It was about the same time that his brother Freddie formed a band called Freddie & The Stone Souls. It was saxophonist Jerry Matinic, a friend of Sly Stone, who suggested that the two brothers combine their two bands. The end result was Sly and the Family Stone. Sly and Freddie's sisters Vet and Rose would also be a part of the Family Stone.
Sly and the Family Stone signed to Epic Records. Their first album,, A Whole New Thing, was released in October 1967. The album sold poorly and did not chart. Fortunately, the non-album single "Dance to the Music" proved to be a huge hit, going to no. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and no. 9 on the Billboard R&B chart. Their second album took its title from the single and featured a more pop-oriented sound. It also proved more successful than their first album.
As successful as "Dance to the Music" was, Sly and the Family Stone would see even more success with the single "Everyday People." Released in November 1968, it hit no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on February 9 1969 and stayed there for four weeks. It also went to no. 1 o the Billboard Soul chart. Arguably 1969 would see Sly and the Family Stone at the peak of their success. They would have another number one single during the year, the song "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)." Their single "Stand!" went to no. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 and their single "Hot Fun in the Summertime" went to no. 2.
Sly and the Family Stone would have one last number one single, "A Family Affair," in 1971. The band would see less success in the early Seventies, although they still had singles that did relatively well. Unfortunately, drug use and internal strife would take its toll on Sly and the Family Stone. As the Seventies progressed Sly and the Family Stone's singles and albums saw less success. Sly and the Family Stone broke up in 1975.
Sly Stone's first solo album, High on You, was released the same year. Sly Stone did a great deal of session work in the next many years, from playing organ and piano on The New Riders of the Purple Sage song "Mighty Time" to the horn arrangement on The Brothers Johnson's song "Ball of Fire." In 1976 Sly Stone reunited with The Viscaynes and recorded the single "Oh What a Nite" as Sly Stone and The Biscaynes. Sly Stone recorded the 1979 album Back on the Right Track, which was released under the name Sly and the Family Stone, The 1982 album Ain't But the One Way was also released under Sly and the Family Stone. In both cases they were more or less Sly Stone solo albums. In 2011 he released one last solo album, I'm Back! Family & Friends.
Sly Stone was a true pioneer and he could quite rightfully be described as one of the inventors of psychedelic soul and funk. While he had a low opinion of both the song "Dance to the Music" and the album Dance to the Music, both would prove influential. Both The Temptations an The Four Tops followed its lead, while arguably such groups as the Undisputed Truth and the Jackson Five owed their existence to Dance to the Music and later Sly and the Family Stone albums. Along with James Brown and George Clinton, Sly Stone was responsible for the development of funk. Their early successes would pave the way for future funk artists. Sly Stone would also have an impact on a wide array of artists in a wide array of genres, including Herbie Hancock, Curtis Mayfield, Bob Marley, Prince, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Black Eyed Peas, and The Roots. It has been said that Sly Stone invented sounds from the Seventies in the late Sixties. He certainly was a true pioneer.
