Sly Stone, the pioneering musician who led the groundbreaking funk band Sly and the Family Stone, died Monday at age 82 after a prolonged battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other underlying health issues. Stone passed away peacefully in Los Angeles, surrounded by his three children, his closest friend, and his extended family.
Born Sylvester Stewart in Denton, Texas, in March 1943, Stone moved with his family to the San Francisco Bay Area when he was six months old. He was raised in a Pentecostal religious family and began performing gospel music at an early age with his siblings in a group called the Stewart Four, making his first recording at age nine.
Stone acquired his nickname in school when a teacher accidentally misspelled his abbreviated name “Syl” as “Sly.” By age four, he had performed on stage at a Sam Cooke show, and by 11, he had mastered several instruments including keyboards, guitar, bass, and drums. During his teenage years and early 20s, he worked as a disc jockey at San Francisco radio station KSOL, playing diverse music ranging from the Beatles to rhythm and blues acts.
In 1966, Stone combined his band Sly and the Stoners with his brother Freddie’s group Freddie and the Stone Souls to form Sly and the Family Stone. The classic lineup included Stone on keyboards, his brother Freddie on guitar, sister Rose on vocals, bassist Larry Graham, drummer Greg Errico, trumpeter Cynthia Robinson, and saxophonist Jerry Martini.
The band was groundbreaking as the first major American rock group to be both racially integrated and mixed gender. They released their debut album “A Whole New Thing” in October 1967, but their breakthrough came with the single “Dance to the Music” in 1968, which peaked at number eight on the Billboard Pop Singles chart.
Stone’s family noted that he “recently completed the screenplay for his life story,” adding that they are eager to share the project with the world. The announcement follows his 2023 memoir “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin),” in which he reflected on his career and influence on music.
Sly and the Family Stone achieved remarkable commercial success between 1968 and 1971, accumulating 17 Hot 100 hits, including five top 10 singles and three number one hits. Their chart-toppers included “Everyday People,” which spent four weeks at number one in 1968-1969, “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” for two weeks in 1970, and “Family Affair” for three weeks in 1971.
The group’s 1969 album “Stand!” eventually sold more than three million copies and is widely considered a masterpiece. Their 1971 release “There’s a Riot Goin’ On” spent two weeks at number one and is regarded as one of the most influential albums of all time. The album was largely recorded by Stone alone, featuring one of the earliest uses of drum machines.
Stone and his band delivered memorable performances at both defining music festivals of 1969: Woodstock and the Harlem Cultural Festival. Their Woodstock performance took place at 3:30 a.m. on Sunday morning, featuring an electric medley of hits including “Everyday People,” “Dance To The Music,” and “I Want To Take You Higher.”
By the early 1970s, Stone’s career began declining due to drug addiction, particularly cocaine and PCP dependency, which he acknowledged in his memoir. The band became notorious for missing scheduled performances, and internal strife led to their dissolution by 1975, though Stone continued releasing albums under the Family Stone name through the early 1980s.
Stone largely disappeared from public life by the 1990s, making only sporadic appearances. He returned to the stage at the 2006 Grammy Awards for a tribute to the group, marking his first public performance in nearly two decades. Sly and the Family Stone was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.
Stone’s influence extended far beyond his commercial success. His music served as a foundation for funk, disco, and early hip-hop, with his songs being sampled more than 1,000 times according to the WhoSampled website. Artists influenced by his work include George Clinton’s Parliament-Funkadelic, Prince, Dr. Dre, Tupac, The Notorious B.I.G., and OutKast.
In recent years, Stone faced financial difficulties and legal battles over royalty payments. Despite winning a $5 million lawsuit in 2015 against his former manager and attorney, he did not receive the money due to terms of a 1989 royalties agreement. Reports in 2011 indicated he was living in a campervan in Los Angeles’ Crenshaw district.
Stone’s life and career were documented in 2025 by director Questlove in the film “Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius).” He is survived by three children: son Sylvester Jr., and daughters Sylvyette Phunne and Novena Carmel. His family expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support, stating that his extraordinary musical legacy will continue to resonate and inspire future generations.
Stone married model Kathy Silva on stage during a concert at Madison Square Garden in June 1974, though they later separated in 1976. His final album, “I’m Back! Family & Friends,” featuring re-recordings of classic songs alongside three new tracks, was released in 2011.