Celebrity Jukebox #138: Sly Stone

When Ben messaged me about the death of Sly Stone earlier this week, I misread his text as Sly Stallone. I need to wear my glasses when looking at my phone.

Others will no doubt write far better eulogies for Sly of the Family Stone than I can. (Swiss Adam and Khayem already have.) I have to confess to not knowing much about him beyond the headlines, but I did enjoy his music. Plus, without Sly Stone, I don't reckon we'd have had Prince... at least not in the way we remember Prince. And that would have been a tragedy.

And so did these guys, I guess...

Red Hot Chilli Peppers - Rolling Sly Stone

Danced to the music

And I sang a simple song

I was thankful and thoughtful

Sly Stone came along

'Cause he took me higher

And he made me see

Betty Davis - F.U.N.K.

It's good to look in your eyes

Knowing your eyes aren't the bottom of the soul

Because they high kick me like

Sly Stone on the cover of Fresh

of Montreal - Get God’s Attention By Being An Atheist

Do you remember Sly Stone?

(What city did he come from Roger?)

Zapp - It Doesn't Really Matter

In my script there's a love scene, picture it

Candles with warm apple cider

Sly stone on the radio

Oh, caress your funky dreads in the candle's glow

Whisper in my ear

'Cause I'm in the mood for love

Meshell Ndegeocello - Picture Show

I could be Sly Stone of the family crew

I could be big bad Daddy Warbucks

And love you too

Daniel Bedingfield - James Dean (I Wanna Know)

See my hip bone connected to my thigh bone

Club Funkateers and it's a family like Sly Stone

Bootsy Collins feat. Fantaazma - Hip Hop Lollipop

Dancin' in my kitchen with Sly Stone's permission

Lit my ignition, cursing fascist apparitions

Street Sweeper Social Club - Good Morning, Mrs. Smith

Musicians populate my dreams

My band members old and new

Certain Rolling Stones I

An MacDonald from King Crimson

David Bowie showing me round Dryden Chambers

Thighpaulsandra, Sly Stone

Amy Winehouse still alive

Vivian Stanshall punning in a cafe

The Waterboys - In My Dreams

Alright, I want you to get onboard this train

We're gonna make one stop, that’s all, just one

We're goin' to the place where James Brown, Gladys Knight & The Pips

Isaac Hayes, Al Green, Grand Funk, Sly Stone, The Bar-Kays, The Ohio Players

And everybody we know is funkin’ down there

The Wrecking Crew - Bump And Boogie (Pt. 1)

And there were many more. But I'm sure they'd all admit, they're not a patch on the original...

As I was finishing this post off last night, the news came through about Brian Wilson.

Damn.

That's going to be a hard one to process...