Famous Singer Dead at 82

Sly Stone, the revolutionary musician who led the groundbreaking funk band Sly and the Family Stone, died Monday at age 82 after battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other ailments. Stone, born Sylvester Stewart, transformed popular music in the 1960s and 1970s with hits including “Everyday People,” “Stand!” and “Family Affair.”

Stone passed away peacefully in Los Angeles surrounded by his three children, closest friend and extended family, according to a statement from his publicist Carleen Donovan. His family indicated that while they mourn his absence, they take solace knowing his extraordinary musical legacy will continue to resonate for generations.

Born in Denton, Texas, in March 1943, Stone moved with his family to the San Francisco Bay Area at six months old. Raised in a Pentecostal religious household, he began performing gospel music at an early age with his siblings in a group called the Stewart Four, making his first recording at age 9. Stone acquired the nickname “Sly” accidentally when a teacher misspelled his given name “Sylvester.”

By his teens, Stone had mastered multiple instruments including keyboards, guitar, bass and drums. He worked as a disc jockey at San Francisco radio station KSOL in the early 1960s, playing diverse music from British rock to soul. In 1965, he landed a production job at Autumn Records, where he produced Bobby Freeman’s No. 5 hit “C’mon and Swim.”

Sly and the Family Stone formed in 1966-67 when Stone combined his band with his brother Freddie’s group. The original lineup featured Stone on keyboards, his brother Freddie on guitar, sister Rose on vocals, Larry Graham on bass, Greg Errico on drums, and Cynthia Robinson and Jerry Martini on horns. The band became the first major American rock group to be racially integrated and include both men and women.

Their breakthrough came with “Dance to the Music” in April 1968, which reached No. 8 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart during the week Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. The success launched an era that moved beyond the polished Motown sound and Stax understatement. Stone’s group created a musical melting pot combining jazz, psychedelic rock, doo-wop, soul and early funk grooves.

The band’s peak period lasted from 1968-1971, during which they released five top 10 singles, three reaching No. 1: “Everyday People,” “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” and “Family Affair.” They also produced three million-selling albums: “Stand!,” “There’s a Riot Goin’ On” and “Greatest Hits.” Billboard reported that the group accumulated 17 Hot 100 hits and nine albums that reached the Billboard 200.

Stone and his band delivered memorable performances at defining 1969 festivals, including Woodstock and the Harlem Cultural Festival. At Woodstock, they took the stage at 3:30 a.m. on Sunday morning, performing an electric medley of hits that included “Everyday People,” “Dance To The Music” and “I Want To Take You Higher.”

By the early 1970s, Stone began struggling with the pressures of fame and what sources described as the added burden of Black celebrity. His record company demanded more hits while the Black Panthers pressured him to remove white members from his group. After relocating from the Bay Area to Los Angeles in 1970, Stone became increasingly dependent on cocaine and PCP, leading to erratic behavior and frequent no-shows at concerts.

Stone’s 1971 album “There’s a Riot Goin’ On” marked a dramatic shift in tone and production style. Created predominantly as a solo effort, the album featured dense, murky sounds and was among the first to utilize drum machines extensively. Despite its dark themes, the album reached No. 1 on the charts, though it effectively marked the beginning of the band’s dissolution.

The Family Stone officially disbanded in 1975, though Stone continued using the band name for subsequent solo releases. His career declined significantly through the late 1970s and 1980s, with most news coverage focusing on drug arrests, financial troubles and stage mishaps. Stone was arrested for cocaine possession in 1983 and sentenced to 55 days in prison, five years’ probation and a fine following a 1987 driving under the influence charge.

Sly and the Family Stone was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. Stone made a rare public appearance at the 2006 Grammy Awards for a tribute to his group, marking his first live performance in nearly two decades. His final album, “I’m Back! Family & Friends,” was released in 2011, featuring mostly re-recordings of classic hits alongside three new tracks.

Stone’s influence extended far beyond his active years. Parliament-Funkadelic creator George Clinton, Prince, Rick James and the Black Eyed Peas all drew inspiration from his work. Hip-hop artists from the Beastie Boys to Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg sampled his music extensively, with the WhoSampled website crediting Sly and the Family Stone with more than 1,000 samples across music history.

In recent years, Stone faced financial difficulties despite winning a $5 million lawsuit in 2015 against his former manager and attorney for diverted royalty payments. By 2011, reports indicated he was living in a campervan in Los Angeles. Stone published his memoir “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” in 2023, and Questlove released the documentary “Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)” in 2025.

Stone’s family noted that he recently completed a screenplay for his life story, which they plan to share publicly. Stone is survived by three children: son Sylvester Jr. and daughters Sylvyette Phunne and Novena Carmel. He was briefly married to model Kathy Silva in a highly publicized 1974 ceremony held on stage at Madison Square Garden.

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