“Don’t hate the Black
Don’t hate the white
If you get bitten
Just hate the bite.”
Lyrics from ‘Are You Ready’.
Sly Stone, the revolutionary musician and dynamic showman whose Sly and the Family Stone transformed popular music in the 1960s and ’70s and beyond with such hits as ‘Dance to the Music’, ‘Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again)’, ‘Everyday People’, ‘Stand!’, ‘I Want To Take You Higher’ and ‘Family Affair’, died on Monday aged 82.
Stone, born Sylvester Stewart in Texas in 1943, had been in poor health in recent years.
The news was confirmed by his family in a press statement, who said he passed away peacefully after “a prolonged battle with COPD and other underlying health issues”.
“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved dad, Sly Stone of Sly and the Family Stone,” the statement read. “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.”
Founded in 1966-67, Sly and the Family Stone was the first major group to include Black and white men and women, and well embodied a time when anything seemed possible – riots and assassinations, communes and love-ins.
The singers screeched, chanted, crooned and hollered. The music was a blowout of frantic horns, rapid-fire guitar and locomotive rhythms, a melting pot of jazz, psychedelic rock, doo-wop, soul and the early grooves of funk.
No band better captured the gravity-defying euphoria of the Woodstock era or more bravely addressed the crash which followed.
From early songs as rousing as their titles – ‘I Want To Take You Higher’, ‘Stand!’ – to the sober aftermath of ‘Family Affair’ and ‘Runnin’ Away’, Sly and the Family Stone spoke for a generation whether or not it liked what they had to say.
The band played a memorable set at the 1969 Woodstock Festival and at the Summer of Soul concert in Harlem that same year.
Sly was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 1993 with the other founding members of the Family Stone. He returned to the stage at 2005 Grammy Awards but was seen publicly only a handful of times after that.