Written by Jonathan Dakss July 1996
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Sly and the Family Stone are recognized by music historians, fans and artists alike as pioneers of a breed of music which had never been heard until their entrance onto the music scene. This new music blended psychedelic rock, James Brown's straight-up rhythm-and-blues, and gospel into a soupbowl that was later named "funk." Sly was also involved with the production of other well-known artists, including Grace Slick & The Great Society, Billy Preston, Bobby Freeman and also the female soul group Little Sister, which was fronted by Sly's sister Vaetta Stewart. Over the years, Sly has collaborated with numerous artists, including George Clinton, The Temptations, The Bar-Kays and Bobby Womack. |
The Stewart Four From L to R: Vaetta, Fred, Rose, Sylvester |
Born Sylvester Stewart, Sly Stone began his career singing gospel with his brother and sisters and recorded a song entitled "On the Battlefield For My Lord" when he was only eight years old. But although he was born in Denton, Texas on March 15th, 1943, it was his upbringing in the grimy industrial suburb of Vallejo, California, just across the bay from San Francisco, that determined his future. Music was always central in his life and while he was pursuing an education (first at Vallejo's public high school, then at Vallejo Junior College) he began singing lead with a doowop quintet called the Viscaynes. Local success with their version of "Yellow Moon" whetted his appetite and in 1960 he cut "Long Time Away" b/w "Help Me With My Broken Heart" for the G&P label. At this time he began a career spinning records, first for radio station KSOL and then for KDIA. |
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It was as a disc jockey that his talents were first noticed by Tom "Big Daddy" Donahue and Bob "Mighty Mitch" Mitchell, DJ's who quit the turntables at KYA-AM to set up Autumn Records in 1964. Adept at writing and arranging, undeniably proficient on guitar, keyboard and drums, he was the right man in the right place and he was signed to Autumn Records from the outset. His own Autumn recordings "I Just Learned To Swim," "Scat Swim," and the instrumental "Buttermilk," cashed in on the latest dance crazes and, as house producer, he took Bobby Freeman to number five nationwide with "C'mon & Swim" in July 1964. |
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During this time, Sly formed a musical group called Sly and the Stoners which played at clubs in San Francisco. Meanwhile, Sly's younger brother Freddie formed a group called Freddie and the Stone Souls. When things began to go downhill for Sly and the Stoners, Sly suggested to Freddie that they take the most talented players out of their respective groups and merge them to form a band whose talent and original approach to pop music would be unrivaled. The band, which would be later named "Sly & the Family Stone," featured Sly on keyboards and vocals and Freddie on guitar and vocals (Sly would also do the writing, arranging and lyrics for the group). Sly brought trumpeter Cynthia Robinson from The Stoners and Freddie brought drummer Greg "Handsfeet" Errico from the Stone Souls. Sly also brought saxophone player Jerry Martini to the group, who was a friend of Sly's and a well-known session musician in San Francisco. After hearing about his unique style of playing bass (now known as "thumping" and "plucking" or "slapping" and "popping") from a fan of his radio show, Sly visited Larry Graham Jr. while he was performing in a trio with his mother at an Oakland nightclub and asked him to add his bass and vocal talent to the group. After hearing about the group from a promotion man at Epic Records, David Kapralik signed Sly & the Family Stone to the label, and became the group's manager and Sly's partner. After they recorded their first album A Whole New Thing, Sly's younger sister Rose joined the group and added keyboards and vocals. |
The Stone Souls, ca. 1965
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With their unique blend of R&B and psychedelia, Sly & the Family Stone became a local phenomenon in the thriving San Francisco Bay area music scene, and acheived their first nationwide hit in 1968 with 
"Dance to the Music". However, it was not until
their astounding performance at the 1969 Woodstock music festival
(considered by many to be one of Rock & Roll's most legendary moments)
that the group really broke through and became a household word.
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See a RealVideo clip from that legendary performance: (28.8K modem) (56K modem) |
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Sly and the Family Stone were known not only for their unique and innovative sound, but also for their politically groundbreaking lineup: men and women, blacks and whites. During the emotionally charged era of the 60's, the idea of people joining together despite their physical differences to make extraordinary music and sing about peace and love not only gave the message that racial harmony was indeed possible, but let you hear what it sounded like. Their impact on the music world has been immeasurable, their success marked by such chart-topping hits as "Everyday
People" (#1 single in 1969),
Thank You (Falettinme be Mice Elf Agin)" (#1 single in 1970) and
"Family Affair" (#1 single in 1971).
With Sly as producer and songwriter, he introduced music to the world that had
never before been heard, and can be considered responsible for the sounds heard
in popular music from the 60's to the present day. To be specific,
"Thank You"
( Hear
their performance of it on The Dick Cavett Show, 7/13/70)
is considered to be the first song in American popular music
to feature a bass guitar being slapped.
His remake of "Somebody's Watching
You" with the group Little Sister is
considered to be the first song to ever feature a drum machine.
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Unfortunately, as the band grew increasingly popular, Sly's personal life grew wild and excessive, and it showed in his music and his behavior. He moved from San Francisco to Los Angeles and became a part of a different scene. He would arrive hours late for performances, if he arrived at all. For these reasons or otherwise, Greg Errico left the band in 1971 during production of There's a Riot Goin' On and became a producer and studio drummer, producing albums by WAR's Lee Oskar and vocalist Betty Davis, and playing drums with people like Carlos Santana, Peter Frampton, Mickey Hart, David Bowie, and Weather Report. |
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Larry Graham quit the band in 1972 after Riot was released, and went on to form his own successful oufit Graham Central Station. Sly & the Family Stone continued to release albums despite criticism from prominent music publications asserting that Sly was going downhill, in both his music and his lifestyle. In 1974 Sly married "actress" Kathy Silva onstage during a sell-out performance at Madison Square Garden, an act which many say was more for boosting Sly's public image than for holy matrimony (they divorced six months later). |
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After various comeback attempts in the 80's Sly has spent time in jail (on both drug and alimony charges) and in drug rehabilitation centers. Now Sly is nothing more than a shadow on the face of the music world ... his music is now heard on the radio as the backbeat for many a hip-hop jam as new artists give props to the man who built the foundation for the hits of today. Rumor has it that Sly is preparing to make a comeback and has hours of recorded material waiting to see the light of day. The world is waiting for such a respected and prolific artist to come out from the shadows and contribute once again to the music scene which he helped to create. The other members of the group have continued to maintain successful careers inside and outside the music industry; Greg is a Bay Area studio drummer who is currently a member of Gary Duncan's Quicksilver Messenger Service; Larry is recording a new Graham Central Station album with The Artist Formerly Known as Prince, and tours with Jerry and Cynthia; Rose records with a local choir and appears on a weekly program on national TV; Freddie performs on Sundays as the pastor of a small church in Vallejo. |
The Sly & the Family Stone Official Discography
© Jonathan Dakss, 1998
(Special Thanks to The Dream Factory for
the multimedia files.
Creator and Webmaster: Jon Dakss
