Sly Stone, funk-rock pioneer, dead at 82

Funk-rock pioneer Sly Stone dead at 82

/ 09:27 AM June 10, 2025

Funk-rock pioneer Sly Stone dead at 82

US singer Sly Stone perfoms July 19, 2007, during the Nice Jazz festival in Nice. (Photo by ERIC ESTRADE/AFP)

Funk master and innovator Sly Stone, whose music drove a civil rights-inflected soul explosion in the 1960s, sparking influential albums but also a slide into drug addiction, has died, his family said Monday, June 9. He was 82.

The multi-instrumentalist frontman for Sly and the Family Stone — rock’s first racially integrated, mixed-gender lineup —  “passed away peacefully, surrounded by his three children, his closest friend and his extended family,” after a prolonged battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other health issues, his family said in a statement.

Article continues after this advertisement

“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,” it added.

FEATURED STORIES

With his vibrant on-stage energy, killer hooks and lyrics that often decried prejudice, Stone became a superstar, releasing pivotal records that straddled musical genres and performing a set that enraptured the crowd at Woodstock.

But he retreated to the shadows in the early 1970s, and his personal struggles ultimately led to the group’s disintegration. He emerged sporadically for unfulfilling concert tours, erratic TV appearances and a flopped 2006 reunion on the Grammy Awards stage.

An effervescent hybrid of psychedelic soul, hippie consciousness, bluesy funk and rock built on Black gospel, Stone’s music proved to be a melodic powerhouse that attracted millions during a golden age of exploratory pop — until it fell apart in a spiral of drug use.

Over the course of just five years, his diverse sound cooperative left an indelible impact on American and world music, from the group’s debut hit “Dance to the Music” in 1967 and their first of three No.1 songs, “Everyday People” a year later, to the 1970s rhythm and blues masterpiece “If You Want Me to Stay.”

Article continues after this advertisement

For many, Sly was a musical genius creating the sound of the future.

It was “like seeing a Black version of the Beatles,” funk legend George Clinton told CBS News of his longtime friend’s stage presence.

Article continues after this advertisement

“He had the sensibility of the street, the church, and then like the qualities of a Motown,” Clinton added. “He was all of that in one person.  /ra

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

TAGS: obituaries

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

© Copyright 1997-2025 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.