Sylvester “Sly Stone” Stewart died on June 9, 2025 at the age of 82. Everyone knows the music of Sly Stone, even if they are unaware that he is the artist responsible for the music they are hearing. He was that kind of artist – a musical genius who shaped all music to come. Although he recorded into the 1980s before leaving the music business for most of the rest of his life, almost every song anyone knows by Stone was produced in an 8 year period from 1967-1974. In those 8 years, he and his band The Family Stone created the blueprint for several styles of music to come. Without the music of Stone, there is no P-Funk, no Prince, no Bruno Mars, and hip-hop would sound entirely different. The modern sounds of R&B, Soul, Funk, and Hip-Hop owe everything to a small group of artists that includes Louis Jordan, Ray Charles, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Sly Stone, Michael Jackson, George Clinton, and Prince, and now only George, Smokey, and Stevie are left to carry that torch.

On a personal note, the music of Sly Stone has been beside me since I re-discovered it in my 20s (that is over 30 years ago if anyone is counting). Of all of the R&B icons I listed above, there are four who are part of the soundtrack of my life – Louis Jordan, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, and Sly Stone – so this one hits a little harder than most. Rest in peace Mr. Stewart, you funky visionary.

If you don’t know much about Sly Stone, here are some videos. You should also watch Questlove’s fantastic documentary about the man and his music (Sly LIVES! aka The Burden of Black Genius) which is on Hulu.

• In Memoriam