Latest news with #Sly&theFamilyStone
New York Post
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Nile Rodgers recalls becoming 'really close' with the late Sly Stone
It takes one music icon to know one. Nile Rodgers, the legendary producer and Chic bandleader, worshiped Sly Stone long before he became friends with the funk pioneer, who passed away at 82 on Monday, June 9. And he has the receipts to prove it. 5 Songwriters Hall of Fame chairman Nile Rodgers helped welcome the class of 2025 on Thursday night. Getty Images for Songwriters Hall Of Fame 5 Sly Stone was the genius behind Sly & the Family Stone classics such as 'Everyday People' and 'Family Affair.' Getty Images for Songwriters Hall Of Fame 'I still to this day have my ticket [from when] I saw Sly & the Family Stone at the Schaefer Music Festival in Central Park,' Rodgers, 72, exclusively told The Post on the red carpet of the Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Thursday at NYC's Marriott Marquis. 'Check this out — the price of the ticket? One dollar. General admission was one dollar. I still have it. It was that great of a day to me,' he said. And that's not the only way that Stone took a young Rodgers higher. 'I remember when he released, I don't know if it was the second album or the first album, I remember going to my friend's house — he was the only one who could afford the album — and we all sat around smoking hash and listening to the record all day,' he recalled. 5 Jimmy Jam (left) and Nile Rodgers joined Songwriters Hall of Fame president/CEO Linda Moran on the red carpet. Redferns As fate would have it, the Songwriters Hall of Fame chairman would end up meeting and bonding with the genius behind Sly & the Family hits such as 'Dance to the Music,' Everyday People,' and 'Family Affair.' 'Later on in life, I became friends with Sly in California. It was really sad for me because he was living in a car,' he said. 'So every night we would meet at the China Club when it moved to Los Angeles, and we would talk, and for some reason, we became really close.' In fact, Stone asked Rodgers to be the music director for the Sly & the Family Stone tribute at the 2006 Grammys that included Maroon 5, John Legend, Steven Tyler and Joss Stone — as well as a brief appearance by the funk god himself. 5 With Sly & the Family Stone, Nile Rodgers said that the late Sly Stone 'changed music.' Redferns Another legendary producer, Jimmy Jam, recalled sampling Sly & the Family Stone's 1970 chart-topper 'Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)' on Janet Jackson's 1989 hit 'Rhythm Nation.' 'I don't think people really put that together,' he told The Post. 'For me, it was so obvious that it's Sly. But he was a tremendous influence, [and] still continues to be. His music is singular. 'And his influence [was] not only me but certainly on Prince in the way that he made his band up — like, it was multiracial, multi-gender,' said the former Prince protégé. 'All of that came from Sly.' 5 Sly Stone of Sly And The Family Stone performs on stage in London on July 15, 1973. Getty Images Stone's impact on Rodgers was formative, too. 'Honestly, to me, Sly is on the same level as [John] Coltrane, Miles [Davis], Charlie Parker, Nina Simone, all the people I grew up with. Sly was my R&B example of that,' he said. Indeed, with Sly & the Family Stone, Rodgers said that Stone 'changed music.' 'They changed the way that America saw black musicians,' he said. 'They changed everything.'
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Forever No. 1: Sly & the Family Stone's ‘Everyday People'
Forever No. 1 is a Billboard series that pays special tribute to the recently deceased artists who achieved the highest honor our charts have to offer — a Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single — by taking an extended look back at the chart-topping songs that made them part of this exclusive club. Here, we honor Sly Stone, who died on Monday (June 9) at age 82, by looking at the first of Sly & the Family Stone's three Hot 100-toppers: the simple, yet profound 'Everyday People.' Sly & the Family Stone, a genre-fluid, interracial, mixed-gender group (at a time when all three things were unique) was formed in San Francisco in 1966. The group was led by Sly Stone, a musical prodigy who was just 23 at the time. His main claim-to-fame at that point is that he had produced a string of hits for the pop/rock group The Beau Brummels, including 'Laugh, Laugh' and 'Just a Little.' More from Billboard Sly Stone Dead at 82 DJ Akademiks Denies Taking Payola From Drake During Kendrick Battle Raekwon and Ghostface Killah Release Trailer for 'Only Built 4 Cuban Linx' Documentary Sly & the Family Stone made the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in April 1968 with its first chart hit, 'Dance to the Music.' That funky celebration of dance music wasn't topical at all, but after the stunning events of 1968 – a year of assassinations, riots and a war without end in Vietnam – acts almost had to say something, and Sly & the Family Stone did on 'Everyday People,' which was released that November. The song is a plea for understanding and racial unity, which is so understated in its approach that it's easy to lose sight of just how progressive its sentiments seemed in 1968. The record has a gentle tone and a disarming opening line: 'Sometimes I'm right and I can be wrong/ My own beliefs are in my song.' Who ever starts out a conversation by conceding 'I can be wrong?' The sense of urgency and passion picks up on the proclamation 'I am everyday people!' which is repeated three times during the song, and then on the call to action 'We got to live together,' which is repeated twice. Stone, who was born Sylvester Stewart, wrote and produced 'Everyday People.' His genius move on this song was to simplify the discussion to the level of a childhood playground taunt – 'There is a yellow one that won't accept the Black one/ That won't accept the red one that won't accept the white one/ Different strokes for different folks/And so on and so on and scooby-dooby-dooby.' The unspoken, but unmistakable, message: Isn't all this division really pretty childish? Sly makes the point even more directly in the second verse: 'I am no better and neither are you/ We are the same whatever we do.' The reasonableness of his argument instantly disarms any detractors. The song's politics are expressed most directly in the third verse, in the song's depiction of counter-culture types vs. establishment types; progressives vs. conservatives. 'There is a long hair that doesn't like the short hair/For being such a rich one that will not help the poor one.' The bridges of the song contain the line 'different strokes for different folks,' which was initially popularized by Muhammad Ali. It became a popular catchphrase in 1969 (and inspired the name of a 1978-86 TV sitcom, Diff'rent Strokes). Sly wisely kept the record short – the childlike sections, which are charming in small doses, would have become grating if the record had overstayed its welcome. The record runs just 2:18, shorter than any other No. 1 hit of 1969. Three Dog Night took a similar approach on 'Black & White,' which was a No. 1 hit in September 1972 – putting a plea for racial unity and brotherhood in simple, grade-school language. Three Dog's record isn't as timeless or memorable as 'Everyday People,' but it shows Sly's influence. 'Everyday People' entered the Hot 100 at No. 93 for the week ending Nov. 30, 1968. You might assume that a record this catchy and classic shot to the top quickly, but it took a while. In the week ending Jan. 11, 1969, it inched up from No. 27 to No. 26, looking like it might not even match 'Dance to the Music''s top 10 ranking. But then it caught fire. The following week, it leapt to No. 15, then No. 5, then No. 2 for a couple of weeks behind Tommy James & the Shondells' 'Crimson and Clover,' before finally reaching the top spot in the week ending Feb. 15. It stayed on top for four consecutive weeks, the longest stay of Sly's career. The song was of a piece with such other socially-aware No. 1 hits as Aretha Franklin's 'Respect' (1967) and The Rascals' 'People Got to Be Free' (1968). 'Everyday People' remained on the Hot 100 for 19 weeks, a personal best for Sly, and wound up as the No. 5 song of 1969 on Billboard's year-end chart recap. The song was included on the group's fourth studio album, Stand!, which was released in May 1969. The album reached No. 13 on the Billboard 200 and remained on the chart for 102 weeks – also a personal best for the group. The album, which also featured 'Sing a Simple Song,' 'Stand!' and 'I Want to Take You Higher,' was inducted into the National Recording Registry in 2014 and the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2015. The band included 'Everyday People' in their set at Woodstock on Aug. 17, 1969. Fun Fact: It was the only No. 1 Hot 100 hit performed by the original artist during that landmark three-day festival. The song is widely acknowledged as a classic. Rolling Stone had it at No. 109 on its 2024 update of its 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list. Billboard included it on its 2023 list of the 500 Best Pop Songs: Staff List. (We had it way down at No. 293, clearly proving the wisdom of Sly's opening line, 'Sometimes I'm right and I can be wrong.') While Sly was bedeviled by personal demons that shortened his run at the top, he lived to get his flowers. The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 (in its first year of eligibility). On his own, Sly received a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy in 2017. Numerous artists covered 'Everyday People' in the wake of Sly's recording. Between 1969 and 1972, the song was featured on Billboard 200 albums by The Supremes, Ike & Tina Turner, The Winstons, Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, Supremes & Four Tops, Billy Paul and Dionne Warwick. Spend any time on YouTube and you can also find cover versions of 'Everyday People' by everyone from Peggy Lee to Pearl Jam (who performed it in concert in 1995). Other artists who took a stab at it: Aretha Franklin, The Staple Singers, William Bell, Belle & Sebastian, Maroon 5 (on a 2005 remix and cover album Different Strokes by Different Folks) and the unlikely team of Cher and Future, who covered it for a 2017 Gap ad that has recently gone viral. A couple artists even had Hot 100 hits with their new spins on the song. Joan Jett & the Blackhearts covered the song in 1983 and took it to No. 37. Arrested Development drew heavily from the song for their 1993 hit 'People Everyday,' which reached No. 8. (The song used the chorus and basic structure of the original, with new verses written by lead singer Speech.) Sly & the Family Stone nearly landed a second No. 1 hit in 1969, but 'Hot Fun in the Summertime' stalled at No. 2 for two weeks in October behind The Temptations' 'I Can't Get Next to You.' 'Hot Fun' wound up at No. 7 on the aforementioned year-end Hot 100 recap, making Sly the only act with two songs in the year-end top 10. Questlove, who directed the 2025 documentary Sly Lives (aka The Burden of Black Genius), shared a touching tribute to the icon on Instagram on Monday. 'Sly Stone, born Sylvester Stewart, left this earth today, but the changes he sparked while here will echo forever … He dared to be simple in the most complex ways — using childlike joy, wordless cries, and nursery rhyme cadences to express adult truths.' That last part was a clear reference to 'Everyday People.' Questlove also recalled what he called that song's 'eternal cry' – 'We got to live together!' Said Quest: 'Once idealistic, now I hear it as a command. Sly's music will likely speak to us even more now than it did then. Thank you, Sly. You will forever live.' Later this week: Two additional Sly & the Family Stone No. 1s take the group into darker and murkier territory, with similarly spellbinding results. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Four Decades of 'Madonna': A Look Back at the Queen of Pop's Debut Album on the Charts Chart Rewind: In 1990, Madonna Was in 'Vogue' Atop the Hot 100
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: Cynthia Erivo, Lexa Gates, Josh Levi, Sammy Virji & More
The 2025 BET Awards dominated the weekend with a remarkable — but incredibly long — show that featured standout performances from breakout stars like Leon Thomas and Ravyn Lenae, as well as stirring tributes to Ultimate Icon honorees Mariah Carey, Snoop Dogg, Jamie Foxx and Kirk Franklin. More from Billboard Forever No. 1: Sly & the Family Stone's 'Everyday People' DJ Akademiks Denies Taking Payola From Drake During Kendrick Battle Raekwon and Ghostface Killah Release Trailer for 'Only Built 4 Cuban Linx' Documentary Kendrick Lamar was the night's biggest winner, taking home five trophies from 10 nominations, including album of the year for GNX and best male hip-hop artist. The Compton MC surprised everyone by showing up in person to accept his album of the year award, making for one of the ceremony's most thrilling moments. Chris Brown was the only other artist to win multiple awards at the BET Awards' 25th iteration, taking home best male R&B/pop artist and the viewer's choice award for his hit single 'Residuals.' In addition to the four sprawling Ultimate Icon tributes, BET also opted to split their in memoriam segment into thirds. For the first section, Sinners star Miles Caton joined Grammy winner Lucky Daye and Grammy-nominated crooner Luke James for a soulful Quincy Jones tribute. Shortly after, Andra Day delivered a haunting rendition of 'Killing Me Softly With His Song' to honor the late Roberta Flack. Near the ceremony's close, rising country star Brittney Spencer took to the stage for a show-stopping cover of the late Angie Stone's 'No More Rain (In This Cloud).' Both performers at Monday night's show (June 9), Lil Wayne and Amerie made headlines for non-awards-related news. Weezy, who recently dropped a remix of 'Banned From NO' with Nicki Minaj, dominated the weekend's music conversation with his new Tha Carter VI album, which was largely met with a tepid reception from fans and critics alike. Amerie also faced a bit of the Internet's wrath thanks to her spotty NPR Tiny Desk '1 Thing' performance, which she quickly came back from via two performances of her signature hit during BET Week. With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from Cynthia Erivo's big solo swing to Sammy Virji and Skepta's eclectic new collaboration. Be sure to check out this week's Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below. Somehow, between racking up Oscar nominations as Elphaba in Wicked, guest-starring in Poker Face and hosting the 2025 Tonys, Cynthia Erivo found the time to craft her lush, 20-track sophomore studio LP, I Forgive You. A remarkably subtle record given her reputation for rafter-rattling belts, I Forgive You reaches a scintillating peak about midway through with the soulful standout 'Play The Woman.' Co-written by Erivo, Justin Tranter and Will Wells, 'Play the Woman' finds the Emmy, Grammy and Tony-winning powerhouse opting for a more restrained vocal performance as she paints the guitar-inflected soundscape with vivid pictures of queer love and desire. 'I could run these hands of mine down the map of your spine/ Feel how your heat against my fingertips could make the blood in me rush,' she coos, injecting in each phrase with healthy doses of vulnerability and flirtatiousness. — KYLE DENIS Garage producer Sammy Virji samples Brandy's 'I Wanna Be Down' and Kid Cudi's 'Day & Night' and taps the legendary Skepta to provide a barfest to give us an absolute banger for the summer. Big Smoke's hook is infectious, and his sharp verses show why he's one of the most versatile rappers doing it today. What an absolute banger. — ANGEL DIAZ After spending the last few years pouring into other artists as a writer, Sabrina Claudio turned the mirror back on herself with her freeing Fall in Love With Her project. 'Detoxing' finds Sabs looking to flush away the toxins of an ex who cut her deep. Guitar strings flood the background as Claudio's potent vocals shine through, compared to the more airy texture displayed on other parts of the LP. She told Forbes that 'Detoxing' invokes feelings of nostalgia tied to Coldplay and Avril Lavigne tracks. — MICHAEL SAPONARA A silky, heartfelt ode to infatuation and emotional intimacy, Jon Vinyl's 'Dopamine' is drenched in warmth and sensual energy. From the jump, he lays it all out — this is about being captivated not just by physical beauty, but by a connection that feels both grounding and euphoric. With lines like 'She's a masterpiece, I swear I need it all' and 'My dopamine, the fix I'm looking for,' Vinyl positions this love interest as both his muse and medicine. Lyrically, he blends vulnerability with reassurance, promising presence and protection. 'Dopamine' feels like a late-night conversation wrapped in candlelight, where both people are letting their guards down and simply feeling. — CHRISTOPHER CLAXTON Fresh off his run as an opener on FLO's recently wrapped Access All Areas tour, rising R&B star Josh Levi has unleashed 'Don't Go' from his forthcoming debut studio album, Hydraulic. Built around an interpolation of Destiny's Child's 'No, No, No,' Levi pays tribute to his Houston roots while offering fresh, uptempo R&B across Tone's sleek production. 'Them other n—as can't hold her/ She like her kisses down low, Kelly Rowland/ She got my game controller/ She wanna rewind, never fast-forward,' he sing-raps in the second verse, riffing on DC4's staccato vocal approach and name-checking OG member Kelly Rowland. — K.D. Produced by Chrissianity, Far Rock and Upstate connect for this unorthodox street single with a hook that pays homage to OJ da Juiceman. Flee Lord, Conway and Eto all deliver stellar verses for this track dedicated to digital scales. Make sure you tare it before weighing up. — A.D. Billboard's Hip-Hop Rookie of the Month for March jets into her next era with the piano-driven 'Latency.' Gates taps into how people are lusting for love, but don't dive in to save face and risk being embarrassed — even when they think the connection is palpable. The 24-year-old described the intoxicating track as a 'sexy fantasy of a love left on delay,' which was born out of a situation of her being surrounded by rich old men. 'It's a tale as old as time,' she says. Watch Lexa live out the fantasy of a true romance, taking her from NYC to the Hamptons in the visual. — M.S. 'All Wins All Year' is a triumphant anthem designed to fuel confidence and ambition. Teaming up with R&B heavyweight Eric Bellinger, rising stars SYX, Steven G, and Dom Belli trade verses with ease, showcasing a collective hunger for success and a refusal to settle for anything less. The track radiates self-assurance and camaraderie as each artist boasts about their come-ups while uplifting their circle along the way. 'All Wins All Year' is more than a flex: It's a celebration of perseverance, loyalty and the unstoppable momentum that comes when you move with purpose and surround yourself with winners. — C.C. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Questlove Pays Tribute to Sly Stone: ‘You Will Forever Live'
Ahmir 'Questlove' Thompson, who directed the new documentary 'Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius),' has shared a remembrance of the subject of his film, Sly Stone. The 82 year-old died of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and other underlying health issues. 'Sly was a giant — not just for his groundbreaking work with the Family Stone, but for the radical inclusivity and deep human truths he poured into every note,' the Roots drummer wrote on Instagram. 'His songs weren't just about fighting injustice; they were about transforming the self to transform the world. He dared to be simple in the most complex ways — using childlike joy, wordless cries, and nursery rhyme cadences to express adult truths. His work looked straight at the brightest and darkest parts of life and demanded we do the same.' More from Variety Sly Stone's 10 Essential Songs: From 'Dance to the Music' to 'Everyday People' to 'Family Affair,' and More Sly & the Family Stone Live Album From 1967 Will Finally See Light of Day Questlove on Why His 'SNL' Music Doc Couldn't Get a Clearance From Pavarotti, but How Eminem Saved the Day View this post on Instagram A post shared by Questlove (@questlove) As songwriter, producer, arranger, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and showman, Stone and his group Sly and the Family Stone dominated the top of the charts with energetic singles and albums. His life and career were documented in Questlove's film, which also features unfiltered commentary from multiple Black artists about the pressures that come with success. 'Yes, Sly battled addiction,' Questlove continued in Monday's statement. 'Yes, he disappeared from the spotlight. But he lived long enough to outlast many of his disciples, to feel the ripples of his genius return through hip-hop samples, documentaries, and his memoir.' He continued, highlighting two lines spoken and sung by Stone — 'We deserve everything we get in this life,' and ''the eternal cry of 'Everyday People': 'We got to live together!'' Questlove writes, 'Once idealistic, now I hear it as a command. Sly's music will likely speak to us even more now than it did then. Thank you, Sly. You will forever live.' Besides his children with Silva and Robinson, Stone is survived by another daughter, L.A. musician Novena Carmel. Best of Variety 25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Animated Program — Can Netflix Score Big With 'Arcane,' 'Devil May Cry' and the Final Season of 'Big Mouth?'
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sly & the Family Stone's Earliest Known Live Recordings to Be Issued on New Album
Close to 60 years since they were committed to tape, the earliest known live recordings of Sly & the Family Stone will be released this year. Dubbed The First Family: Live at the Winchester Cathedral 1967, the collection of unearthed live cuts will be issued on July 18 via High Moon. More from Billboard The Weeknd Wanders Through Purgatory in 'Baptized in Fear' Music Video Miley Cyrus Says Madonna 'Was Down' to Mud Wrestle in a '4x4' Music Video, But Her Label Said No Belinda's 'Indómita' Album & More Best New Music Latin They'll be available as digital, vinyl and CD editions, with physical copies being issued with a booklet featuring never-before-seen photos, interviews with Sly Stone and original band members, and liner notes from producer Alex Palao. The CD edition will also feature their cover of Otis Redding's 'Try A Little Tenderness' as an exclusive bonus track. Recorded on March 26, 1967, the live set sees the influential group performing as part of their four-month residency at the Winchester Cathedral club in Redwood City, California. Recorded by first manager Rich Romanello, the tapes were soon shelved, but later rediscovered in 2002 by Dutch twins and band archivists Edwin and Arno Konings. 'The Winchester Cathedral recordings showcase a one-of-kind outfit that was already at the peak of its powers, long before it became internationally famous,' said Palao in a statement. 'Sly is fully in command, while the unique arrangements and tighter-than-tight ensemble playing point clearly to the road ahead, and the enduring influence of Sly & the Family Stone's music.' Alongside the announcement of the package, a preview of the record has been released by way of final track, 'I Gotta Go Now (Up On The Floor)/Funky Broadway.' Despite being recorded in March 1967, the live set features no tracks which would appear on their debut album – A Whole New Thing – when it arrived in October of that year. Largely comprising cover songs, only the opening track, 'I Ain't Got Nobody (For Real),' would be issued on one of the band's albums, appearing on Dance to the Music in 1968. Sly & the Family Stone would release a total of ten albums across their 19-year career, with the band coming to an end in 1983, and later being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. Stone would release a solo album in 1975, with his most recent full-length release being 2011's I'm Back! Family & Friends. Earlier this year, Ahmir 'Questlove' Thompson directed the film Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius), which provided a deeper look into the life and legacy of its titular musical mastermind. 'I wanted to investigate and interrogate the idea of Black genius. How is it different from the idea of genius in general? What is the effect of being saddled with that label? How much promise is built into it, how much fear and how much unreasonable expectation?' Questlove said in a statement. 'Sly wanted to take you higher — I hope that this film also takes you deeper.' Listen to 'I Gotta Go Now (Up On The Floor)/Funky Broadway' below: Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
