Sly Stone Passes at Age 82

Photo: Sarfatims via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)

The music world is mourning the loss of a pioneer with the death of Sylvester Stewart, better known as Sly Stone. As the frontman of Sly and the Family Stone, he fused soul, rock, psychedelia, and gospel in the 1960s and 1970s, revolutionizing the music landscape. Stone was 82 when he passed away in his Los Angeles home on June 9, 2025. His death comes after a long battle with C.O.P.D., or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to a statement released by his family.

Credited as the founder of the progressive soul movement, Stone was musically inclined from a young age, mastering several instruments. While he was born in Texas, he was raised in the Bay Area of Northern California, where he performed gospel music with his siblings, Freddie and Rose. In 1966, the siblings formed Sly and the Family Stone, a revolutionary mixed-race, mixed-gender group that achieved a string of hits in the late ’60s and early ’70s.

Many of the group's recognizable hits, from “Family Affair” to “Everyday People ,” would later be sampled by hip-hop artists. His eccentric personality, flamboyant style, and willingness to experiment in multiple musical genres made a lasting impact long after the group disbanded in the mid-1970s amid his drug use.

Stone's influence can be seen in later artists like George Clinton, Michael Jackson, Outkast, and Prince, with critic Joel Selvin boldly stating, “There was Black music before Sly Stone, and Black music after Sly Stone.”

While Stone released several solo albums, he was unable to replicate the success he had within the group. Unfortunately, erratic behavior and addiction kept him largely out of the spotlight. He continued to perform sporadically and was present with his bandmates when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, and performed at the 2006 Grammy tribute to the group.

In recent years, there has been renewed interest in Sly and the Family Stone, in part thanks to Questlove, who released the documentary Sly Lives! (aka the Burden of Black Genius) in 2025.

“Sly was a monumental figure, a groundbreaking innovator, and a true pioneer who redefined the landscape of pop, funk, and rock music,” his family said in a statement. “His iconic songs have left an indelible mark on the world, and his influence remains undeniable. In a testament to his enduring creative spirit, Sly recently completed the screenplay for his life story, a project we are eager to share with the world in due course, which follows a memoir published in 2024.”