Sly Stewart (Sly & the Family Stone) dead at 82

Sylvester Stewart, known as Sly Stone, was born on March 15, 1943.

In 1966, Sly formed Sly & the Stones, featuring trumpeter Cynthia Robinson, while his brother Freddie led Freddie & the Stone Souls, including drummer Greg Errico and saxophonist Ronnie Crawford. At the suggestion of saxophonist Jerry Martini, the bands merged in November 1966, forming Sly and the Family Stone. Initially called Sly Brothers and Sisters, they adopted the name Sly and the Family Stone after their first gig at Winchester Cathedral, a Redwood City nightclub. The lineup included Sly (vocals, organ), Freddie Stone (guitar, vocals), Cynthia Robinson (trumpet), Jerry Martini (saxophone), Larry Graham (bass), and Greg Errico (drums). Rose Stone joined as a vocalist and keyboardist in 1968. The band was groundbreaking as the first major American rock group with a racially integrated, mixed-gender lineup.

Sly recruited his sister Vaetta and her friends Mary McCreary and Elva Mouton to form Little Sister, the band’s background vocalists. Signed to Epic Records in 1967, their debut album, A Whole New Thing, received critical acclaim but modest sales. At the urging of CBS executive Clive Davis, Sly wrote the more accessible single “Dance to the Music,” which became their first Top 10 hit in 1968, reaching No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Sly and the Family Stone pioneered “psychedelic soul,” blending funk, soul, rock, gospel, and psychedelia. Their 1969 album Stand! was a cultural and commercial milestone, selling over three million copies and featuring hits like “Everyday People” (No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts), “Sing a Simple Song,” and “I Want to Take You Higher.” Their electrifying performance at Woodstock in August 1969, highlighted by a call-and-response during “I Want to Take You Higher,” cemented their status as one of the era’s defining acts. They also performed at the Harlem Cultural Festival in 1969, featured in Questlove’s Summer of Soul documentary.

By the early 1970s, Sly’s drug use, particularly cocaine and later crack, and erratic behavior began to destabilize the band. He became unreliable, often arriving late or missing concerts, including delays at Woodstock. Internal conflicts and drug issues led to lineup changes: drummer Greg Errico left in 1971, and bassist Larry Graham, who pioneered the slap-bass technique, departed in 1972 to form Graham Central Station. The 1973 album Fresh was critically acclaimed, but Sly’s dysfunction overshadowed its success.

By 1975, infighting, creative differences, and Sly’s addiction led to the band’s dissolution. Sly continued recording solo albums like High on You (1975) and Back on the Right Track (1979), but they were commercially unsuccessful. His 1982 album Ain’t But the One Way was completed by producer Stewart Levine after Sly disappeared during its production.

Sly’s struggles with addiction and legal issues, including tax evasion and failure to pay child support, led to financial ruin. In 2011, he was reported homeless, living in a van, and claimed unfair contracts from the 1980s caused his financial woes. In 2015, he won a $5 million lawsuit against former managers for unpaid royalties. After decades of reclusion, Sly got clean in 2019 following health warnings about his lungs.

After a prolonged battle with COPD and other underlying health issues, Sly passed away peacefully today, surrounded by his three children, his closest friend, and his extended family. Stewart was 82.

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