48 Facts About Sly Stone

Sly Stone toured or collaborated with artists such as Parliament-Funkadelic, Bobby Womack, and Jesse Johnson.

Sly Stone took part in a Sly and the Family Stone tribute at the 2006 Grammy Awards, his first live performance since 1987.

Sly Stone released the autobiography Thank You in 2023.

Sly Stone was born in Denton, Texas, on March 15,1943, before the family's move to Vallejo, California, in the North Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Only their eldest sister Loretta did not pursue a musical career; the others, including youngest sister Vaetta or "Vet", would later adopt the surname "Sly Stone" and pursue musical interests.

The nickname Sly Stone was a common one for Sylvester throughout his years in grade school.

Sly Stone was influential in guiding KSOL-AM into soul music and started calling the station K-SOUL.

In 1966, Sly was performing with his band Sly and The Stoners which included Cynthia Robinson on trumpet.

The Black Panther Party demanded that Sly Stone make his music more militant and more reflective of the black power movement, replace Greg Errico and Jerry Martini with black instrumentalists, and replace manager David Kapralik.

Riot featured a much darker sound, and most tracks were recorded with overdubbing as opposed to the Family Stone all playing at the same time as they had done previously.

Sly Stone played most of the parts himself and performed more of the lead vocals than usual.

Larry Graham and Sly Stone were no longer on friendly terms, and Graham was fired in early 1972 and replaced with Rustee Allen.

At many of these gigs, concertgoers rioted if the band failed to show up, or if Sly Stone walked out before finishing his set.

Sly Stone began a solo career, recording a Motown-style album under the name Rose Banks in 1976.

Freddie Sly 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, California.

In 1976, Sly Stone assembled a new Family Sly Stone and released Heard Ya Missed Me, Well I'm Back.

Sly Stone collaborated with Funkadelic on The Electric Spanking of War Babies, but was unable to reinvigorate his career.

In June 1983, Sly Stone was arrested and charged with cocaine possession in Fort Myers, Florida.

Sly Stone served 3 years probation, and was then jailed again for violating parole.

Sly Stone managed to do a short tour with Bobby Womack in the summer of 1984, and he continued to make sporadic appearances on compilations and other artists' records.

In 1986, Sly Stone was featured on a track from Jesse Johnson's album Shockadelica called "Crazay".

In 1986, Sly Stone released a single, "Eek-ah-Bo Static Automatic", from the Soul Man soundtrack, and the song "I'm the Burglar" from the Burglar soundtrack.

Sly Stone co-wrote and co-produced "Just Like A Teeter-Totter", which appeared on a Bar-Kays album from 1989.

From 1988 to 1989 Sly Stone wrote and produced a collection of unreleased recordings in his home studio in New Jersey.

In 1995, ex-landlord Chase Mellon III accused Sly Stone of trashing the Beverly Hills mansion Mellon rented to him in 1993.

In 2003, the other six members of the original Family Sly Stone entered the studio to record a new album.

Sly Stone kept his helmet on during the entire performance, and was described by one concertgoer as looking a little like Bootsy Collins.

Sly Stone, according to his web site, is producing and writing material for the group's new album.

Sly Stone testified that he had not been paid any royalties between 1989 and 2009.

Sly and the original Family Stone lineup performed briefly during a tribute to the band, for which the headliners included Steven Tyler, John Legend, Van Hunt, Nile Rodgers and Robert Randolph.

Sly Stone walked to the front of the stage toward the end of the performance, sang a verse, and then, with a wave to the audience, sauntered offstage before the song was over.

Ehrlich said that Sly Stone had refused to leave his hotel room until he was given a police escort to the show and then waited in his car until the performance began.

On Sunday, January 14,2007, Sly Stone made a short guest appearance at a show of The New Family Sly Stone band he supported at the House of Blues.

On July 7,2007, Sly Stone made a short appearance with the Family Sly Stone at the San Jose Summerfest.

Sly Stone cut the set short, in part, because the band began their set over 90 minutes late and had to finish before a certain time.

Sly Stone repeated this behavior the day after that while performing at the North Sea Jazz Festival.

On October 17,2008, Sly played with the Family Stone at the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa, California.

On Memorial Day, May 25,2009, Sly Stone re-emerged , granting an hour-long interview with KCRW-FM, a Los Angeles NPR affiliate, to discuss his life and career.

On Labor Day, September 7,2009, Sly Stone appeared at the 20th annual African Festival of the Arts in Chicago, Illinois.

Sly Stone contributed a 15-minute set during George Clinton's show in which he performed his popular hits along with Clinton's band.

Sly Stone has appeared in later years with George Clinton and performed with his daughter Novena's band, Baby Sly Stone.

Sly Stone was in good spirits, answered questions from fans, and signed autographs.

In October 2023, Sly Stone's autobiography Thank You was published.

Greg Zola made a documentary about Sly Stone, Small Talk About Sly.

Michael Rubenstone's On the Sly: In Search of the Family Stone was released in 2017.

Sly Stone met Melcher's mother, Doris Day, through Melcher when Sly Stone was interested in an old car that he thought one of them owned.

Sly Stone married model-actress Kathy Silva on June 5,1974, during a sold-out performance at Madison Square Garden.

Sly Stone's first daughter Sylvyette, who now goes by her middle name Phunne, was born c 1976.