Overview

• Stone passed on June 9 at age 82 after a prolonged struggle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other health issues, his family said.
• As leader of Sly and the Family Stone, he fused soul, psychedelic rock, gospel and R&B to help define the funk sound of the late 1960s.
• The band’s breakthrough hits—"Dance to the Music," "Everyday People" and "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)"—and a legendary 1969 Woodstock performance solidified their cultural impact.
• Stone battled decades of drug addiction, overcame his substance use in 2019 and reflected on his life in the 2023 memoir Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin).
• Shortly before his death, he completed a screenplay based on his life story, a project his family plans to share in due course.