Legendary radio musician
He played in Woodstock and inspired Prince: Sly Stone is dead
Radio legend Sly Stone is dead. The musician died at the age of 82. He became known with his appearance in Woodstock and hits like “Family Affair”.
Sly Stone (1943-2025) is dead. The legendary musician, whose cross-genre radio shaped the music landscape of the late 1960s and early 1970s, died at the age of 82. This was announced by his family in a statement.
“Exceptional musical heritage”
According to this, Sly Stone died after a long fight against the chronic obstructive lung disease COPD and other health problems with his three children, his closest friend and the extended family. “While we mourn his loss, we find comfort in the knowledge that its extraordinary musical heritage will continue to inspire generations,” it says. In addition, the family announced that Stone recently completed the script for his moving life – a project that the family would like to share with the public in due course.
The musician, born as a New Year’s Eve Stewart in Texas, founded the legendary band Sly and the Family Stone in 1966 – one of the first major US groups that sat down both ethnically and gender, which was considered a radical statement at the time of the civil rights movement. With hits like “Everyday People”, “Thank you (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” and “If you want me to stay”, Stone not only shaped the sound of a generation, but also the development of the radio genre. His style combined Soul, Rock, Funk and Psychedelia and inspired musicians such as Prince, Ice Cube, Beastie Boys or the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Sly Stone: His Woodstock appearance is legendary
A milestone in Sly Stone’s career was his iconic appearance at the Woodstock Festival in August 1969. In the middle of the night, around 3:30 a.m., the band entered the stage and tore the exhausted audience out of tiredness with an electrifying performance. The song “I Want To Take You Higher” developed into one of the musical highlights of the legendary festival.
Free love, drugs and a lot of music – that’s how the “mother of all festivals” went
This event has shaped our picture of the counter-culture of the 1960s to this day: at the Woodstock Festival, a half million people gathered between 15 and 18 August 1969 to celebrate peacefully and to hear some of the best bands of that time. Among them were The Who, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane and Jimi Hendrix. Unlike the name suggests, the event did not take place in Woodstock, but 70 kilometers southwest near the small town of Bethel in the state of New York.
© John Dominis / The Life Picture Collection / Getty Images
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Despite the musical success from the late 1970s, Stone increasingly got into the whirlpool of drug problems, health setbacks and financial difficulties. Nevertheless, his influence on the music world remained unbroken: in 1993 he was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with his band.
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Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
