Funk Legend Sly Stone Homeless And Living Out Of A Van In L.A.

Today, Sly is disheveled, paranoid -- the FBI is after him; his enemies have hired hit men. He refuses to let The Post into his camper, but, ever the showman, poses flamboyantly with a silver military helmet and a Taser in front of his Studebaker. Funk Legend Sly Stone Homeless And Living Out Of A Van In L.A.

Man, this just breaks my heart. I grew up with this man's music, and I still play some of it in clubs today; Dance to the Music is a Saturday night staple.



I don't care who you are or how old you are, 18 to 80, black, white, or purple polka dotted; when this song plays, you can help but get your funk on.

I hope he can get his life back on track and make a comeback, I really do. As the article above points out, he began his career recording in a very similar van. Maybe that's a good thing; I can envision some awesome blues music coming from him in the future. One can but hope.

Good Luck Sly.

It's very sad indeed. I grew up on Sly and the Family Stone. My favorite was always Hot Fun In The Summertime. I still crank up the old radio every time I hear my favorite oldies station play one of his songs.

I hope that Sly gets the help he needs. It would be wonderful to hear him crank out a few new tunes.

reply to post by OldCorp



Yep, that is the plight of the Musician as well as many other "Starving Artists".

Especially with Pop musicians and their all too familiar One Hit Wonders.

Because Once you stop recording , You have a choice of either performing on stage or teaching.

As it is said amongst musicians...."If you cannot handle fame, fame itself will certainly handle you."

PEACE.

reply to post by OldCorp


Well I hope someone out there offers him a new record deal or something.
I bet if he had all the royalties from everyone who had ever sampled his songs in dance remixes he would not be living in his van.

Damn shame,the family rocked back in the day!

reply to post by OldCorp


OldCorp; why I love ATS - you posting this story - awesome...now regarding the story, it is sad. Although Sly is not the only broken star to be doing the same thing right now, he did make some great tunes...and like you said, Sand TFS are staples...isn't he getting any royalties? Without knowing the full story, could have been a million reasons for his downfall, but nevertheless it is sad to see.

Thanks mate.

CJ

Originally posted by nh_ee
reply to post by OldCorp

 

Yep, that is the plight of the Musician as well as many other "Starving Artists".

Especially with Pop musicians and their all too familiar One Hit Wonders.

Because Once you stop recording , You have a choice of either performing on stage or teaching.

As it is said amongst musicians...."If you cannot handle fame, fame itself will certainly handle you."

PEACE.

Good God man, you aren't insinuating that Sly was a "One Hit Wonder" are you?

Sly and the Family Stone were an American rock, funk, and soul band from San Francisco, California. Active from 1966 to 1983, the band was pivotal in the development of soul, funk, and psychedelic music. Headed by singer, songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist Sly Stone, and containing several of his family members and friends, the band was the first major American rock band to have an "integrated, multi-gender" lineup.

Brothers Sly Stone and singer/guitarist Freddie Stone combined their bands (Sly & the Stoners and Freddie & the Stone Souls) in 1967. Sly and Freddie Stone, trumpeter Cynthia Robinson, drummer Gregg Errico, saxophonist Jerry Martini, and bassist Larry Graham completed the original lineup; Sly and Freddie's sister, singer/keyboardist Rose Stone, joined within a year.

This collective recorded five Billboard Hot 100 hits which reached the top 10, and four ground-breaking albums, which greatly influenced the sound of American pop music, soul, R&B, funk, and hip hop music. In the preface of his 1998 book For the Record: Sly and the Family Stone: An Oral History, Joel Selvin sums up the importance of Sly and the Family Stone's influence on African American music by stating "there are two types of black music: black music before Sly Stone, and black music after Sly Stone". The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. WIKI Bio

I'd go even further and just take the word "black" out of the statement I emboldened above. Sly and the Family Stone were every bit as significant as artists like Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, and Chuck Berry when it comes to Rock and Roll artists, regardless of race.

Originally posted by ColoradoJens
reply to post by OldCorp

 

OldCorp; why I love ATS - you posting this story - awesome...now regarding the story, it is sad. Although Sly is not the only broken star to be doing the same thing right now, he did make some great tunes...and like you said, Sand TFS are staples...isn't he getting any royalties? Without knowing the full story, could have been a million reasons for his downfall, but nevertheless it is sad to see.

Thanks mate.

CJ

Hey Jen,

He signed his royalties over to his manager in exchange for a guaranteed weekly paycheck for life according to the article. But those payments stopped coming when he sued his manager for $50 million dollars alleging fraud and theft. Methinks he got screwed.

Yo, Sly. If you're reading this, you can come park in my driveway for a bit. We are all set up to record some new music too.

where exactly is he parked in LA?

shouldn't one of us try to get an ATS exclusive?


ill be up that way next week

reply to post by spaceg0at


Do it Spaceg0at!
Take a voice recorder,and ask him nicley if he will do a jingle/endorsement for his fans at ATS!
Obviously buy him a pack of beers or something for his trouble.
Go for it bud!

Originally posted by Silcone Synapse
reply to post by spaceg0at

 

Do it Spaceg0at!
Take a voice recorder,and ask him nicley if he will do a jingle/endorsement for his fans at ATS!
Obviously buy him a pack of beers or something for his trouble.
Go for it bud!

i just figured someone could ask him some questions that the "ny post" dosent ask.
and youtube it... im not familiar with the crenshaw area... any of you ?

Originally posted by spaceg0at
where exactly is he parked in LA?

shouldn't one of us try to get an ATS exclusive?

ill be up that way next week

You might want to think twice about that bro. Crenshaw is in South Central.



Not quite Beverly Hills if you're pickin' up what I'm layin' down.

reply to post by OldCorp


This is sad, its s shame but its an industry loaded with casulties. Im only 24 but the few years I've been in the industry I've lost some good mates from the temptations involved.

Btw oldcorp I've seen a fair few of your music related posts and have to say you have good taste! If I'm ever stateside I might have to check one of your dj sets out!

Originally posted by OldCorp

You might want to think twice about that bro. Crenshaw is in South Central.



Not quite Beverly Hills if you're pickin' up what I'm layin' down.

noted... i wont b drinkin any juice in that hood lol

Originally posted by clintdelicious
reply to post by OldCorp

 

This is sad, its s shame but its an industry loaded with casulties. Im only 24 but the few years I've been in the industry I've lost some good mates from the temptations involved.

Btw oldcorp I've seen a fair few of your music related posts and have to say you have good taste! If I'm ever stateside I might have to check one of your dj sets out!

Thank you. My taste is rather eclectic. I've been a DJ on the radio and in clubs, as well as being a writer, since 1985. I grew up with Soul, Funk, Rock n Roll, Motown, Disco/Dance/Rap music, and even Bluegrass (for some reason, mainstream Country never tripped my trigger - go figure.) I simply incorporate the music I grew up with as a kid into the music I've come to appreciate as an adult over the last half century and I have an awesome playlist in my head - with most of the music at my fingertips. Between my Vinyl, CDs, and purely digital iTunes downloads, I own a library of around 15,000 songs.

IDK if you saw this one, but I remixed a Radiohead song for SeekerLou. The linked file is a .wmv music video that I call the "Radiohead Zapped ATS Remix," complete with a surprise at the end that any ATSer will appreciate.

Not to be a doink but Sly has been off his rocker for a while now so this story is no surprise to me. He walked off the awards show years ago without playing the song he was there to perform - there's probably a clip but I ain't a looking. I don't ever recall anyone ever knowing exactly why he bolted. Maybe he's sane and they really are out to get him but from what I've read over the years he sounds like he's lost his mind. Seems like he needs mental help - whatever that means as I'm not a doctor at all.

Sly wouldn't be the first guy screwed over by the industry or by bad management. Queen and Billy Joel are two stories I know of off the top of my head and there's got to be more. The industry as a whole is mostly corrupt. If I ever make my own music again I sure won't be looking for outside help, I'll do it all myself. Writing, recording, publishing, the whole works. Frak the RIAA and all that entails as I'd bet I could do it far cheaper and with just as much success without them. Which means I'd probably sell about 100 albums and not have to pay them a million bucks for it.

sly and the family stone performing "I want to take you higher" at woodstock was an awesome performance, anyone know how to link the video on here?

Thanks OC..

for this thread and the video..

Funky..I loved it!