TDC: Sly Stone

[G Man]

Needless to say, he had his share of demons, but the music he created with the Family Stone was revolutionary for it's time and still holds up today.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/09/arts/music/sly-stone-dead.html

[kizanski]

One of the baddest MFs ever.  

[Brooks]

Seen as high as a girrafe's ass here;

Sly & Santana's sets were the high points of Woodstock;

 

Edited June 10, 2025 by Brooks

[hamerhead]

15 hours ago, kizanski said:

One of the baddest MFs ever.  

Absolutely. How'd they fit that much funk in one body?

[velorush]

One of my favorite all time artists.  

I heard SATFS on AM radio all during my childhood. Years later (teens) I caught grainy video footage of Woodstock and was floored by some unknown funk band that came on in the wee hours that (IMO) blew everyone away - had no idea who it was at the time.

His music is on regular rotation in most every playlist I have. 

What's that Rick?

Tragic! Absolutely tragic.

[mathman]

The very first album I ever bought at Ben Franklin store at age 12.

 

[BruceM]

 So many of the HFCers I've met are self-professed band geeks from high school.  I was one, and as a baritone horn player, I was lucky to be included in a "nightclub" show conceived and implemented by our very talented band director.  It was called Then And Now and showcased music from the 20s through current offerings.  Both years I participated, 1973 and 1974, we included a Sly medley, as well as the Theme from Shaft, and a Chicago medley as well.  And yes, as a 10th grader, I was able to convince my mom to buy me platform shoes and hip hugger bell bottoms.  I still need a sequined hat.

[santellavision]

If you haven't listened to this album. Released in 2015. Damn, the band is on fire. Live at the Fillmore.

 

[hamerican gigolo]

An amazing bandleader, musician & songwriter. My favorite clip of S&TFS is around Christmas of '68. They were on the Sullivan show & they were just fantastic! Sly's interplay with the audience was great to behold. 

R.I.P. 😞

[Disturber]

I rate his importance to modern music higher tha The Beatles. One of the absolute greatest. However, the world lost Sly many many years ago. Now his body left us as well.

There is a Riot Going On is one of the best albums ever. I have a friend who spent a lot of time tracking down Jim Ford, one of the faces seen on the cover of that album. A man with red hair and a red beard. Jim wrote a lot of fantastic songs for other artists. He grew up in the same mining town as Loretta Lynn. Somehow he befriended Sly, and was part of the Riot recordings. When my friend found Ford, and visited him in a trailer park somewhere outside of LA - living in a trailer filled from top to bottom with old mastertapes and unfinished work, someone called Ford on the phone. It was Sly. They were still friends some 30 years later. Both men songwriting geniuses who fucked up their lives beyond recognition.

My friend said it was the most surreal phone call he ever overheard.

Sly's last three albums (on Warner) up until the 80's are considered not good by the critics. I still love them. But one of the last great songs Sly participated on was Jesse Johnsons single Crazay.

Drugs are the just the shittiest thing when it comes to destroy lives. 

"Her daughter Phunne Stone shared that the drugs helped her father to be fearless, who she believed was a shy person. Her second daughter opened up about how she “didn’t have a lot of interaction” with her father. She recalled that when she was 10 years old, she called his house only to find out that he didn’t know who she was"

https://www.soapcentral.com/entertainment/who-sly-stone-s-children-all-sylvester-jr-phunne-novena

[RobB]

9 hours ago, Disturber said:

"Her second daughter opened up about how she “didn’t have a lot of interaction” with her father. She recalled that when she was 10 years old, she called his house only to find out that he didn’t know who she was"

Despicable. I like his music, but as a person Sly was a waste of protoplasm. 

[Disturber]

1 hour ago, RobB said:

Despicable. I like his music, but as a person Sly was a waste of protoplasm. 

I agree. He was a total drug addict. The only thing that had any meaning to him since +50 years back was drugs. You might call it a disease, but for most people to start using is a choice. I have very little excuse for any human being who chooses booze, drugs, career, a new wife/husband/another family, gambling etc over their own children. Once you become a parent, then your purpose in life is to give love and security to your children. You make sure they have a roof over their heads and you make sure that you are a role model for them and you guide them in life. If you can't succeed in this, then I have very little sympathy over for you. 

[kizanski]

On 6/10/2025 at 8:30 AM, Brooks said:

Sly & Santana's sets were the high points of Woodstock

Well, sure. Along with The Who and Jimi.

[cynic]

The Who were at Woodstock?

[kizanski]

1 minute ago, cynic said:

The Who were at Woodstock?

Pretty sure. Yeah.

[santellavision]

So was Mountain, Creedence, Johnny Winter, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Ten Years After and The Dead. No love. 

Edited June 14, 2025 by santellavision

[alantig]

2 hours ago, cynic said:

The Who were at Woodstock?

The comedian Dennis Wolfberg told a great story on Bob & Tom about being invited to Woodstock and being excited to hear that the Who were performing because he loved songs like "These Eyes".  Said he sat through their whole set, not one song he knew.  Then, at the end of their set, he said, "What are these idiots doing?  They're smashing their instruments and they haven't even played their biggest song!"  He went on to say he had no idea the band's name was the GUESS Who.

[Willie G. Moseley]

I only wish Woodstock--even the outtakes videotape--had included the footage of Pete Townshend clobbering Abbie Hoffman with his SG

[RobB]

2 hours ago, alantig said:

The comedian Dennis Wolfberg told a great story on Bob & Tom about being invited to Woodstock and being excited to hear that the Who were performing because he loved songs like "These Eyes".  Said he sat through their whole set, not one song he knew.  Then, at the end of their set, he said, "What are these idiots doing?  They're smashing their instruments and they haven't even played their biggest song!"  He went on to say he had no idea the band's name was the GUESS Who.

 

 

This eye, cries every night for you (it’s a real drag, man…)

[belgian]

Just watched the Summer of soul movie - his appearance was amazing.

And what’s even more amazing that my youngest granddaughter Anais was born on the corner of that same park a fortnight ago.

Visting there next week.

 

[Jakeboy]

I liked Sha-Na-Na at Woodstock (!)