Sly Stone: A funky life – in pictures | BBC News

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June 10, 2025

Sly Stone: A funky life - in pictures

Sly Stone: A funky life – in pictures

9 minutes ago
Getty Images Sly Stone wears a red hat and red jacket embelished with rhinestones.Getty Images
Ottilie Mitchell
BBC News

Sly Stone, a funk-rock star who led the group Sly and the Family Stone, has died at the age of 82, his family statement.

A statement said he had suffered a “prolongued battle” with the lung disease COPD.

Stone, whose real name was Sylvester Stewart, grew up singing gospel with his siblings, and went on to play the Woodstock music festival in 1969.

On the way, Stone was a San Francisco radio DJ, before he and his band hit the big time with hits including It’s a Family Affair and If You Want Me to Stay.

Stone was a giant of funk music, known for blending psychedelia, funk, rock and soul, his big style and even bigger hair.

Here is a selection of images from his life.

Getty Images A young Sly Stone wears a tweed jacket and sits in front of an old-fashioned microphone with a folder in front of him. He looks into the camera.Getty Images
Getty Images Sly and other members of Sly and the Family stone sing on stage in front of a rainbow backdrop.Getty Images
Getty Images Sly Stone sings and dances in the centre of a room with other members of the band pictured around him in a circle on various instruments. Two large amplifiers are dotted around the room.Getty Images
Getty Images A large sign that reads "Soul Train" in capitals hangs above a stage where Sly and the Family Stone perform to a dancing audienceGetty Images
Getty Images A black and white image of Sly and the Family Stone. They stand between two white boards, close to one another.Getty Images
Getty Images Sly Stone and his newlywed wife Kathy Silva grin and laugh, dressed in gold. She has confetti scattered through her hair.Getty Images
Getty Images Sly Stone rides a large elaborate chopper style motorbike in a black and white image. He has a leather jacket on with a large white star on the collar.Getty Images
Getty Images Sly Stone is pictured later in his life wearing a huge white leather belt with the word 'Sly' embellished in silver. He has a matching silver jacket with the collar popped, and a tall bleached mohawk. He plays a white keyboard and sings into two microphones on stands.Getty Images

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