Sly Stone, whose late-1960s eclectic brand of innovative Bay Area funk-pop launched a music revolution that influenced artists ranging from Miles Davis to Stevie Wonder, Prince and all the major funk bands that followed in the 1970s and beyond, died yesterday. He was 82. [Photo above of Sly Stone in 1971 courtesy of Legacy Recordings/Sony Music Archive/Legacy]
The singer-songwriter, arranger and multi-instrumentalist was a fashion trend-setter and tireless composer whose drug habit began as a way to ease the stress of delivering albums, hits and performances. While many bands in the late 1960s divided up the work, virtually all of the jobs of running and rehearsing Sly and the Family Stone band fell to him. Before long, his drug habit consumed him.
Note: To read my Wall Street Journal tribute, go here. To read my interviews with the band's trumpeter Cynthia Robinson and alto saxophonist Jerry Martini, go here.
In tribute to Sly, I've put together eight favorite clips:
Here's Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)...
Here's Family Affair...
Here's Runnin' Away...
Here's Stand!...
Here's Hot Fun in the Summertime, I Wanna Take You Higher and Everyday People...
Here's Love City...
Here's If You Want Me to Stay...
And here's the full Don Kirshner's Rock Concert in 1973 (click Watch on YouTube in the embed)...
