https://variety.com/2025/music/news/sly-stone-dead-funk-rock-pioneer-family-stone-1236423831/
Jason Ankeny’s biography
on Allmusic.com provides an excellent summary of his contributions:
James Brown may have invented funk,
but Sly Stone perfected it; his alchemical fusion of soul, rock, gospel, and
psychedelia rejected stylistic boundaries as much as his explosive backing band
the Family Stone ignored racial and gender restrictions, creating a series of
euphoric yet politically charged records that proved a massive influence on
artists of all musical and cultural backgrounds.
Unfortunately, drugs and disillusionment wound up wrecking both
the band – the Variety obit notes that “In the year 1970, the Family Stone
cancelled 26 of their 80 concert dates” – and his life. That sad decline,
however, in no way detracts from his enormous musical and cultural
contributions.
Favorite songs:
I Want To Take You Higher
Everyday People
Hot Fun In the Summertime
Family Affair
Dance to the Music
Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)
Sing a Simple Song
Stand!
M'Lady
Everybody Is a Star
Tough to choose among these hits.
ReplyDeleteEverybody is a Star is an underrated (though not exactly an "obscure") classic.
Both WXPN and the Takoma Park community station (https://takomaradio.org/) are heavily featuring their music this morning.
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