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Sly Stone Believed Everybody Is a Star: The Massive Legacy of an Avant-Funk Revolutionary
Thank you for the party, but Sly could never stay. Sly Stone was always the ultimate mystery man of American music, a visionary genius who transformed the world with some of the most innovative sounds of the Sixties and Seventies. With Sly and the Family Stone, he fused funk, soul, and acid rock into his own utopian sound, in hits like 'Family Affair' and 'Everyday People.' Yet he remained an elusive figure, all but disappearing in the 1970s. When he died on Monday, it seemed strange he was 'only' 82, because he seemed even older — as if he'd outlived himself by decades. Yet his music sounds as boldly futuristic and influential as ever, which is why the world is still reeling from this loss. Nobody ever sounded like this man. Sly could write inspirational songs of unity, anthems like 'I Want to Take You Higher' that would turn a live crowd into a euphoric tribe, or uplifting hits like 'Stand!' or 'Everybody Is a Star' that can catch you in a lonely moment and make you feel like the rest of your life is a chance to live up to the song's challenge. More from Rolling Stone 'He Would Be in the Top 10': Ben Fong-Torres on Writing Sly Stone's Rolling Stone Cover Story Vernon Reid on Why Sly and the Family Stone Were the Greatest American Band Chuck D Explains How Sly Stone Influenced Public Enemy But that went side by side with his streetwise sense of betrayal and rage. 'Everybody Is a Star' comes on like a love song to human hope, so radiant in every tiny sonic detail, with Sly chanting, 'Shine, shine, shine!' But it's also got the weird question, 'Ever catch a falling star? Ain't no stopping till it's in the ground.' Sly Stone wanted to remind you that you were the star of hope in the sky — but you could also be the star that comes crashing down into a crater. All his contradictions come together in his greatest song, the 1970 funk blast 'Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin),' with the hardest bass-versus-guitar staccato slash attack on Earth. The chorus sounds cheerful on the surface: 'Thank you for letting me be myself again!' But the closer you listen, the more dread and anger you hear. For Sly, with all of his fame and fortune, this is what it all comes down to: Lookin' at the devil. Grinnin' at his gun. Fingers start a-shakin'. I begin to run. It's a death haiku that's all the scarier for being delivered as a party chant. Bullets start a-chasin'. I begin to stop. We began to wrestle. I was on the top. The groove keeps churning, but with no resolution. There's no victory in Sly's battle with the devil — just the temporary triumph of not being defeated, at least not yet. The Family Stone was his ideal of a band as a self-contained community, uniting musicians of different races, different genders, some friends, some relatives — but with everyone lending a voice. His Family Stone built the template for countless music collectives, whether it was the Native Tongues, Prince's Revolution, Afrika Bambaata's Zulu Nation, the Wu-Tang Clan, OutKast and the Dungeon Family, or beyond. 'The concept behind Sly and the Stone,' he told Rolling Stone in 1970, 'I wanted to be able for everyone to get a chance to sweat. By that I mean … if there was anything to be happy about, then everybody'd be happy about it. If there was a lot of money to be made, for anyone to make a lot of money. If there were a lot of songs to sing, then everybody got to sing. That's the way it is now. Then, if we have something to suffer or a cross to bear — we bear it together.' Some of the Family were virtuoso singers, others just filling in for a line or two at a time, but there was always that utopian tribal spirit. His band was a visionary blend of James Brown/Stax/Muscle Shoals funk teamwork, but with the anarchic jamming of the hippie bands from the San Francisco acid-rock scene where he made his first converts. As Sly put it in the title of their debut album, it was A Whole New Thing — a radically democratic sound where everybody was a star. Sly's tough charisma made him a unique presence in Seventies pop culture — remote, cool, unknowable, hiding behind a smile that gleamed like bulletproof glass. You could always see him show up in places like the sitcom Good Times, set in a Chicago housing project, where the cool teenager Thelma had posters of Sly and Stevie Wonder on her bedroom wall, almost like good-angel/bad-angel twins. There was a comedian on BET who used to do a hilarious routine about growing up in the Seventies and watching Soul Train. 'When I was a kid, I didn't know what drugs were. I just knew there was something wrong with Sly.' Those contradictions were always built into his music. 'If It Were Left Up to Me' is one of his funniest, nastiest gems ever, a Fresh funk quickie from 1973, where the singers chant sardonic promises full of sleight-of-hand wordplay, until it ends with a sarcastic, 'Cha-cha-cha!' There's 'Que Sera Sera,' also from 1973, refurbishing an old Doris Day chestnut about how everything always works out for the best, except that Sly turns it into a slow-motion dirge full of dread, a warning that fate is out to get you. 'Que Sera Sera' took on a new life in 1989 as the perfect closing theme for Heathers, as Winona Ryder struts through her high school, covered in soot and ashes. When Shannen Doherty gasps, 'You look like hell,' Winona smirks, 'I just got back.' A very Sly line — so it's fitting that Heathers made 'Que Sera Sera' the closest he got to a comeback hit in the Eighties or Nineties. Sly Stone was born in Texas, but raised in the blue-collar Bay Area town of Vallejo. He was just five years old when he cut his first record with his family gospel group, the Stewart Four. But he was already a musical prodigy, mastering piano, guitar, bass, and drums. Barely out of his teens, he became a radio DJ on KSOL ('Super Soul'), where he honed his eclectic musical tastes. 'I played Dylan, Lord Buckley, the Beatles. Every night I tried something else,' he said in 1970. 'I really didn't know what was going on. Everything was just on instinct. You know, if there was an Ex-Lax commercial, I'd play the sound of a toilet flushing. It would've been boring otherwise.' But he got bored with the strictures of genre formatting. 'In radio,' he said, 'I found out about a lot of things I don't like. Like, I think there shouldn't be 'Black radio.' Just radio. Everybody be a part of everything.' He became a house producer at the local label Autumn Records, producing Bobby Freeman's huge 1964 dance hit 'C'Mon and Swim.' But he also worked with the wildly innovative folk rock of the Beau Brummels — he helmed their 1965 classics like 'Don't Talk to Strangers,' 'You Tell Me Why,' and 'Not Too Long Ago' with the melancholy tinge he would bring to his own band. He also produced one of the Bay Area's first hippie bands, Grace Slick's pre-Jefferson Airplane group, the Great Society. For their classic debut single — 'Free Advice' on one side, the original 'Somebody to Love' on the other — he famously drove the band through 286 takes. But one of his most crucial learning experiences at Autumn was watching everybody get ripped off. It was his first time getting burned in the music business, and he made sure it would be the last. He never again got involved with projects he didn't control. So he began putting together his own band, inspired by the local free-form rock scene happening at places like the Family Dog and the Fillmore. 'The concept was to be able to conceive all kinds of music,' he said in 1970. 'Whatever was contemporary, and not necessarily in terms of being commercial — whatever meant whatever now. Like today, things like censorship, and the Black-people/white-people thing. That's on my mind. So we just like to perform the things that are on our mind.' Once the world heard 'Dance to the Music,' nobody could resist, as the hits kept coming: 'Everyday People,' 'M'Lady,' 'Stand!,' 'Hot Fun in the Summertime.' The Family stole the show at Woodstock, turning 'I Want to Take You Higher' into a massive hippie chant. People always wanted more-more-more from Sly, based on the utopian promises of his songs. But he became the first major star who made an artistic flourish out of pulling back, whether it was going onstage late — he made that one of his trademarks — or simply blowing off shows. He made a point of being combative in interviews. That also meant long delays between records — after Stand!, he kept everyone waiting an unimaginable 18 months for new music, forcing his record company to drop the utterly perfect Greatest Hits. (The delay also gave Motown time to whip up the perfect Sly and the Family Stone substitute: the Jackson 5, who filled the gap with their doppelganger hits like 'I Want You Back' and 'The Love You Save.') After the wait, he stunned everyone with There's a Riot Goin' On, his radically negative refusal to play the commercial game, with its low-fi beatbox avant-funk. It was the prototype for independent swerves like Radiohead's Kid A or Nirvana's In Utero — yet like those albums, it was a sales blockbuster, hitting home with an audience that idolized him for going his own way. 'Family Affair' is the best-known classic, with Bobby Womack's virtuoso blues guitar, in a heartbreaking tale of newlyweds falling apart. But it also has stunners like 'Spaced Cowboy,' sounding uncannily like Young Marble Giants with its basement drum-machine clank, before it builds into a cocky drug boast with ironic Wild West yodels. 'I can't say it more than once, because I'm thinkin' twice as fast,' Sly growls. 'Yodel-ay-hee, yay-hee-hoo!' But the toughest, bleakest moment is 'Africa Talks to You (The Asphalt Jungle),' where the chorus chants, 'Timberrrrr! All fall down!' 'I wrote a song about Africa because in Africa the animals are animals,' he told Rolling Stone at the time. 'The tiger is a tiger, the snake is a snake, you know what the hell he's gonna do. Here in New York, the asphalt jungle, a tiger or a snake may come up looking like, uhhh, you.' He switched gears with Fresh in 1973 — his most exuberantly upbeat funk, jumping right out with 'In Time.' It's as flamboyantly cheerful as Riot was hostile, which isn't to say it's any less brash in its confrontational spirit. 'Let Me Have It All' is the most openhearted love song he ever did, rhythmically and vocally. Yet it's also an album about drugged-out euphoria on the verge of crashing. 'If You Want Me to Stay,' with its drowsy pimp strut of a bass line, warns you not to be foolish enough to count on him or expect anything out of him — especially if you bought a ticket for one of those shows where he didn't turn up. After Fresh, his music suddenly fell off a cliff, with depressing comeback efforts like Small Talk, High on You, or Heard Ya Missed Me, Well I'm Back, with its faux anthem 'Family Again.' Everyone was still stealing ideas from Sly — most notably Miles Davis — but the man himself ghosted. The tabloids kept reporting the bad news: He was wasted on drugs, broke, living out of a car. His final albums barely got noticed, with smarmy titles like Back on the Right Track or Ain't but the One Way, ending with 'High, Y'All.' His final highlights came with George Clinton, his most outspoken disciple, on Funkadelic's 1981 The Electric Spanking of War Babies. 'FREE SLY!' Clinton declared in the liner notes, having recently gotten busted with Stone. Sly also shone on Clinton's 1983 robot-funk hit 'Hydraulic Pump,' from the P-Funk All-Stars' album Urban Dance-Floor Guerillas. 'Hydraulic Pump' was a prophecy of the Detroit techno to come, but it also turned out to be Sly's final moment of glory on wax. When Stone died on June 9, it was just a few days after the 51st anniversary of his most famous celebrity stunt: getting married onstage at Madison Square Garden, in a sold-out 1974 show. In so many ways, that wedding event was his farewell to his public life, as he became a reclusive figure for his final decades. 'Dying young is hard to take, selling out is harder,' he warned in 'Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin),' still just in his 20s. The ultimate epitaph for Sly is that he managed to avoid doing either. Yet the world never came close to forgetting about Sly Stone. The excellent Questlove documentary Sly Lives! (The Burden of Black Genius) was a reminder of why he still loomed so large, years after he'd seemingly said his goodbyes. You can hear that legacy everywhere, even in young punk rockers like Turnstile, who turned 'Thank You' into their own 'T.L.C. (Turnstile Love Connection).' 'Everyday People' has to be the only song that's ever gotten covered by both Tom Jones and Joan Jett. 'We gotta live together,' the song goes, even though its author made a point of living apart. But he went out as a musical revolutionary who owed the world nothing. Every goodbye he ever had to say was already there in 'Thank You': 'We began to wrestle, I was on the top.' Sly Stone defined that sense of lifelong struggle in his music. But he managed to turn that struggle into songs that will keep right on changing and challenging the world forever. The message in the music is clear as always — everybody is a star. Best of Rolling Stone Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked
Forbes
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Brian Wilson Embodied The Warmth Of The Sun
God only knows what we'd be without the music of Brian Wilson. What good is the dawn, that grows into day; the sunset at night, or living this way. For I have the warmth of the sun, within me at night. Brian Wilson, who died on June 11, overcame immense life challenges to share 'the warmth of the sun' with multiple generations of fans, throughout his near 60 year career. And despite his passing, his musical and cultural significance is guaranteed to continue, with the consistency and majesty of waves rolling across the sea. Wilson's place in American history is primarily as the leader of The Beach Boys, one of the most influential bands in rock n' roll history. As the band's principal composer, his mastery of harmonies was principally responsible for the 'sound' that led to the sale of over 100 million records globally, including over 33 RIAA Platinum and Gold Records. His 1965 masterpiece 'Pet Sounds' is generally recognized as one of the top two or three album recordings in popular music history. Wilson also achieved fame with his extraordinary achievements in musical production and arrangement. His ability to use the voices of his bandmates as musical instruments themselves, and his willingness to incorporate professional musicians (e.g., the famous 'Wrecking Crew') set the standard for record production for a generation. It's no stretch to describe Wilson as the modern day equivalent of Stephen Foster, referred to as 'the father of American music'. But Wilson's legacy extends far beyond his achievements as a composer and performer. It extends to the broader meaning of the music, his related impact on American culture and his courageous battle to overcome crippling mental illness. Wilson once attributed the success of the Beach Boys to how the music 'celebrated the joy of life in a real, simple way.' And that they did, whether it involved a surfboard, a T-Bird or 'girls on the beach'. Aspects of Wilson's music as sung by his band can be found in many aspects of our daily life; it's hard not to watch television or a movie, or listen to the radio, and not hear some reflection of Wilson and The Beach Boys' music. Beyond the music, few artists have had such a significant impact on American culture than did Wilson. The band's early focus on an 'Endless Summer', with its lifestyle of sunshine, surfing, cars and young romance contributed enormously to the explosive 1960s attraction of Southern California as a magical destination. If everybody had an ocean…across the USA, then everybody'd be surfin', like Californ-i-a…Wilson's music moved people, both figuratively and literally. And as Wilson's listeners grew older and confronted more serious emotions than life at the beach, his music evolved to address what they ‒ and he ‒ were feeling. The enduring attraction of Pet Sounds is found in the way in which Wilson, and his lyricist Tony Asher, reflected 'coming of age' sensitivities within a lush orchestral mixture. Rolling Stone described it as '…an intense, linear personal vision of the vagaries of a love affair and the painful, introverted anxieties that are the wrenching precipitates of the unstable chemistry of any love relationship.' Yet the most understated aspect of Wilson's life was his ability to write such joyous harmonies while suffering from the traumas of an abusive father and mental challenges ultimately diagnosed as schizoaffective disorder and depression. These challenges were exacerbated by the drug abuse so typical of artists of that era. And they were exploited in near-legendary manner by a controversial 'celebrity psychologist'. That Wilson was able to prevail for decades against such pressures is a testament to both his personal courage and his artistic commitment. When many would have abandoned their careers when confronted by such barriers, Wilson persevered. His ability to complete the legendary Smile album, after 40 years of suspended work, gave hope to others struggling with similar conditions. Of course Wilson was not the sole messenger of his music; full credit is due to his lifelong band mates: brothers Carl and Dennis, cousin Mike Love and friends Alan Jardine and Bruce Johnston. There could be no substitutes. Indeed, Love's autobiography tells of the remark one-time Beach Boy Glen Campbell once made to Johnny Carson, that 'The Beach Boys' music will never die'. Carson retorted that 'Everyone has to die. Even the Beach Boys have to die sometime'. And certainly they do, at least from a bodily perspective. But the spirit of their music, as crafted by Brian Wilson, will undoubtedly live on as long as American popular music is chronicled. My love's like the warmth of the sun; it won't ever die.
Daily Mail
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Sly Stone dead at 82: Funk legend during the 60s passes away as cause of death is revealed
The frontman for American funk legends Sly And The Family Stone has died at 82. Sly Stone's family announced the influential musician's death in a statement released Monday. They revealed that he had a prolonged battle with Chronic Obstructed Pulmonary Disease (COPD) which was complicated by other underlying health issues. The artist's family wrote: 'It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved dad, Sly Stone of Sly and the Family Stone. '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.' His band Sly And The Family Stone is credited as one of the most influential bands in the development of funk, soul, R&B, rock and psychedelic music. The statement continued: '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.' The family continued by revealing that those who are interested in reading about the life of the music legend can do by reading his memoir released last year. The statement read: '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.' His pioneering band was best known for their hits Dance To The Music, Everyday People, and Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin). Sly And The Family Stone included two of his actual siblings - Freddie and Rose Stone - as they formed in San Francisco, California in 1966. The artist was born Sylvester Stewart in Denton, Texas, in 1943 before his entire family moved out west. His nickname Sly came when classmate had misspelled his name. Then when he changed his stage surname from Stewart to Stone, his two siblings who were in his band also followed suit. He had began performing in bands throughout high school before going on to study music at Solano Community College. However, his music career began as he left school to work as a DJ for San Francisco radio station KSOL and worked with many emerging acts. Then in 1966, he and his brother combined their bands. Sly's band was called Sly And The Stoners while Freddie's was named Freddie And The Stone Souls. Of their decision to unite, Sly wrote in his 2023 memoir Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin): 'The band had a concept — White and Black together, male and female both, and women not just singing but playing instruments. 'That was a big deal back then, and it was a big deal on purpose.' The band released their debut album - titled A Whole New Thing - in 1967. That same year they performed at he iconic Woodstock. They enjoyed plenty of success until the 1970s when Sly's drug issues began to come to a head. By 1975, his drug problems and interpersonal clashes led to dissolution but he remained with the band and continued to tour with a rotating lineup. However, his drug problems forced his effective retirement in 1987. Sly And The Family Stone were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1993 but he kept his distance from the rest of the band. Sly was married to model-actress Kathy Silva from 1974 to 1976 and separated after their son Sylvester Jr. was mauled by his dog. He also two daughters: Sylvyette Phunne with Cynthia Robinson in 1976 and Novena Carmel whom he welcomed in 1982.
Forbes
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Billie Eilish's Only No. 1 Hit Demoted Again Within Her Discography
For much of her career, Billie Eilish has been known as the 'bad guy,' thanks to her breakout hit of the same name, which is the tune that propelled her to global superstardom. More than half a decade later, 'Bad Guy' is no longer the sturdiest in her catalog when it comes to chart longevity. As of this frame, another tune has passed it on the most important songs ranking in America. 'Wildflower,' Eilish's latest single from her most recent album Hit Me Hard and Soft, climbs on this week's Hot 100, pushing from No. 58 to No. 44. This marks its fiftieth frame on the ranking of the most consumed songs in America. Now that 'Wildflower' has lived on the Hot 100 for 50 weeks, it breaks its tie with 'Bad Guy' and officially becomes Eilish's second-longest-charting track ever. 'Bad Guy' remained on the tally for 49 periods between April and August of 2019. While it has now been demoted to third place on the list of her longest-running wins on the Hot 100, it is still her sole No. 1. Meanwhile, 'Birds of a Feather' continues to extend its lead as Eilish's track with the most time spent on the Hot 100. The biggest single from Hit Me Hard and Soft inches closer to the top 10, lifting four spaces to No. 13 after previously topping out at No. 2. It does so as it reaches 54 weeks on the roster, and it seems likely to continue adding to that total in the coming frames. 'Wildflower' is performing so well in the U.S. thanks to a healthy mix of streaming activity and radio attention. The track appears on multiple streaming-only tallies, and it currently sits at No. 6 on both the Rock Streaming Songs and Alternative Streaming Songs rankings. The tune is also rising at top 40 radio, and this time around it manages to climb to a new all-time high of No. 15 on the Pop Airplay chart.
Forbes
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Mariah Carey's Comeback Single Shoots Straight Into The Top 10
It's been years since Mariah Carey's last proper era — as the parlance goes these days — and fans have been eager to hear from the elusive chanteuse. While Carey does occasionally drop a collaboration here and there, and she can be heard non-stop throughout December thanks to "All I Want for Christmas Is You," her longtime supporters have been craving more. The Grammy winner has responded with a brand new single, "Type Dangerous," which quickly becomes a bestselling track just hours after its release. "Type Dangerous" immediately shot into the top 10 on the iTunes Top Songs chart in the United States. Its quick adoption among American audiences shows there was serious pent-up demand for new music from Carey — and it confirms that her signature blend of hip-hop and R&B with pop sensibilities still connects with a wide audience. As of the time of writing, "Type Dangerous" sits at No. 9 on the ranking. The current top 10 on the iTunes Top Songs tally is packed with new releases, and had Carey shifted her drop to another week, she might be charting even higher. At the moment, Barbra Streisand and Laufey lead with their joint tune "Letter to My 13-Year-Old Self." That track bests "Manchild" from Sabrina Carpenter, which sits at No. 2. The Backstreet Boys — yes, those Backstreet Boys — fill the next six spots with some of the group's biggest hits, as 2025 is shaping up to be a massive year for the boy band. Coming in just behind Carey is "Sapphire" by Ed Sheeran, though this order could shift throughout Friday. Carey has been teasing new music for the past several days, and it seems there's more than just one tune on the way. Visuals she's recently shared on social media hint at MC16, which is shorthand for her sixteenth full-length. The project, which has yet to be properly announced, will mark her first full-length since 2018's Caution. In the years since that album, Carey has released a handful of tracks, including remixes of Latto's "Big Energy" and Ariana Grande's "Yes, And?" She also tours annually around Christmas, as her holiday staple brings in millions of dollars annually thanks to massive upticks in streams, sales, and especially radio airplay.
