Sly and the Family Stone

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Sly and the Family Stone
Sly and the Family Stone was an American band from
San Francisco. Active from 1967 to 1983, the band was
pivotal in the development of soul, funk, and psychedelic
music. Headed by singer, songwriter, record producer,
and multi-instrumentalist Sly Stone, and containing several of his family members and friends, the band was the
first major American rock band to have an "integrated,
multi-gender" lineup.[5]

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, in
which he and a Filipino teenager were the only non-white
members. 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 and a disc
jockey for San Francisco 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.[12] Stewart
recorded unsuccessful solo singles while at Autumn.[13]

Brothers Sly Stone and singer/guitarist Freddie Stone
combined their bands (Sly & the Stoners and Freddie
& the Stone Souls) in 1967. Sly and Freddie Stone,
trumpeter Cynthia Robinson, drummer Gregg Errico,[6]
saxophonist Jerry Martini, and bassist Larry Graham
comprised the original lineup; Sly and Freddie’s sister, singer/keyboardist Rose Stone, joined within a year.
They recorded five Billboard Hot 100 hits which reached
the top 10, and four ground-breaking albums, which
greatly influenced the sound of American pop, soul,
R&B, funk, and hip hop music. In the preface of his 1998
book For the Record: Sly and the Family Stone: An Oral
History, Joel Selvin sums up the importance of Sly and
the Family Stone’s influence on African American music
by stating “there are two types of black music: black music before Sly Stone, and black music after Sly Stone”.[7]
The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame in 1993.

1.1 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 Gregg
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 March 1967. 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. Meanwhile, Sly recruited Larry
Graham to play bass guitar.

During the early 1970s, Sly and the Family Stone transitioned into a darker and less commercial funk sound that
would prove as influential as their early work[8] before
drug problems and interpersonal clashes led to the group’s
dissolution in 1975.[9] Sly Stone continued to record albums and tour with a new rotating lineup under the “Sly
and the Family Stone” name from 1975 to 1983. In 1987,
Sly Stone was arrested and sentenced for cocaine use, af- Vaetta Stewart wanted to join the band as well. She and
ter which he went into effective retirement.[10]
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.[14]
1 Career
After a gig at the Winchester Cathedral, a night club
in Redwood City, CA, 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.[15]
However, the album’s low sales restricted their playing
venues to small clubs, and caused Clive Davis and the
record label to intervene.[15][16] Some musicologists believe the Abaco Dream single “Life And Death In G &
A”, recorded for A&M Records in 1967 and peaking at

Sly Stone was a member of a deeply religious middleclass household from Dallas, Texas. K.C. and Alpha
Stewart held the family together under the doctrines of
the Church of God in Christ (COGIC) and encouraged
musical expression in the household.[11] 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”, in 1952.
1

2

1

CAREER

#74 in September 1969,[17] was performed by Sly and the was said to be one of the best shows of the festival.[16]
Family Stone.[18]
A new non-album single, "Hot Fun in the Summertime",
Davis talked Sly into writing and recording a record, and was released the same month and went to #2 on the U.S.
October, after the summer of 1969
he and the band reluctantly provided the single "Dance to pop chart (peaking in
[20]
had
already
ended).
In 1970, following the release of
[19]
the Music".
Upon its February 1968 release, “Dance
the
Woodstock
documentary,
the single of “Stand!" and
to the Music” became a widespread ground-breaking hit,
“I
Want
to
Take
You
Higher”
was
reissued with the latter
and was the band’s first charting single, reaching #8 on the
song
now
the
a-side;
it
reached
the
Top 40.[20]
[20]
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 1.3
reluctant to leave her steady job at a local record store.[19]
The Dance to the Music album went on to decent sales, but
the follow-up, Life, was not as successful commercially
.[21] 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.[22]

1.2

Stand! (1969)

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.[26] Epic requested
more marketable output.[27] The Black Panther Party demanded that Sly replace Gregg Errico and Jerry Martini with black instrumentalists and fire manager David
Kapralik.[28][29]
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.[30] As the
members became increasingly focused on drug use and
partying (Sly Stone carried a violin case filled with illegal drugs wherever he went),[31] 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.[20]

The Woodstock Music and Art Festival, at which Sly and the
Family Stone performed on August 17, 1969.

In 1970, Sly Stone spent most of his waking hours on
drugs.[32] He became erratic and moody, and missed
nearly a third of the band’s concerts that year.[33] 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.[34] 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.[35] A rift developed between Sly and the rest of
the band;[36] 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.

In late 1968, Sly and the Family Stone released the single
"Everyday People", which became their first #1 hit.[20]
“Everyday People” was a protest against prejudice of
all kinds[23] and popularized the catchphrase “different
strokes for different folks.”[24] 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 #22 in the U.S.
Stand! is considered one of the artistic high points of
the band’s career;[25] 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”.[25]
To appease fan demand for new songs, Epic began reThe success of Stand! secured Sly and the Family Stone a releasing material. A Whole New Thing was reissued with
performance slot at the landmark Woodstock Music and a new cover, and several of the Family Stone’s most popuArt Festival. They performed their set during the early- lar recordings were packaged into the band’s first Greatest
morning hours of August 17, 1969; their performance Hits album. Greatest Hits reached number two on the

1.5

Fresh (1973) and Small Talk (1974)

Billboard 200 in 1970.

3

1.5

Fresh (1973) and Small Talk (1974)

During this period, Sly Stone negotiated a production deal
with Atlantic Records, resulting in his own imprint, Stone
Flower Productions. Stone Flower released four singles,
including one by R&B artist Joe Hicks, one by a group
called 6IX, and two pop Top 40/R&B Top 10 singles by
Little Sister: “You're the One” and “Somebody’s Watching You”, a cover of a song from Stand!. For unclear
reasons, Sly gradually withdrew his attention from Stone
Flower, and the label was closed in 1971. Little Sister’s
“Somebody’s Watching You” is the first popular recording to feature the use of a drum machine for its rhythm
track.[37]

Despite the loss of the original rhythm section and Sly’s
escalating cocaine use, the band’s next album, Fresh,
was released in 1973. By this time, Sly’s sound had
become more stripped down, yet more syncopated and
rhythmically complex.[45] Sly obsessively overdubbed the
masters, as he had done with Riot.[46] Although the record
received mixed reviews at its release and did not receive
the attention that the band’s earlier work had, Fresh has
become recognized as one of the most important funk
albums ever made.[45] Rose Stone sang lead on a gospelstyled cover of Doris Day's "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever
Will Be, Will Be)", and the single "If You Want Me to
Stay" became a Top 20 hit in the U.S.[20] Its follow-up,
Small Talk, was released in 1974 to mixed reviews and
1.4 There’s a Riot Goin' On (1971)
low sales.[47][48] The first Small Talk single, “Time For
Livin'", became the band’s final Top 40 hit single. “Loose
In 1971, Sly and the Family Stone returned with a new Booty”, the second single, peaked at No. 84.
single, "Family Affair", which became a number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100. “Family Affair” was the
lead single from the band’s long-awaited There’s a Riot 1.6 Dissolution
Goin' On. The album debuted at number-one on the Billboard album charts upon its November 1971 release.
Instead of the optimistic, rock-laced soul that had characterized the Family Stone’s 1960s output, There’s a Riot
Goin' On was an urban blues, filled with dark instrumentation, filtered drum machine tracks, and plaintive vocals
representing the hopelessness Sly and many other people
were feeling in the early 1970s.[38][39] The album is characterized by a significant amount of tape hiss – the result
of Sly’s extensive re-recording and overdubbing during
production.[40] Allegedly, most of the album’s instrumentation is performed by Sly alone, who enlisted the Family Stone for some of the additional instrumental parts
and friends such as Billy Preston, Ike Turner, and Bobby
Womack for others.[41] "(You Caught Me) Smilin'" and
“Runnin' Away” were also released as singles, and performed well on the charts.
After the release of Riot, additional lineup changes took
place. In early 1972, Jerry Martini inquired to Sly and
his managers about monies due to him; saxophonist Pat
Rizzo was hired as a potential replacement for Martini if
he ever became suspicious of the band’s business practices again.[42] Both Rizzo and Martini remained in the
band.[42] Later that year, the tension between Sly Stone
and Larry Graham reached its peak. A post-concert
brawl broke out between Graham’s entourage and Sly’s
entourage; Bubba Banks and Eddie Chin, having heard
that Larry had hired a hit man to kill Sly, assaulted Graham’s associates.[43] Graham and his wife climbed out of
a hotel window to escape, and Pat Rizzo gave them a ride
to safety.[43] Unable to continue working with Sly, Graham immediately quit the Family Stone and went on to
start Graham Central Station, a successful band in the The band’s 1975 performance at Radio City Music Hall (shown
same vein as Sly and the Family Stone.[44] Graham was 2003) was only one-eighth occupied.
replaced in the interim by Bobby Womack, and then by
During the 1970s, Sly or one of the band members would
nineteen-year-old Rusty Allen.[43]

4

2

STYLE, INFLUENCE, AND LEGACY

often miss the gig, refuse to play, or pass out from drug
use. This had an adverse effect on their ability to demand money for live bookings; live bookings also declined as a result.[49] At many gigs, concert-goers rioted if
the band failed to appear or if Sly walked out before finishing his set. Ken Roberts became the group’s promoter,
and later their general manager, when other representatives wouldn't work with the band because of their erratic
attendance.[50] In January 1975, the band booked itself at
Radio City Music Hall. The famed music hall was only
one-eighth occupied, and Sly and company had to scrape
together money to return home.[51] Following the Radio
City engagement, the band was dissolved.[51]

Clinton and Funkadelic disputed with and left Warner
Bros. Records in late 1981.[54] When Sly disappeared
into self-seclusion, producer Stewart Levine completed
the album, which was released as Ain't But the One Way
in 1982. The album sold poorly and received mixed critical reception, but Sly made an appearance on Late Night
With David Letterman that year.[54] Overcome by drug
addictions, Sly Stone disappeared from the limelight and
entered drug rehabilitation in 1984, at the insistence of
his old friend Bobby Womack.[55] Sly continued sporadically releasing new singles and collaborations until a 1987
arrest and conviction for cocaine possession and use. Afterwards, he stopped releasing music.

Rose Stone was pulled out of the band by Bubba Banks,
who was then her husband. She began a solo career,
recording a Motown-style album under the name Rose
Banks in 1976. Freddie Stone joined Larry Graham’s
group, Graham Central Station, for a time; after collaborating with his brother one last time in 1979 for Back
on the Right Track, he retired from the music industry
and eventually became the pastor of the Evangelist Temple Fellowship Center in Vallejo. Little Sister was also
dissolved; Mary McCreary married Leon Russell and
worked with him on music projects.[52] Andy Newmark
became a successful session drummer, playing with Roxy
Music, B. B. King, Steve Winwood and others.[53]

In 1992, Sly and the Family Stone appeared on the Red
Hot Organization's dance compilation album, Red Hot +
Dance, contributing an original track,"Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) (Todds CD Mix).” The album
attempted to raise awareness and money in support of the
AIDS epidemic, and all proceeds were donated to AIDS
charities.
On August 16, 2011, the album I'm Back! Family &
Friends was released. The album features re-recorded
versions of Sly and the Family Stone’s greatest hits with
guest appearances from Jeff Beck, Ray Manzarek, Bootsy
Collins, Ann Wilson, Carmine Appice, and Johnny Winter, as well as three previously unreleased songs.

One month later, on September 25, 2011, the New York
Post reported that Sly Stone was now homeless and living
1.7 Sly Stone’s later career
out of a white camper-van in Los Angeles: “The van is
parked on a residential street in Crenshaw, the rough Los
Main article: Sly Stone
Angeles neighborhood where 'Boyz n the Hood' was set.
A retired couple makes sure he eats once a day, and Stone
Sly recorded two more albums for Epic: High on You showers at their house.”[56]
(1975) and Heard You Missed Me, Well I'm Back (1976).
High On You was billed as a Sly Stone solo album; Heard
You Missed Me was a Sly and the Family Stone album in
name only. Although Sly continued to collaborate with 2 Style, influence, and legacy
some of the original Family Stone members on occasion,
the actual band no longer existed. Sly played most of Sly Stone had produced for and performed with black
the instruments on record himself; he maintained a band and white musicians during his early career, and he into support him for live shows. Among his main collab- tegrated music by white artists into black radio station
orators were Cynthia Robinson and Pat Rizzo from the KSOL’s playlist as a D.J. Similarly, the Sly and the FamFamily Stone, and background vocalists Lynn Mabry and ily Stone sound was a melting pot of many influences and
Dawn Silva, who parted with Sly in 1976 and formed The cultures, including James Brown proto-funk, Motown
Brides of Funkenstein in 1978. Epic released Stone from pop, Stax soul, Broadway showtunes, and psychedelic
his contract in 1977, and in 1979 released 10 Years Too rock music.[10] Wah-wah guitars, distorted fuzz basslines,
Soon, a remix album featuring disco versions of the 1960s church-styled organ lines, and horn riffs provided the
Family Stone hits.
musical backdrop for the vocals of the band’s four lead
[21][25]
Sly Stone, Freddie Stone, Larry Graham,
Sly signed with Warner Bros. and recorded Back on the singers.
and
Rose
Stone
traded off on various bars of each verse,
Right Track (1979). Although the album featured contria
style
of
vocal
arrangement
unusual and revolutionary at
butions from Freddie and Rose Stone, Sly remained un[57]
Cynthia Robinson shouted
that
time
in
popular
music.
able to return to the success of his late '60s and early '70s
ad-libbed
vocal
directions
to
the
audience and the band;
[10]
fame. He toured with George Clinton and Funkadelic
for
example,
urging
everyone
to
“get on up and 'Dance
during the late 1970s and early 1980s, and also appeared
to
the
Music'"
and
demanding
that
“all the squares go
on the 1981 Funkadelic album The Electric Spanking of
[58]
home!"
War Babies. That year, Clinton and Sly began work on a
new Sly Stone album; however, recording halted when The lyrics for the band’s songs were often pleas for

3.1

2006 Grammy Awards tribute

peace, love, and understanding among people. These
calls against prejudice and self-hate were underscored
by the band’s on-stage appearance. Caucasians Gregg
Errico and Jerry Martini were members of the band at
a time when integrated performance bands were virtually unknown; integration had only recently become enforced by law. Females Cynthia Robinson and Rosie
Stone played instruments onstage, rather than just providing vocals or serving as visual accompaniment for the
male members.[59] The band’s gospel-styled singing endeared them to black audiences; their rock music elements and wild costuming—including Sly’s large Afro
and tight leather outfits, Rose’s blond wig, and the other
members’ loud psychedelic clothing—caught the attention of mainstream audiences.[60]

5
of the Family Stone were in attendance, except Sly. Just
as the band took the podium to receive their awards, Sly
suddenly appeared. He accepted his award, made some
very brief remarks (“See you soon”), and disappeared
from public view.[67] In December 2001, Sly and the
Family Stone were awarded the R&B Foundation Pioneer
Award. Two Family Stone songs, “Dance to the Music”
and “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again)", are
among The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that
Shaped Rock and Roll. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine
ranked them 43rd on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists
of All Time.[68]
A Sly and the Family Stone tribute album, Different
Strokes by Different Folks, was released on July 12, 2005
by Starbucks' Hear Music label. The project features
cover versions of the band’s songs, songs which sample
the original recordings, and songs that do both. The
artists included The Roots (“Star”, which samples “Everybody Is a Star”), Maroon 5 ("Everyday People"), John
Legend, Joss Stone & Van Hunt ("Family Affair"); the
Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am (“Dance to the Music”), and
Steven Tyler and Robert Randolph ("I Want to Take
You Higher"). Epic Records’ version of the tribute album (with two additional covers: “Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey” and “Thank You (Faletinme Be Mice Elf
Again)") was released on February 7, 2006. The version
of “Family Affair” won the 2007 R&B Performance by a
Duo or Group with Vocal Grammy.[69]

Although “Dance to the Music” was the band’s only
hit single until late 1968, the impact of that single and
the Dance to the Music and Life albums reverberated
across the music industry.[57] The smooth, piano-based
"Motown sound" was out; "psychedelic soul" was in.[57]
Rock-styled guitar lines similar to the ones Freddie Stone
played began appearing in the music of artists such as
The Isley Brothers ("It’s Your Thing") and Diana Ross
& the Supremes ("Love Child"). Larry Graham invented the "slapping technique" of bass guitar playing,
which became synonymous with funk music.[44] Some
musicians changed their sound completely to co-opt that
of Sly and the Family Stone, most notably Motown inhouse producer Norman Whitfield, who took his main act The group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of
The Temptations into “psychedelic soul” territory startFame in 2007.[70]
ing with the Grammy-winning “Cloud Nine” in 1968.[61]
The early work of Sly and the Family Stone was also
a significant influence on the music of Michael Jackson & The Jackson 5 and soul/hip-hop groups such as
George Clinton & Parliament/Funkadelic, Arrested Development, and The Black Eyed Peas.[62]
The later work of Sly and the Family Stone was as influential as the band’s early work. There’s a Riot Goin' On,
Fresh, and Small Talk are considered among the first and
best examples of the matured version of funk music, after
prototypical instances of the sound in the band’s 1960s
work.[10][63] Herbie Hancock was inspired by Sly’s new
funk sound to move towards a more electric sound with
his material,[64] resulting in Head Hunters (1973). Miles
Davis was similarly inspired by the band and worked with
Sly Stone on his recordings, resulting in On the Corner; “The Original Family Stone”, live in concert at Red Rock Resort in
the sartorial and band lineup changes hallmarked jazz fu- Las Vegas, 2006. Jerry Martini, Rose Stone, and Cynthia Robinsion.[65] Artists such as Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, son.
Prince, Chuck D, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and John
Mayer have also shown significant inspiration from the
post-1970 work of Sly and the Family Stone.[66]

3.1 2006 Grammy Awards tribute

A Sly and the Family Stone tribute took place at the 2006
Grammy Awards on February 8, 2006. The original plan,
to have been a surprise for audiences, was to feature a
Sly and the Family Stone were inducted into the Rock reunion performance by the original Sly and the Family
and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. The original members Stone lineup as the highlight of the tribute. However, the

3

Awards and tributes

6

5 DISCOGRAPHY

Grammy Award show’s producers were worried that Sly
Stone, who missed some of the rehearsals and belatedly
arrived for others, would miss the show.[71]

• Larry Graham (1967–1972): vocals, bass guitar

The tribute began halfway through the Grammy Awards
ceremony, and was introduced by comedian Dave Chappelle. It featured Nile Rodgers, Joss Stone, Van Hunt,
and John Legend performing “Family Affair"; Fantasia
and Devin Lima performing “If You Want Me to Stay";
Adam Levine and Ciara performing “Everyday People";
will.i.am performing “Dance to the Music"; and Steven
Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith with Robert Randolph
performing “I Want to Take You Higher”.[72]

• Rose Stone (Rosemary Stewart) (1968–1975): vocals, piano, electric piano

After the first half of “I Want to Take You Higher”, the
Family Stone took the stage alongside the other musicians, and Tyler called backstage “Hey, Sly; let’s do it the
way we used to do it!" Sporting a blonde mohawk hairdo,
sunglasses, and a silver lamé suit, Sly Stone emerged and
contributed vocals and keyboards to a continuation of “I
Want To Take You Higher.” Three minutes into the performance, Sly tossed a wave to the audience and exited
the stage, leaving the Family Stone and the guest performers to complete the number alone.[71]
Sly’s unusual appearance and brief performance garnered
highly mixed reviews and was covered throughout the
press. An Associated Press report referred to Sly as the
"J. D. Salinger of funk” and simply referred to the performance as being “bizarre”.[71] MTV News was much
less complimentary: “The Grammy performance—Sly’s
first with the original Family Stone since 1971—was a
halting, confused affair and a complete disservice to his
music.”[33] Another AP report stated that “nineteen years
after his last live performance, Sly Stone proved he’s still
able to steal the show.”[73]

• Gregg Errico (1967–1971): drums

• Gerry Gibson (1971–1972): drums; replaced Gregg
Errico
• Pat Rizzo (1972–1975): saxophone
• Max Kerr (1972): bass; gigging stand-in between
Larry Graham and Rusty Allen
• Rustee Allen (1972–1975): bass; replaced Larry
Graham
• Andy Newmark (1973–1974): drums; replaced
Gerry Gibson
• Bill Lordan (1974): drums; replaced Andy Newmark
• Sid Page (1973–1974): violin
• Vicki Blackwell (1974–1975): violin
• Jim Strassburg (1974): drums; replaced Bill Lordan
• Adam Veaner (1975): drums; replaced Jim Strassburg
• Dennis Marcellino (1975): saxophone; replaced Pat
Rizzo

5 Discography
4

Members

This listing features the lineup from 1967 to 1975. After
1975, the lineup changed with each of the last four Sly
and the Family Stone LPs. Personnel appearing on these
recordings are credited in the individual album articles for
High on You, Heard You Missed Me, Well I'm Back, Back
on the Right Track, and Ain't But the One Way.

Main article: Sly and the Family Stone discography

• 1967: A Whole New Thing
• 1968: Dance to the Music
• 1968: Life

• Sly Stone (Sylvester Stewart) (1967–1975): vocals,
organ, guitar, bass guitar, piano, harmonica, and
more

• 1969: Stand!

• Freddie Stone (Frederick Stewart) (1967–1975):
vocals, guitar

• 1973: Fresh

• Cynthia Robinson (1967–1975): trumpet, vocal ad
libs

• 1971: There’s a Riot Goin' On

• 1974: Small Talk
• 1975: High on You

• Jerry Martini (1967–1975): saxophone

• 1976: Heard Ya Missed Me, Well I'm Back

• Little Sister; Vet Stone (Vaetta Stewart), Mary
McCreary, and Elva Mouton (1966–1975): background vocals

• 1979: Back on the Right Track
• 1983: Ain't But the One Way

7

6

References

[1] AllMusic - Psychedelic Soul
[2] Rolling Stone - Sly & the Family Stone
[3] Henderson, Lol; Stacey, Lee, eds. (2013). “Rock Music”.
Encyclopedia of Music in the 20th Century. Routledge.
ISBN 1-5795-8079-3.
[4] Henderson, Lol; Stacey, Lee, eds. (2013). “Rock Music”.
Encyclopedia of Music in the 20th Century. Routledge.
ISBN 1-5795-8079-3.
[5] “Sly and the Family Stone”. The Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame and Museum, Inc. Retrieved May 20, 2010.
[6] Errico’s first name is Greg, but it was spelled Gregg on all
Sly and the Family Stone releases.
[7] Selvin, Joel (1998), p. xi.
[8] AllMusic - Sly & the Family Stone
[9] Selvin, Joel (1998), pp. xi–xix.
[10] Erlewine, Stephen Thomas . Sly and the Family Stone.
All Music Guide. Retrieved on 2007-01-18.

[26] Selvin, Joel (1998), pp. 107, 146–152.
[27] Lewis, Miles (2006), pp. 24–25.
[28] Lewis, Miles (2006), p. 85.
[29] Selvin, Joel (1998), p. 89; interview with David Kapralik.
[30] Selvin, Joel (1998), pp. 94–98.
[31] Selvin, Joel (1998), p. 122.
[32] Selvin, Joel (1998), pp. 113–115.
[33] Aswad, Jem (February 10, 2006). “Who, Exactly, Is Sly
Stone? (That Weird Guy with the Mohawk at the Grammys)". MTV. Retrieved 2006-02-11.
[34] Selvin, Joel (1998), pp. 120–122.
[35] Selvin, Joel (1998), pp. 99–100, 150–152.
[36] Selvin, Joel (1998), pp. 146–147.
[37] Lewis, Miles (2006), p. 74.
[38] Lewis, Miles (2006), pp. 74–75.

[11] Selvin, Joel (1998), pp. 1–4.

[39] Marcus, Greil (1997) [1975]. Mystery Train: Images of
America in Rock'n'Roll Music (4 ed.). New York: Plume.
p. 72. ISBN 0-452-27836-8.

[12] Selvin, Joel (1998), p. 12.

[40] Selvin, Joel (1998), pp. 115–117.

[13] Selvin, Joel (1998), pp. 8–9.

[41] Selvin, Joel (1998), p. 115; interview with Stephen Paley.

[14] Selvin, Joel (1998), p. 88; interview with Elva “Tiny”
Moulton.

[42] Selvin, Joel (1998), p. 134.

[15] Selvin, Joel (1998), pp. 59–60; interviews with David
Kapralik and Jerry Martini.
[16] Fotenot, Robert. Profile: Sly and the Family Stone.
About.com. Retrieved on 2007-01-18.
[17] Top Pop Singles 1955–1999. Joel Whitburn. 2000.
Record Research Inc. p. 3. ISBN 0-89820-139-X
[18] Santiago, Eddie. (2008) Sly: The Lives of Sylvester Stewart
and Sly Stone. ISBN 1-4357-0987-X, 9781435709874.
page 70.

[43] Selvin, Joel (1998), pp. 150–154.
[44] Ankeny, Jason. “Larry Graham”. Allmusic. Retrieved
2007-02-01.
[45] Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Review for Fresh by Sly and
the Family Stone. All Music Guide. Retrieved on 200701-18.
[46] Selvin, Joel (1998), pp. 164–167.
[47] Selvin, Joel (1998), p. 174.

[19] Selvin, Joel (1998), p. 60; interview with Jerry Martini.

[48] Sly and the Family Stone: Billboard Singles. All Media
Guide, LLC. (2006). Retrieved on 2007-02-04.

[20] “Sly and the Family Stone: Billboard Singles”. All Media
Guide, LLC. 2006. Retrieved 2007-01-26.

[49] Selvin, Joel (1998), pp. 141–145.
[50] Selvin, Joel (1998), pp. 186–189.

[21] Erlewine, Stephen Thomas . Review for Life by Sly and
the Family Stone. All Music Guide. Retrieved on 200701-17.
[22] Selvin, Joel (1998), p. 68; interview with Jerry Martini.
[23] Greenwald, Matthew. Review of “Everyday People” by
Sly and the Family Stone. Allmusic.com. Retrieved on
2007-02-03.
[24] Lewis, Miles (2006), p. 57.
[25] Erlewine, Stephen Thomas . Review for Stand! by Sly and
the Family Stone. All Music Guide. Retrieved on 200702-05.

[51] Selvin, Joel (1998), pp. 188–191.
[52] Ankeny, Jason. Leon Russell. All Music Guide. Retrieved on 2007-02-05.
[53] Credits for Andy Newmark. All Music Guide. Retrieved
on 2007-02-05.
[54] Birchmeier, Jason. Review of Ain't But the One Way by
Sly and the Family Stone. All Music Guide. Retrieved on
2007-02-04.
[55] Wilkinson, Peter (February 24, 2006). “Sly’s Strange
Comeback”. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2007-01-23.

8

[56] Alkema, Willem. “Funk legend Sly Stone homeless and
living in a van in LA”. New York Post. Retrieved July 23,
2012.
[57] Williams and Romanowski (1988), pp.
138–139.
Williams discusses Sly and the Family Stone’s impact on
the R&B industry, and how the group’s multiple lead vocals and psychedelic sound inspired “Cloud Nine” and
other such Temptations recordings.

9

EXTERNAL LINKS

[69] 49th Annual Grammy Awards Winners
Grammy.com. Retrieved on 2007-02-17.

List.

[70] Sly and the Family Stone in the Vocal Group Hall of Fame
[71] Coyle, Jake (February 8, 2006). “Reclusive Sly Stone
Steps Out at Grammys”. MSN.com. Retrieved 2007-0201.

[58] Sly and the Family Stone (performers), Sylvester Stewart
(author). (1968). Dance to the Music (Vinyl recording).
New York: Epic/CBS Records.

[72] Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2006). Review of the Sly
and the Family Stone compilation tribute album Different Strokes by Different Folks. Allmusic.com. Retrieved
on 2007-02-01.

[59] Vincent, Rickey (1996). Funk: The Music, the People, and
the Rhythm of the One. New York: St. Martin’s Press. pp.
91–92. ISBN 0-312-13499-1.

[73] Associated Press (February 9, 2006). “Sly Stone Steals
Show At Grammys”. CBS5.com. Archived from the original on June 26, 2007. Retrieved 2009-11-12.

[60] Kaliss, Jeff. Sly and the Family Stone: 'Different strokes
for different folks.' There1.com. Retrieved on 2007-0118

7 Bibliography

[61] “The Temptations”. 1989 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Inductees. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 1989. Archived
from the original on November 23, 2006. Retrieved 200701-23.

• Aronowitz, Al (November 1, 2002).
“The
Preacher”. The Blacklisted Journal. Retrieved
2009-11-12.

[62] Planer, Lindsay. Review for Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5 by The Jackson 5. All Music Guide. Retrieved on
2007-01-18.
* Liner notes from Smiling Faces: The Best of Undisputed
Truth. New York: Universal/Motown Records. Excerpt:
"'Undisputed Truth was one of Motown’s boldest acts.
They were the brainchild of legendary producer Norman
Whitfield, who described them as 'a perfect cross between
Sly and the Family Stone and the 5th Dimension.'"
* Erlewine, Stephen Thomas . Sly and the Family Stone.
All Music Guide. Retrieved on 2007-01-18. Sly Stone
later toured and recorded with Funkadelic in the late
1970s/early 1980s
* Huey, Steve. Arrested Development. All Music Guide.
Retrieved on 2007-01-18.

• Ankeny, Jason (2005). “Sylvester 'Sly Stone' Stewart Allmusic.com. Retrieved 2005-03-29.

[63] Rosen, Dave. Review for There’s a Riot Goin' On. Ink Blot
Magazine. Retrieved on 2007-01-18
[64] Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Review for Head Hunters by
Herbie Hancock. All Music Guide. Retrieved on 200701-18.
[65] Selvin, Joel (1998), p. 163.
[66] Kaliss, Jeff. Sly and the Family Stone: 'Different strokes
for different folks.' There1.com. Retrieved on 2007-0118 Different Strokes by Different Folks [audio podcast—2
episodes]. New York: Sony Music Entertainment. Retrieved on 2007-01-18. Michael Jackson, Prince, and Stevie Wonder’s inspirations from Sly and the Family Stone
are mentioned in this article. The other artists listed are
among those who participated in the 2006 Sly and the
Family Stone tribute album Different Strokes by Different
Strokes, and discuss their participation in the podcast.
[67] Bradbury, Andrew Paine (August 18, 2005). “Sly Stone
Joins Family”. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2009-11-14.
[68] “The Immortals: The First Fifty”. Rolling Stone Issue 946.
Retrieved 2007-02-16.

• Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2005). Sly and the
Family Stone. Allmusic.com. Retrieved 2005-0329.
• Lewis, Miles Marshall (2006). There’s a Riot Goin'
On. 33-1/3. New York: Continuum. ISBN 0-82641744-2.
• Selvin, Joel (1998). For the Record: Sly and the
Family Stone: An Oral History. New York: Quill
Publishing. ISBN 0-380-79377-6.
• Williams, Otis and Romanowski, Patricia (1988,
updated 2002). Temptations. Lanham, MD: Cooper
Square. ISBN 0-8154-1218-5

8 Further reading
• Kaliss, Jeff (2008). I Want to Take You Higher: The
Life and Times of Sly and the Family Stone. Backbeat Books. ISBN 0-87930-934-2.

9 External links
• Official Website
• Sly and the Family Stone at AllMusic

9

10
10.1

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