Sly Stone, the brilliant and troubled visionary behind the wildly influential, boundary-smashing '60s and '70s greats Sly And The Family Stone, has passed away. In a public statement, Stone's family says that he recently passed on "after a prolonged battle with COPD and other underlying health issues." Stone was 82.
Here is his family's full statement:
It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved dad, Sly Stone of Sly and the Family Stone. After a prolonged battle with COPD and other underlying health issues, Sly passed away peacefully, surrounded by his three children, his closest friend, and his extended family. 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.
Sly was a monumental figure, a groundbreaking innovator, and a true pioneer who redefined the landscape of pop, funk, and rock music. His iconic songs have left an indelible mark on the world, and his influence remains undeniable. In a testament to his enduring creative spirit, Sly recently completed the screenplay for his life story, a project we are eager to share with the world in due course, which follows a memoir published in 2024.
We extend our deepest gratitude for the outpouring of love and prayers during this difficult time. We wish peace and harmony to all who were touched by Sly's life and his iconic music.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your unwavering support.
Sly Stone was born Sylvester Stewart in Denton, Texas, and he largely grew up in the Bay Area city of Vallejo. His religious parents encouraged their kids' interest in music, and Sly formed a child Fregospel group called the Stewart Four with his brother Freddie and his sisters Rose and Loretto. Their debut single "On The Battlefield" was locally released in 1956. At a very young age, Stone learned to play keyboard, guitar, bass, and drums, and he led a few different groups as a teenager. In the '60s, Stone found work as a radio DJ in San Francisco, and he played rock bands like the Beatles on what was considered a soul station. He also produced records for the psych-rock bands on the Autumn label, including the Beau Brummels and the Great Society.
In the late '60s, Stone put together the band that was first known as Sly And The Stoners. They were integrated along race and gender lines, both of which were essentially unheard of at the time. His bandmates included his siblings Freddie and Rose Stone, as well as bassist Larry Graham, trumpeter Cynthia Robinson, and drummer Greg Errico. Sly And The Family Stone signed to Epic, and they released their debut album A Whole New Thing in 1967. "Dance To The Music," their second single, was a top-10 pop hit in America. A year later, they took the single "Everyday People" to #1. Both of those singles, along with a bunch of others, soon became standards, covered and sampled countless times.
In 1969, Sly And The Family Stone released the classic album Stand and played Woodstock and headlined the Harlem Cultural Festival. Their energetic, utopian music fit into no established mold. It was soul and pop and psychedelic rock all at once. Along with fellow pioneers like James Brown, Stone essentially invented funk music. But that initial wave of success brought the band into conflict with groups like the Black Panther Party, and many of the band members, including Sly Stone, became heavy users of cocaine and angel dust. In a three-year period, the Family Stone only released one single, but that song, "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)," became another #1 hit. The band's creative core started to fall apart, and Sly became increasingly isolated.
In 1971, Sly And The Family Stone reemerged with the bleak, intense masterpiece There's A Riot Goin' On. Sly Stone recorded much of that album on his own, using extensive overdubbing and early drum machines. Lead single "Family Affair" became the Family Stone's final #1 hit. But that creative triumph didn't make things any easier for the group, which broke down amidst physical fights and rumors of contracted hits. The group's lineup shifted constantly, and they no-showed a number of live gigs. Eventually, the Family Stone became a Sly Stone solo project. The albums that he released later in the '70s were increasingly messy and unsuccessful.
In the '80s and early '90s, Sly Stone occasionally toured and recorded, but his drug problems got worse, and he went deeper and deeper into seclusion after a couple of drug arrests. After he was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1993, Stone made no public appearances for more than a decade. In 2009, a documentary revealed that Stone spent time homeless, living in a camper van while his royalties were cut off during legal disputes. In 2006, Sly And The Family Stone reunited to perform at the Grammys; Stone had a huge mohawk and a cast on his hand.
Sly Stone performed a few more times in the '00s, and he released the album I'm Back! Family And Friends in 2011. Questlove featured lots of rediscovered Sly And The Family Stone footage in his Oscar-winning 2021 documentary Summer Of Soul, and his Sly-focused documentary SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) came out earlier this year. In 2024, Stone published his memoir Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin), and Sly And The Family Stone's earliest known live recordings are scheduled to come out next month. In their statement about his passing, Stone's family says that he "recently completed the screenplay for his life story."
