R.I.P.: Musician, Hitmaker Sly Stone Dead At 82

Sly Stone (1943-2025)

Sly Stone, born Sylvester Stewart, the legendary frontman of Sly and the Family Stone, passed away on June 9, 2025, at the age of 82. His family announced that he died peacefully, surrounded by his three children, a close friend, and extended family, following a prolonged battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other underlying health issues.

Stone was a pioneering musician, songwriter, and producer who revolutionized funk, soul, rock, and psychedelic music in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Leading Sly and the Family Stone, a racially integrated and mixed-gender band, he created iconic hits like “Everyday People,” “Dance to the Music,” “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin),” and “Family Affair,” which topped the Billboard charts and defined an era of unity and social consciousness. His innovative fusion of genres influenced artists like Prince, Miles Davis, and Public Enemy, earning him a 1993 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction and a 2017 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Despite his musical genius, Stone struggled with drug addiction, particularly cocaine, which led to erratic behavior, missed performances, and the band’s dissolution by the 1980s. His challenges continued with financial struggles, including a period of homelessness in 2011, though he won a $5 million lawsuit against a former manager in 2015. Stone achieved sobriety in 2019 after health scares, including hospitalizations for breathing difficulties due to COPD.

His family highlighted his enduring legacy, noting that he recently completed a screenplay for his life story, following his 2023 memoir, Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin). Social media posts on X reflected widespread mourning, with fans and outlets like Rolling Stone calling him a “groundbreaking” figure whose music reshaped pop culture. Stone’s children, Novena Carmel, Phunne Stone, and Sylvester Stewart Jr., survive him, along with a lasting impact on music described as “woven into the fabric of American joy.”