Sly and the Family Stone was one of the first truly diverse
rock groups. Fronted by Sly (Sylvester Stewart ,b. 1944) it included a
brother, a sister, a cousin, and three other musicians. The group was
racially and sexually integrated and the music was integrated, too! It fused
elements of Soul, Motown, and rock to create a sound that was both
revolutionary and timely.Sly grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and
following stints as a record producer and radio DJ, he put together a group
in the late 1960s that eventually produced three #1 hits. The group was very
influential, providing inspiration for later bands like Earth, Wind, and
Fire and also The Commodores. Their music was most closely related to
Soul but differed in that more of an emphasis was given to instrumental
parts so that they became equal partners with the vocals. Sly was also
something of a philosopher and his hopes for a new social order came
through especially well in songs like Everyday People and
Everybody Is A Star. He was under a lot of pressure from Black political
groups to represent their interested and this pressure took a toll. Sly also
had problems that he created himself; he was notoriously unreliable and
often blew off gigs.
By the mid-1970s the group had foundered, and Sly seemed to have lost his
vision. Even so, the impact of this group cannot be denied---it paved the
way for artists like Prince, Living Colour, and Parliament.
#1 Hits: Everyday People (1968), Thank You Falettinme Be Mice
Elf Agin (1970), and Family Affair (1971).
