Sly and the Family Stone was an American band formed in San Francisco, California, in 1966 and active until 1983. Their work, which blended elements of funk, soul, psychedelic rock, gospel, and R&B, became a pivotal influence on subsequent American popular music. Their core line-up was led by singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Sly Stone, and included Stone's siblings Freddie Stone (guitar, vocals) and Rose Stone (keyboard, vocals) alongside Cynthia Robinson (trumpet, vocals), Greg Errico (drums), Jerry Martini (saxophone), and Larry Graham (bass, vocals). The band was the first major American rock group to have a racially integrated, mixed-gender lineup.
Formed in 1966, the group synthesized a variety of musical genres to pioneer the emerging "psychedelic soul" sound. They released a series of Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hits such as "Dance to the Music" (1968), "Everyday People" (1968), “Hot Fun in the Summertime” (1969), and "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" (1969), as well as critically acclaimed albums such as Stand! (1969), which combined pop sensibility with social commentary. In the 1970s, it transitioned into a darker and less commercial funk sound on releases such as There's a Riot Goin' On (1971) and Fresh (1973), proving as influential as their early work. By 1975, drug problems and interpersonal clashes led to dissolution,Selvin, Joel (1998), pp. xi–xix. though Sly continued to record and tour with a new rotating lineup under the name "Sly and the Family Stone" until drug problems forced his effective retirement in 1987.
The work of Sly and the Family Stone influenced the sound of subsequent American funk, pop, soul, R&B, and hip-hop. Music critic Joel Selvin wrote, "there are two types of black music: black music before Sly Stone, and black music after Sly Stone".Selvin, Joel (1998), p. xi. In 2010, they were ranked 43rd in Rolling Stones 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, and three of their albums are included on the most recent version of Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.
Career Sylvester Stewart was born into the Dallas, Texas, family of K.C. and Alpha Stewart, followers of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), who encouraged musical expression in the household.Selvin, Joel (1998), pp. 1–4. After the Stewarts moved to Vallejo, California, the youngest four children (Sylvester, Freddie, Rose, and Vaetta) formed "The Stewart Four", who released a local 78 RPM single, "On the Battlefield of the Lord" b/w "Walking in Jesus' Name".
While attending high school, Sylvester and Freddie joined student bands. One of Sylvester's high school musical groups was a doo-wop act called the Viscaynes. The Viscaynes released a few local singles, and Sylvester recorded several solo singles under the name "Danny Stewart".
By 1964, Sylvester had become Sly Stone. He became a disc jockey for San Mateo, California-located R&B radio station KSOL, where he included white performers such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones in his playlists. During the same period, he worked as a record producer for Autumn Records, producing for San Francisco-area bands such as the Beau Brummels and the Mojo Men. One of the Sylvester Stewart-produced Autumn singles, Bobby Freeman's "C'mon and Swim", was a national hit.Selvin, Joel (1998), p. 12. Stewart recorded unsuccessful solo singles while at Autumn.Selvin, Joel (1998), pp. 8–9.
Early years In 1966, Sly Stone formed a band called Sly & the Stoners, which included acquaintance Cynthia Robinson on trumpet. Around the same time, Freddie founded a band called Freddie & the Stone Souls, which included Greg Errico on drums, and Ronnie Crawford on saxophone. At the suggestion of Stone's friend, saxophonist Jerry Martini, Sly and Freddie combined their bands, creating Sly and the Family Stone in November 1966. At first the group was called Sly Brothers and Sisters but after their first gig at the Winchester Cathedral, a night club in Redwood City, California, they changed the name to Sly & the Family Stone. Since both Sly and Freddie were guitarists, Sly appointed Freddie the official guitarist for the Family Stone, and taught himself to play the electronic organ. Sly also recruited Larry Graham, Robinson's cousin, to play bass guitar.
Vaetta Stewart wanted to join the band as well. She and her friends, Mary McCreary and Elva Mouton, had a gospel group called the Heavenly Tones. Sly recruited the teenagers directly out of high school to become Little Sister, Sly and the Family Stone's background vocalists.Selvin, Joel (1998), p. 88; interview with Elva "Tiny" Moulton.
After a gig at the Winchester Cathedral, CBS Records executive David Kapralik signed the group to CBS's Epic Records label. The Family Stone's first album, A Whole New Thing, was released in 1967 to critical acclaim, particularly from musicians such as Mose Allison and Tony Bennett.Selvin, Joel (1998), pp. 59–60; interviews with David Kapralik and Jerry Martini. However, the album's low sales restricted their playing venues to small clubs, and caused Clive Davis and the record label to intervene.Fotenot, Robert. Profile: Sly and the Family Stone . About.com. Retrieved on January 18, 2007. Some musicologists believe the Abaco Dream single "Life and Death in G & A", recorded for A&M Records in 1967 and peaking at No. 74 in September 1969,Top Pop Singles 1955–1999. Joel Whitburn. 2000. Record Research Inc. p. 3. was performed by Sly and the Family Stone.Santiago, Eddie. (2008) Sly: The Lives of Sylvester Stewart and Sly Stone. , 9781435709874. page 70.
Davis talked Sly into writing and recording a record, and he and the band reluctantly provided the single "Dance to the Music".Selvin, Joel (1998), p. 60; interview with Jerry Martini. Upon its November 1967 release, "Dance to the Music" became a widespread ground-breaking hit, and was the band's first charting single, reaching No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. Just before the release of "Dance to the Music", Rose Stone joined the group as a vocalist and a keyboardist. Rose's brothers had invited her to join the band from the beginning, but she initially had been reluctant to leave her steady job at a local record store.
The Dance to the Music album went on to decent sales, but the follow-up, Life, was not as successful commercially.Erlewine, Stephen Thomas . [ Review for Life by Sly and the Family Stone]. All Music Guide. Retrieved on January 17, 2007. In September 1968, the band embarked on its first overseas tour, to England. It was cut short after Graham was arrested for possession of marijuana and because of disagreements with concert promoters.Selvin, Joel (1998), p. 68; interview with Jerry Martini.
Stand! (1969)
In late 1968, Sly and the Family Stone released the single "Everyday People", which became their first No. 1 hit. "Everyday People" was a protest against prejudice of all kindsGreenwald, Matthew. [ Review of "Everyday People" by Sly and the Family Stone]. Allmusic.com. Retrieved on February 3, 2007. and popularized the catchphrase "different strokes for different folks".Lewis, Miles (2006), p. 57. With its B-side "Sing a Simple Song", it served as the lead single for the band's fourth album, Stand!, which was released on May 3, 1969. The Stand! album eventually sold more than three million copies; its title track peaked at No. 22 in the U.S. Stand! is considered one of the artistic high points of the band's career. It contained the above three tracks as well as the songs "I Want to Take You Higher" (which was the B-side of the "Stand!" single), "Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey", "Sex Machine", and "You Can Make It If You Try".
The band headlined the Harlem Cultural Festival before tens of thousands of spectators in Mount Morris Park in 1969. The concert series is the subject of a 2021 documentary film directed by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson called Summer of Soul. The success of Stand! secured Sly and the Family Stone a performance slot at the landmark Woodstock Music and Art Festival. They performed their set during the early-morning hours of August 17, 1969; their performance was said to be one of the best shows of the festival. A new non-album single, "Hot Fun in the Summertime", was released the same month and went to No. 2 on the U.S. pop chart (peaking in October, after the summer of 1969 had already ended). In 1970, following the release of the Woodstock documentary, the single of "Stand!" and "I Want to Take You Higher" was reissued with the latter song now the A-side; it reached the Top 40.
Internal problems and a change of direction With the band's new-found fame and success came numerous problems. Relationships within the band were deteriorating; there was friction in particular between the Stone brothers and Larry Graham.Selvin, Joel (1998), pp. 107, 146–152. Epic requested more marketable output.Lewis, Miles (2006), pp. 24–25. Jewish-American manager David Kapralik claimed that Sly's sister Loretta, as well as the Black Panther Party, urged Sly to replace him with a black manager.Lewis, Miles (2006), p. 85.Selvin, Joel (1998), p. 89; interview with David Kapralik.
After moving to the Los Angeles area in fall 1969, Sly Stone and his fellow band members became heavy users of illegal drugs, primarily cocaine and PCP.Selvin, Joel (1998), pp. 94–98. As the members became increasingly focused on drug use and partying (Sly Stone carried a violin case filled with illegal drugs wherever he went),Selvin, Joel (1998), p. 122. recording slowed significantly. Between summer 1969 and fall 1971, the band released only one single, "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)"/"Everybody Is a Star", released in December 1969. "Thank You" reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1970.
During 1970, Sly Stone spent most of his waking hours on drugs.Selvin, Joel (1998), pp. 113–115. He became erratic and moody, and missed nearly a third of the band's concerts that year. The band did close out the Strawberry Fields Festival near Toronto, Ontario, in August, but live appearances on television talk shows such as The Mike Douglas Show and The Dick Cavett Show went unpredictably.Selvin, Joel (1998), pp. 120–122. Meanwhile, Sly hired his streetwise cohorts, Hamp "Bubba" Banks and J.B. Brown, as his personal managers; they in turn brought in gangsters such as Edward "Eddie Chin" Elliott and Mafioso J.R. Valtrano to be Sly's bodyguards. Sly enlisted these individuals to handle his business dealings, to retrieve drugs, and to protect him from those he considered his enemies, some of whom were his own bandmates and staff.Selvin, Joel (1998), pp. 99–100, 150–152. A rift developed between Sly and the rest of the band;Selvin, Joel (1998), pp. 146–147. in early 1971, drummer Errico became the first to leave the band for other ventures. He was replaced with a succession of drummers until Sly settled on Gerry Gibson, who only remained with the band for a year before being replaced by Andy Newmark in 1973.
To appease fan demand for new songs, Epic began re-releasing material. A Whole New Thing was reissued with a new cover, and several of the Family Stone's most popular recordings were packaged into the band's first Greatest Hits album. Greatest Hits reached number two on the Billboard 200 in 1970.