He made the dash count!
Sly Stone, the electric genius behind one of music’s most revolutionary bands, has passed away at the age of 82, NPR reports. Known for changing the sound, and soul, of American music, the frontman of Sly & the Family Stone died on Monday, June 9th, in Los Angeles after battling lung disease.
“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,” his family shared.
Born Sylvester Stewart in Denton, Texas, Stone’s path to greatness began early. By age 8, he was already recording gospel music with his siblings as The Stewart Four. Sly, a childhood nickname that was the result of a misspelled “Sylvester,” would soon become iconic. By 11, he was a one-man band, mastering keyboards, bass, guitar, and drums before most kids had even chosen an instrument.
That early brilliance would manifest into something much bigger. As a high schooler, Stone fronted a diverse doo-wop group called The Viscaynes. Later, as a trailblazing disc jockey at KSOL in California, he boldly spun records by both Black and white artists. He was already pushing against boundaries, already planting the seeds for a new kind of sound.
In 1966, Sly and his brother Freddie did more than just form a band, they created a movement. Sly & the Family Stone was one of the first major acts to feature a fully integrated lineup, with both Black and white musicians, and women who weren’t just background singers but also instrumentalists. That inclusivity was radical for its time, and intentional.
Their sound defied genre and explanation: a rich alchemy of psychedelic rock, gospel, soul, funk, and jazz. Songs like “Everyday People,” “Family Affair,” and “Dance to the Music” weren’t just hits, they were declarations. Anthems of unity. Celebrations of Black joy and human connection. The group’s performance at Woodstock in 1969? Transcendent.
“The call, the response. It felt like church,” Stone later recalled in his memoir Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin). “The horns went up into the sky. When the show was over, we were wet and cold. I don’t remember how I left… but I wasn’t there to see Jimi [Hendrix] close the festival.”
His sister, Rose Stone, remembered that moment vividly: “It was about 5:00 AM when we went on. It was dark, and we were playing our best… and the sun started to come up and all of a sudden all we could see was just a sea of people. I think it was like an apex of our group.”
Yet, as much as Sly Stone could lift the world with rhythm, he also carried its weight. The 1970s ushered in darker music from Stone, songs that reflected a nation in mourning, still bleeding from assassinations and war. Eventually, the group unraveled amid internal struggles, the stage lights dimmed, and Stone disappeared from public life.
But his influence never faded. He reemerged briefly in the 2000s, sometimes performing with his daughter’s band, Baby Stone. In 2017, the Recording Academy honored him with a Lifetime Achievement Award. And in 2023, he released his memoir which overflowed with the same fearless energy that once lit up every record.
Sly Stone didn’t just make music, he reimagined what it could be. He changed the face of American sound, and in doing so, helped change its soul. A man of funk, of feeling, of fearless expression,he leaves behind a legacy that doesn’t just endure, it radiates.
As we remember his life and legacy, may his groove live on in every chorus, every drumbeat, every burst of joy we dare to dance to. Rest in Power to a true icon.
Cover photo: Sly Stone, Funk Pioneer of ‘Sly &The Family Stone,’ Has Joined the Ancestors/Photo credit: Herb Greene/Sly Stone/NPR