Sly and the Family Stone (music group)
Sly and the Family Stone was a groundbreaking American musical group that emerged in the late 1960s and became famous for blending various genres, including soul, rock, funk, and psychedelia. Notably, they were the first integrated band in rock history, featuring a diverse lineup of both Black and white musicians, as well as male and female members. Led by Sly Stone, the band gained prominence with their socially and politically charged lyrics, exemplified by hits like "Everyday People" and "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)." Their performance at the Woodstock Festival further solidified their place in music history.
Despite their success, the band faced challenges due to Sly Stone's struggles with substance abuse, which began to impact their performances and overall cohesion. The group disbanded in the late 1970s, with members pursuing individual projects. Sly Stone's solo career encountered obstacles, including ongoing health issues and legal troubles, but he remained a notable figure in music, receiving recognition such as induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. Throughout the years, Sly and the Family Stone's influence on funk and popular music continues to resonate, making them a significant part of music history.
Sly and the Family Stone (music group)
Sly and the Family Stone was an American musical group that combined a range of genres such as soul, rock, rhythm and blues (R&B), psychedelia, and funk into its music. Popular from the 1960s to the 1970s, the multiracial band composed of both men and women was the first integrated group in rock history. The band became known for its funk sound and political and social lyrics, but like many bands of the time, drugs interfered with its success. Sly and the Family Stone disbanded in the late 1970s, and individual band members worked on projects of their own.
Background
Sylvester Stewart, who became known as Sly Stone, grew up in Texas in the 1940s and became interested in the music scene. His family moved to San Francisco, California, the following decade, and Stone released the single "Long Time Away." Stone continued to pursue music, studying composition, theory, and trumpet in college. He joined several groups and worked as a disc jockey for an R&B radio station. He also became a producer at Autumn Records, working with various psychedelic bands.
In 1966, Stone formed the short-lived band the Stoners. The next year, he put together another group, Sly and the Family Stone, with his brother—guitarist and vocalist Freddie Stone—sister— pianist Rosie Stone—trumpeter Cynthia Robinson, bassist and vocalist Larry Graham Jr., drummer Greg Errico, and saxophonist Jerry Martini. The band's sound was markedly different from the bands of the time, making it stand out and garner a following. It released the single "I Ain't Got Nobody" and signed with Epic Records in 1967.
Sly and the Family Stone released its debut album, A Whole New Thing, at the end of 1967. It followed with Dance to the Music the following year, seeing some success with the disc's title track. Next came Life (1968), but this was a commercial failure for the band.
Sly and the Family Stone quickly found stardom with the single "Everyday People" from its 1969 album Stand! The album produced several other hits such as "Sing a Simple Song" and "I Want to Take You Higher," and it climbed into the top twenty over its one hundred-plus weeks on the music charts. With Stand!, Stone became noted for his ability to interject political themes into his lyrics, and the band itself became known for its improvisational, live funk performances.
A performance at Woodstock further catapulted Sly and the Family Stone to fame. Singles such as "Hot Fun in the Summertime" and "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)/Everybody Is a Star" topped the music charts. However, by this time, Stone had been battling narcotics addiction. He began to miss rehearsals and concerts, and he was frequently late when he did show up. Stone's decline showed on the 1971 album There's a Riot Goin' On, but this did not faze fans, as the album debuted at the top spot on the charts along with its single "Family Affair."
Continued Career
By this time, the band was in disarray. Stone was spiraling deeper into drugs, and Graham and Errico exited the band. Rusty Allen and Andy Newmark stepped in to take their places, and the album Fresh appeared in 1973. It had a lighter sound and reached the top ten spurred by the popularity of its single "If You Want Me to Stay." The next album, Small Talk (1974), was not as popular but did go gold. It did not produce any hit singles, however.
By the mid-1970s, disco fever had replaced funk music. Stone was in poor health, still addicted to cocaine, and frequently in trouble with the law. Near the late 1970s, Sly and the Family Stone's members parted ways to work on various projects, and Stone began a solo career.
The record label Epic released Ten Years Too Soon (1979), a compilation of Sly and the Family Stone's older hits that were redubbed with disco beats. The same year, Stone began to work on his comeback and signed with Warner Brothers. He worked with several of Sly and the Family Stone's members to release Back on the Right Track (1979), but it was a failure. He next teamed with George Clinton for Funkadelic's 1981 album The Electric Spanking of War Babies and toured with the band and then as a solo artist.
Stone's next effort, Ain't But the One Way (1982), also did not garner him much success. Still plagued by drug problems, he was arrested in 1983 for possession and entered rehab the following year. Next, he teamed with Jesse Johnson for the 1986 single "Crazay" and Martha Davis for the 1987 song "Love & Affection." At the end of the year, however, the singer found himself in trouble again and was imprisoned for cocaine possession. A deal with A&M Records fell through at this time. Stone again was arrested for drug charges in 1989 and sent to rehab to serve his time.
In 1993, Sly and the Family Stone was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Stone then faded from the limelight. He emerged in 1995 after signing with Avenue Records, but nothing came of this contract. A recluse, he surfaced a decade later in 2006 for the Grammy Awards, where he gave a strange performance. The following year, Stone granted a rare interview to Vanity Fair in which he revealed he was working on new material.
In 2008, Stone played at a few festivals in Europe and the United States, but his performances were erratic. The following year, he performed the song "If You Want Me to Stay" and announced his plans to release a record in 2010 with the label Cleopatra. Sly and the Family Stone regrouped for a performance at the 2010 Coachella festival, but Stone gave another bizarre performance and launched into a tirade on stage. Stone again dropped out of the public eye for the next few years. The band did not regroup again; although, former band members continued careers of their own as well as part of the group the Family Stone. In 2015, trumpeter Robinson died of cancer. The following year, it was announced that Stone would receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2017 Grammy Awards.
Bibliography
"Biography." Sly and the Family Stone, www.slystonemusic.com/biography. Accessed 27 Nov. 2024.
Kamp, David. "Sly Stone's Higher Power." Vanity Fair, 3 July 2007, www.vanityfair.com/culture/2007/08/sly200708. Accessed 27 Nov. 2027.
Kreps, Daniel. "Velvet Underground, Sly Stone to Receive Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award." Rolling Stone, 19 Dec. 2016, www.rollingstone.com/music/news/velvet-underground-given-grammy-lifetime-achievement-award-w456876. Accessed 27 Nov. 2027.
Leovy, Jill. "Cynthia Robinson, Trumpeter and Founding Member of Sly and the Family Stone." Los Angeles Times, 3 Dec. 2015, www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-1204-cynthia-robinson-20151205-story.html. Accessed 27 Nov. 2027.
"Sly & the Family Stone." AllMusic, 2024, www.allmusic.com/artist/sly-the-family-stone-mn0000033161. Accessed 27 Nov. 2024.
"Sly & the Family Stone." Billboard, www.billboard.com/artist/sly-the-family-stone/. Accessed 27 Nov. 2024.
"There's Still a Riot Goin' On." New Yorker, 19 Apr. 2010, www.newyorker.com/culture/goings-on/theres-still-a-riot-goin-on. Accessed 27 Nov. 2024.