NEW YORK (AP) — Sly Stone, an electrifying musician, songwriter and showman whose Sly and the Family Stone transformed popular music in the 1960s and ’70s, has died. He was 82. His time on top was brief, from roughly 1969 to 1971, but his influence on music and culture lasted for decades after. No band better captured the gravity-defying euphoria of the Woodstock era or more bravely addressed the crash. From early hits as rousing as their titles —“I Want To Take You Higher,” “Stand!” — to the sober aftermath of “Family Affair” and “Runnin’ Away,” Sly and the Family Stone spoke for a generation whether or not it wanted to hear the message.… Continue Reading