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New Indian Express
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Sly Stone, leader of funk revolutionaries Sly and the Family Stone, dies at 82
Sly's time on top was brief, roughly from 1968-1971, but profound. No band better captured the gravity-defying euphoria of the Woodstock era or more bravely addressed the crash which followed. From early songs as rousing as their titles — 'I Want To Take You Higher,' 'Stand!' — to the sober aftermath of 'Family Affair' and 'Runnin' Away,' Sly and the Family Stone spoke for a generation whether or not it liked what they had to say. Stone's group began as a Bay Area sextet featuring Sly on keyboards, Larry Graham on bass; Sly's brother, Freddie, on guitar; sister Rose on vocals; Cynthia Robinson and Jerry Martini horns and Greg Errico on drums. They debuted with the album 'A Whole New Thing' and earned the title with their breakthrough single, 'Dance to the Music.' It hit the top 10 in April 1968, the week the Rev. Martin Luther King was murdered, and helped launch an era when the polish of Motown and the understatement of Stax suddenly seemed of another time. Led by Sly Stone, with his leather jumpsuits and goggle shades, mile-wide grin and mile-high Afro, the band dazzled in 1969 at the Woodstock festival and set a new pace on the radio. 'Everyday People,' 'I Wanna Take You Higher' and other songs were anthems of community, non-conformity and a brash and hopeful spirit, built around such catchphrases as 'different strokes for different folks.' The group released five top 10 singles, three of them hitting No. 1, and three million-selling albums: 'Stand!', 'There's a Riot Goin' On' and 'Greatest Hits.'
South Wales Guardian
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- South Wales Guardian
Sly Stone, leader of funk revolutionaries Sly And The Family Stone, dies aged 82
Stone, born Sylvester Stewart, had been in poor health in recent years. His publicist Carleen Donovan said that Stone died surrounded by family after contending with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other ailments. Formed in 1966-67, Sly And The Family Stone were the first major group to include black and white men and women, and well embodied a time when anything seemed possible – riots and assassinations, communes and love-ins. The singers screeched, chanted, crooned and hollered. The music was a blowout of frantic horns, rapid-fire guitar and locomotive rhythms, a melting pot of jazz, psychedelic rock, doo-wop, soul and the early grooves of funk. Sly's time on top was brief, roughly from 1968-1971, but profound. No band better captured the gravity-defying euphoria of the Woodstock era or more bravely addressed the crash which followed. From early songs as rousing as their titles – I Want To Take You Higher, Stand! – to the sober aftermath of Family Affair and Runnin' Away, Sly And The Family Stone spoke for a generation whether or not it liked what they had to say. Stone's group began as a Bay Area outfit featuring Sly on keyboards; Larry Graham on bass; Sly's brother, Freddie, on guitar; sister Rose on vocals; Cynthia Robinson and Jerry Martini on horns; and Greg Errico on drums. They debuted with the album A Whole New Thing and earned the title with their breakthrough single Dance To The Music. It hit the top 10 in April 1968, the week the Rev Martin Luther King was murdered, and helped launch an era when the polish of Motown and the understatement of Stax suddenly seemed of another time. Led by Sly Stone, with his leather jumpsuits and goggle shades, mile-wide grin and mile-high Afro, the band dazzled in 1969 at the Woodstock festival and set a new pace on the radio. Everyday People, I Wanna Take You Higher and other songs were anthems of community, non-conformity and a brash and hopeful spirit, built around such catchphrases as 'different strokes for different folks'. The group released five top 10 singles, three of them hitting number one, and three million-selling albums: Stand!, There's A Riot Goin' On and Greatest Hits. For a time, countless performers wanted to look and sound like Sly And The Family Stone. The Jackson Five's breakthrough hit I Want You Back and The Temptations' I Can't Get Next To You were among the many songs from the late 1960s that mimicked Sly's vocal and instrumental arrangements. Miles Davis' landmark blend of jazz, rock and funk, Bitches Brew, was inspired in part by Sly, while fellow jazz artist Herbie Hancock even named a song after him. 'He had a way of talking, moving from playful to earnest at will. He had a look, belts, and hats and jewelry,' Questlove wrote in the foreword to Stone's memoir, Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin), named for one of his biggest hits and published through Questlove's imprint in 2023. 'He was a special case, cooler than everything around him by a factor of infinity.' In 2025, Questlove released the documentary Sly Lives! (aka The Burden Of Black Genius). Sly's influence has endured for decades. The top funk artist of the 1970s, Parliament-Funkadelic creator George Clinton, was a Stone disciple. Prince, Rick James and The Black Eyed Peas were among the many performers from the 1980s and after influenced by Sly, and countless rap and hip-hop artists have sampled his riffs, from the Beastie Boys to Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg. A 2005 tribute record included Maroon 5, John Legend and the Roots. 'Sly did so many things so well that he turned my head all the way around,' Clinton once wrote. 'He could create polished R&B that sounded like it came from an act that had gigged at clubs for years, and then in the next breath he could be as psychedelic as the heaviest rock band.'
Euronews
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Funk pioneer Sly Stone of Sly and the Family Affair dies aged 82
"Don't hate the Black Don't hate the white If you get bitten Just hate the bite.' Lyrics from 'Are You Ready'. Sly Stone, the revolutionary musician and dynamic showman whose Sly and the Family Stone transformed popular music in the 1960s and '70s and beyond with such hits as 'Dance to the Music', 'Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again)', 'Everyday People', 'Stand!', 'I Want To Take You Higher' and 'Family Affair', died on Monday aged 82. Stone, born Sylvester Stewart in Texas in 1943, had been in poor health in recent years. The news was confirmed by his family in a press statement, who said he passed away peacefully after 'a prolonged battle with COPD and other underlying health issues'. 'It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved dad, Sly Stone of Sly and the Family Stone,' the statement read. 'After a prolonged battle with COPD and other underlying health issues, 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." '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. 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.' Founded in 1966-67, Sly and the Family Stone was the first major group to include Black and white men and women, and well embodied a time when anything seemed possible - riots and assassinations, communes and love-ins. The singers screeched, chanted, crooned and hollered. The music was a blowout of frantic horns, rapid-fire guitar and locomotive rhythms, a melting pot of jazz, psychedelic rock, doo-wop, soul and the early grooves of funk. No band better captured the gravity-defying euphoria of the Woodstock era or more bravely addressed the crash which followed. From early songs as rousing as their titles - 'I Want To Take You Higher', 'Stand!' - to the sober aftermath of 'Family Affair' and 'Runnin' Away', Sly and the Family Stone spoke for a generation whether or not it liked what they had to say. The band played a memorable set at the 1969 Woodstock Festival and at the Summer of Soul concert in Harlem that same year. Sly was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 1993 with the other founding members of the Family Stone. He returned to the stage at 2005 Grammy Awards but was seen publicly only a handful of times after that. Frederick Forsyth, the British author of "The Day of the Jackal" and other bestselling thrillers, has died at the age of 86 after a brief illness, his literary agent said on Monday. Jonathan Lloyd, his agent, said Forsyth died at home early Monday surrounded by his family. "We mourn the passing of one of the world's greatest thriller writers," Lloyd said. Born in Kent in 1938, Forsyth served as a Royal Air Force pilot before becoming a foreign correspondent. He covered the attempted assassination of French President Charles de Gaulle in 1962, which provided inspiration for "The Day of the Jackal," his bestselling political thriller about a professional assassin. Published in 1971, the book propelled him into global fame. It was made into a film in 1973 starring Edward Fox as the Jackal and more recently a television series starring Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch. In 2015, Forsyth told the BBC that he had also worked for the British intelligence agency MI6 for many years, starting from when he covered a civil war in Nigeria in the 1960s. Although Forsyth said he did other jobs for the agency, he said he was not paid for his services and "it was hard to say no" to officials seeking information. "The zeitgeist was different," he told the BBC. "The Cold War was very much on." He wrote more than 25 books including "The Afghan," "The Kill List," and "The Dogs of War" that sold over 75 million copies, Lloyd said. His publisher, Bill Scott-Kerr, said that "Revenge of Odessa," a sequel to the 1974 book "The Odessa File" that Forsyth worked on with fellow thriller author Tony Kent, will be published in August. "Still read by millions across the world, Freddie's thrillers define the genre and are still the benchmark to which contemporary writers aspire," Scott-Kerr said.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Watch Sly and the Family Stone Rip Through ‘I Want to Take You Higher' at Woodstock
Sly and the Family Stone didn't have an easy task in front of them when they stepped onstage at Woodstock. It was 3:30 AM, several hours past their scheduled start time, the grounds were soaked and muddy after a pissing rainstorm earlier in the day, and they were terrified to even touch their equipment because earlier acts in the night, including the Grateful Dead, had been badly electrocuted. But Sly Stone — who died Monday after a long battle with COPD — knew this was a moment to prove himself on the biggest stage possible. 'As I flew in I couldn't see the whole crowd, but you could see enough people dotting the landscape that it was hard to believe that there were even more,' he wrote in his 2023 book Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin): A Memoir. 'Goddamn.' I said to myself. 'Goddamn. What the fuck is this?' So many people, an ocean of them without any land for miles. When something is that big a deal, be sure you're ready.' More from Rolling Stone Sly Stone, Family Stone Architect Who Fused Funk, Rock, and Soul, Dead at 82 Hear Sly and the Family Stone Rock a Small Club in 1967 With Funky 'I Gotta Go Now' Dire Wolves Are Back. One 'Dire Wolf' Never Went Away The band had been gigging practically nonstop since forming in 1966, and their landmark LP Stand! — featuring 'I Want To Take You Higher,' 'Everyday People' and 'Stand!' — hit just three months earlier. And less than a month before Woodstock, they dropped the single 'Hot Fun in the Summertime.' In other words, this was a band at the absolute peak of their powers. They opened for a high-energy, euphoric rendition of 'M'Lady,' and the set only grew in intensity from there. The Woodstock movie showcased 'I Want To Take You Higher, the climax of their blazing, ten-song performance. 'What we would like to do is sing a song together,' Sly Stone told the crowd. 'And you see what usually happens is you got a group of people that might sing and for some reasons that are not unknown any more, they won't do it. Most of us need to get approval from our neighbours before we can actually let it all hang down. But what is happening here is we're going to try to do a singalong. Now a lot of people don't like to do it. Because they feel that it might be old-fashioned. But you must dig that it is not a fashion in the first place. It is a feeling. And if it was good in the past, it's still good.' He was speaking the language of the nearly 500,000 hippies in attendance, and they all responded by dancing together in the mud. 'The call, the response. It felt like church,' Stone wrote in his memoir. 'By then the film crew was fully in place. The horns went up into the sky. When the show was over, we were wet and cold…By the next day it was clear that Woodstock had been a big deal, and that we had been a major part of that deal. The festival had put a spotlight on lots of groups, but us and Jimi [Hendrix] the most.' Even though the Who directly followed Sly and the Family Stone, he was absolutely right. A huge percentage of Woodstock attendees cite Sly and the Family Stone's set as the best moment of the entire weekend. (By the time Hendrix played on Monday morning, the place had largely emptied out. No matter what people claimed later, not many people witnessed his set live.) But everyone saw Sly and the Family Stone, and millions more followed once the movie hit. It's no secret that Sly Stone faced many sad and difficult times in the years that followed. But he achieved musical immortality that night at Woodstock. It showcases the power of live music better than perhaps any other performance ever captured on film. 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
India Today
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Sly Stone, groundbreaking musician behind ‘Family Affair,' dies in Los Angeles
Sly Stone, frontman of Sly and the Family Stone and one of the most dominant figures in contemporary music, died on Monday at the age of 82. The trailblazer was celebrated for blending funk, soul, rock, and psychedelia, revolutionizing the sound of the 1960s and '70s with genre-defining songs such as Everyday People, Family Affair, and Stand!.His publicist, Carleen Donovan, confirmed that Stone had died in Los Angeles, surrounded by his family, after a long illness involving chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other Diverse Band for a Divided Era Formed in the late 1960s, Sly and the Family Stone was groundbreaking not only musically but also socially — the first major band to feature Black and white men and women together. With energetic horns, infectious grooves, and inclusive messages, their music reflected both the optimism and turmoil of the anthems such as I Want To Take You Higher to introspective ballads like Family Affair, the group spoke for a generation amid cultural upheaval. Their 1969 Woodstock performance remains one of the most enduring images of the his reign being relatively short-lived, Stone's influence was long-lasting. Artists such as Prince, George Clinton, the Jackson 5, and many hip-hop producers cited him as a major inspiration. Even Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock acknowledged his trailblazing published his memoir Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) in 2023, with a foreword by Questlove, who also directed the 2025 documentary Sly Lives! honoring Stone's genius and complicated the 1970s, personal and professional pressures began to take a toll. Stone became increasingly erratic and struggled with drug addiction. Although the band's later records like There's a Riot Goin' On gained critical acclaim, the magic eventually faded. Stone made few appearances in the decades that followed, releasing just one new album after the early ' Sylvester Stewart in Texas and raised in California, Stone was a prodigy from a young age. A multi-instrumentalist, producer, and DJ, he was driven by a belief in unity through music. His life was as complex as his sound — full of brilliance, contradictions, and lasting Stone leaves behind three children and a legacy that forever changed the landscape of American music.(With inputs from AP)
