Sly Stone

Sly Stone Recording

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Sylvester Stewart was born the second of five children in Denton, Texas, on March 15, 1944. Raised on church music, Sylvester was eight years old when he and three of his siblings recorded a 78 rpm gospel single for local release as the Stewart Four.

A musical prodigy, he became known as Sly in early elementary school, the result of a friend misspelling ‘Sylvester.’ By age 11, Sly could play keyboards, guitar, bass, and drums and went on to perform in several high school bands. Sly’s musical education continued at Vallejo Junior College, where he learned how to play the trumpet and mastered music theory and composition. In 1964, he started as a fast-talking DJ at a radio station. His eclectic musical tastes made Sly hugely popular.

By 1966. Sly was leading a band called Sly And the Stoners. His brother Freddie was also leading a band, Freddie And the Stone Souls. A friend urged Sly and Freddie to combine the best of both bands, leading to the birth of Sly and the Family Stone in March 1967. Freddie took over on guitar as Sly quickly mastered the organ. Their sister Rose joined on keyboards and vocals.

Their first album, A Whole New Thing, was released at the very end of the year. While many people were excited by the music, A Whole New Thing did not hit the album charts. Advised to simplify his approach, Sly followed his musical instincts and released the new single, “Dance To The Music," which became the band's first top 10 hit.

In 1968, they released a new song, "Everyday People," which became their first #1 hit. The Stand! album arrived in April 1969 and became the band's first platinum album, which means it sold more than a million copies. A new non-album single was released in August of 1969, “Hot Fun In the Summertime” reached #2 on the charts and was followed by “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin),” which reached #1 in February 1970. 

In 1971, Sly and the Family Stone released a new album, There's a Riot Goin' On, which contained the single, "Family Affair." Both the album and the single reached #1 on the charts. "Family Affair" would be the final #1 single of Sly Stone's career. Sly and the Family Stone continued working on music through the early 1970's, and had their final #1 album with 1973's Fresh. By 1975 the other members of the band had moved on, leaving Sly Stone to record music on his own. After the release of Ain't But the One Way in 1982, Sly slipped into seclusion and has only made a few public appearances in the years since. A musical visionary of the highest order, Sly Stone carved his way into our American cultural fabric and then, his work done, retreated. The music of Sly and the Family Stone went on to influence generations that Sly could never have foretold.