THE NEW YORK TIMES – Sly Stone, the influential, eccentric and preternaturally rhythmic singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer whose run of hits in the late 1960s and early ’70s with his band the Family Stone could be dance anthems, political documents or both, died on Monday in Los Angeles. He was 82.
The cause was “a prolonged battle with C.O.P.D.,” or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, “and other underlying health issues,” his representatives said in a statement.
As the colorful maestro and mastermind of a multiracial, mixed-gender band, Mr. Stone experimented with the R&B, soul and gospel music he was raised on in the San Francisco area, mixing classic ingredients of Black music with progressive funk and the burgeoning freedoms of psychedelic rock ’n’ roll.
Sly and the Family Stone’s most recognizable songs, many of which would be sampled by hip-hop artists, include “Everyday People,” “Dance to the Music,” “I Want to Take You Higher,” “Family Affair,” “Hot Fun in the Summertime” and “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin).”
A Lasting Impact
Though Mr. Stone eventually receded from center stage, his vibrant, intricately arranged songs left their mark on a host of top artists, including George Clinton, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Michael Jackson, Outkast, Red Hot Chili Peppers and D’Angelo, as well as jazz musicians like Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock.
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As the critic Joel Selvin said, “There was Black music before Sly Stone, and Black music after Sly Stone.”
His musical legacy was fortified and refreshed in recent years, a push led by the musician and music historian Questlove, who directed the Academy Award-winning 2001 documentary “Summer of Soul,” which included a performance by Sly and the Family Stone during a Harlem cultural festival in 1969 …