Funk-rock star Sly Stone, 82, died on June 9. The singer, songwriter, and musician (guitar, piano, harmonica) was the front man for Sly and the Family Stone (1966-83), noted for being an unusual mixed-race, mixed-gender rock group. Their hits included "Dance to the Music," "Everyday People," "I Want to Take You Higher," "Family Affair, and “Thank You (For Letting Me be Myself Again).” Stone started his career as a DJ and session artist, till success with the Family Stone hit. After the band disintegrated (the usual rock-group woes), Stone went solo, also returning to session work and teaming up with other rock stars. After his 2023 memoirs were published Stone told TIME, “I know music can always make a difference. I knew it when I was on the radio. People would call into the station and say that they wanted me to play this song or that song and I could tell how much it meant to them. That was what we wanted to do with the music that we made. That’s what we did.”
