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The Sly & the Family Stone leader has died at 82. Here’s what to know about his brilliant career and crushing addiction.
By Rob Tannenbaum
In Sly & the Family Stone’s prime, from 1968 to 1973, the band was one of music’s greatest live acts as well as a fount of remarkable singles including “Everyday People” and “Hot Fun in the Summertime.” There was a shining optimism to its sound, which mixed funk with the ecstasy of gospel, a little rock and a touch of psychedelia — as well as a vision of community and brotherhood that stood out in a period of political separatism.
Behind it all was Sly Stone, the visionary who died on Monday at 82 after a long battle with the lung disease C.O.P.D. He wrote, produced and arranged the music, winning acclaim as the author of invigorating anthems and an inventor of new, more complex recording sounds.
