Sly Stone Dies: Sly & The Family Stone Leader Was 82

Sly Stone, the legendary frontman of Sly & the Family Stone and a trailblazer in the funk-rock genre, has died. He was 82.

His family released a statement on Monday, June 9, on the musicians official Instagram page, saying he passed away from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved dad, Sly Stone of Sly and the Family Stone. After a prolonged battle with COPD and other underlying health issues, Sly passed away peacefully, surrounded by his three children, his closest friend, and his extended family,” the statement read. “While we mourn his absence, we take solace in knowing that his extraordinary musical legacy will continue to resonate and inspire for generations to come.”

Stone’s publicist Carleen Donovan told the Associated Press he died in Los Angeles.

The musician was was born Sylvester Stewart. He grew up in the Bay area and climbed the charts in the 1960s and ‘70s with the Sly & the Family Stone hits “Everyday People,” “Dance to the Music,” “Family Affair,” and “I Want to Take You Higher.”

Sly & The Family Stone was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. And Stone received the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017.

Despite his success, the New York Post broke the story in 2011, that he was homeless and living in a van in South Los Angeles. The publication said Sly’s fortune had been “stolen by a lethal combination of excess, substance abuse and financial mismanagement.”

Stone asked the Post reporter to let the world know that he needed help, and said his talent manager and his attorney had stolen his royalties. He took the matter to court and a Los Angeles jury awarded Stone $5 million in 2015.

As he continued to rebuild his life, he was the subject of a documentary Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius). The film debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in January of this year, and was released in February on Hulu.