Funk and soul pioneer Sly Stone dies age 82
Tributes are being paid around the world to the pioneering funk and soul superstar Sly Stone who has died in Los Angeles at the age of 82.
His group Sly & The Family Stone had a string of hits which helped shape the sound of the late '60s and early '70s, including ‘Family Affair’, ‘Dance to the Music’ and ‘Everyday People’. The band broke boundaries – racially, musically, and socially – as they blended funk, soul, rock, and psychedelia into anthems of unity, protest, and celebration.
Sly was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and honoured with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002, just last year he published his long-awaited memoir, ‘Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)’.
Drummer Questlove, who recently made a documentary about Sly Stone’s life in music, has described him as “A giant… for the radical inclusivity and deep human truths he poured into every note. 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”.
Chaka Khan also took to social media to pay tribute to Stone, calling him “a true innovator and pioneer of funk who reshaped music and culture. Today we mourn his loss, but let’s also celebrate his legacy - a legacy of courage, creativity, and breaking down walls through music.”