Texas Musicians: Sly Stone

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Wow, what a wild night in Chicago. They had ten spotted tornadoes reported, including one over the two major airports (O’Hare and Midway). I’ve heard from friends in Chicago, and they’re okay, thank God. Down in Texas, it’s hot, both in terms of the temperature and the music. Yesterday I promised you a wild three-day ride, and here we go with day two. Sly Stone This is about as 180 from Stephen Stills as you can get, huh? We go from harmonies to funk-a-licious soul music. Yes, Sly Stone was born in Texas, even though he didn’t spend much time there. In the late 60s and early 70s he gave us some of the best funk/soul out there, courtesy of Sly & the Family Stone. Unfortunately, Sly’s life is also a cautionary tale: although certainly not unique to him (or musicians), Sly blew through the money, women, and drugs like the party would last forever. Of course, it didn’t. Although he was a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, in the early 2010s it was reported that Stone was homeless, sleeping in a van and eating and showering thanks to the generosity of a couple in a Los Angeles neighborhood. Last year Stone released an autobiography, titled after one of Sly & the Family Stone’s biggest hits, Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again). He’s 81 now, and hopefully living instead of surviving. A talent of his magnitude deserves that. Sly Stone Born Sylvester Stewart March 15, 1943, Denton (age 81) HALL OF FAME: Rock and Roll (as Sly & the Family Stone) My favorite Sly & the Family Stone song, “Everyday People”: