Sly Stone, the groundbreaking musician who fused funk, rock, and soul with Sly & the Family Stone, died on Monday (June 9) at the age of 82. According to his family, the cause of death was due to a “prolonged battle with COPD and other underlying health issues.” Stone’s family shared that “Sly passed away peacefully, surrounded by his three children, his closest friend, and his extended family. 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.” The family also revealed that Stone “recently completed the screenplay for his life story, a project we are eager to share with the world in due course.”

As the creative mastermind behind Sly & the Family Stone, he created hits like “Dance to the Music,” “Stand!,” “Everyday People,” “Hot Fun in the Summertime,” and “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin),” which unified diverse music fans and uplifted audiences around the world. Personal demons and years of drug abuse took a toll on Stone, who mostly disappeared from the public spotlight after multiple attempts to relaunch his music career failed to achieve his previous levels of success. Stone’s life and music reached a new generation of fans due to Sly & the Family Stone’s 1993 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and a 2006 tribute to them at the Grammy Awards.

Questlove’s 2025 documentary, Sly Lives! (aka the Burden of Black Genius), reexamined Stone’s musical and cultural legacy, and featured musicians like George Clinton, Chaka Khan, D’Angelo, and Q-Tip crediting Sly with pushing the boundaries of contemporary music while having a profound  influence on their own sound. (Rolling Stone)