Sly & The Family Stone
Sly & the Family Stone were an important and influential band from Vallejo, California, United States. Active from 1966 until 1975, the band was pivotal in the development of soul, funk and psychedelia. Headed by singer, songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist Sly Stone, and containing several of his family members and friends, the band was the first major American rock band to have an integrated lineup in both race and gender.
Brothers Read Full BioSly & the Family Stone were an important and influential band from Vallejo, California, United States. Active from 1966 until 1975, the band was pivotal in the development of soul, funk and psychedelia. Headed by singer, songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist Sly Stone, and containing several of his family members and friends, the band was the first major American rock band to have an integrated lineup in both race and gender.
Brothers Sly Stone and singer/guitarist Freddie Stone combined their bands (Sly & the Stoners and Freddie & the Stone Souls) at the end of 1966. Sly and Freddie Stone, trumpeter Cynthia Robinson, drummer Gregg Errico, saxophonist Jerry Martini, and bassist Larry Graham completed the original lineup; Sly and Freddie's sister, singer/keyboardist Rose Stone, joined within a year. This collective recorded five Top 10 hits and four groundbreaking albums, which greatly influenced the sound of American pop music, soul, R&B, funk, and hip hop music. In the preface of his 1998 book For the Record: Sly and the Family Stone: An Oral History, Joel Selvin sums up the importance of Sly & the Family Stone's influence on African American music by stating "there are two types of black music: black music before Sly Stone, and black music after Sly Stone". The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.
During the early 1970s, the band switched to a grittier funk sound, which was as influential on the music industry as their earlier work. The band began to fall apart during this period because of drug abuse and ego clashes; consequently, the fortunes and reliability of the band deteriorated, leading to its dissolution in 1975. Sly Stone continued to record albums and tour with a new rotating lineup under the "Sly & the Family Stone" name from 1975 to 1983. In 1987, Sly Stone was arrested and sentenced for cocaine use, after which he went into effective retirement.
Cynthia Robinson - January 12, 1944 – November 23, 2015
Brothers Read Full BioSly & the Family Stone were an important and influential band from Vallejo, California, United States. Active from 1966 until 1975, the band was pivotal in the development of soul, funk and psychedelia. Headed by singer, songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist Sly Stone, and containing several of his family members and friends, the band was the first major American rock band to have an integrated lineup in both race and gender.
Brothers Sly Stone and singer/guitarist Freddie Stone combined their bands (Sly & the Stoners and Freddie & the Stone Souls) at the end of 1966. Sly and Freddie Stone, trumpeter Cynthia Robinson, drummer Gregg Errico, saxophonist Jerry Martini, and bassist Larry Graham completed the original lineup; Sly and Freddie's sister, singer/keyboardist Rose Stone, joined within a year. This collective recorded five Top 10 hits and four groundbreaking albums, which greatly influenced the sound of American pop music, soul, R&B, funk, and hip hop music. In the preface of his 1998 book For the Record: Sly and the Family Stone: An Oral History, Joel Selvin sums up the importance of Sly & the Family Stone's influence on African American music by stating "there are two types of black music: black music before Sly Stone, and black music after Sly Stone". The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.
During the early 1970s, the band switched to a grittier funk sound, which was as influential on the music industry as their earlier work. The band began to fall apart during this period because of drug abuse and ego clashes; consequently, the fortunes and reliability of the band deteriorated, leading to its dissolution in 1975. Sly Stone continued to record albums and tour with a new rotating lineup under the "Sly & the Family Stone" name from 1975 to 1983. In 1987, Sly Stone was arrested and sentenced for cocaine use, after which he went into effective retirement.
Cynthia Robinson - January 12, 1944 – November 23, 2015
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14Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) - single masterSly & The Family StoneSly & The Family Stone
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Everyday People
Sly & The Family Stone Lyrics
Sometimes I'm right and I can be wrong
My own beliefs are in my song
The butcher, the banker, the drummer and then
Makes no difference what group I'm in
I am everyday people, yeah yeah
There is a blue one who can't accept the green one
For living with a fat one trying to be a skinny one
And different strokes for different folks
And so on and so on and scooby dooby doo
Oh sha sha we got to live together
I am no better and neither are you
We are the same whatever we do
You love me you hate me you know me and then
You can't figure out the bag I'm in
I am everyday people, yeah yeah
There is a long hair that doesn't like the short hair
For bein' such a rich one that will not help the poor one
And different strokes for different folks
And so on and so on and scooby dooby doo
Oh sha sha we got to live together
There is a yellow one that won't accept the black one
That won't accept the red one that won't accept the white one
And different strokes for different folks
And so on and so on and scooby dooby doo
I am everyday people
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Sylvester Stewart
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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That 70's Guitarist
Sly & The Family Stone's music played a massive part in my "coming of age" years, and even now, some fifty years later, Sly's genius shines through, plain as day! This is quality music that makes you stop and think.
I remember seeing Sly & The Family Stone on television (I think it was on the Ed Sullivan show) when I was just a kid, and his words rang bright and clear and true in my heart; "Don't hate the black, don't hate the white, if you get bit, hate the bite!"
We need sensible people like Sly & The Family Stone more than ever these days, to help heal this bitterly divided world. Thank goodness for YouTube, because it can preserve and pass on these positive musical messages for future generations to learn from.
Damn straight, I am "everyday people," and so is everybody else. The sooner we can see, appreciate and understand that basic fact of life, the better off our whole world will be!
♥️Sly & The Family Stone forever!♥️
DavidEric1414
One of the greatest songs ever written, and timeless.
Dagwood DaDollar
@SozeyTozey Those are horrible songs
Annarita Ranalli
One of best bands in the world and sly stone before addiction was a perfect artist
Tanya Kasim
@SozeyTozey Perhaps it's the message that makes this song great.
Cole Jaeger
You mean “classic”
Richard Russell
Timeless? Yes! Sadly, also all-too-timely. Would that this song's message didn't need to be said anymore.
fiddler phil
One of the best songs ever, The world needs this now more than ever before. Thank you Sly and the family Stone
bookworm8792
Introduced my grandkids to this song today and we danced around the house. The littlest one said, well that was fun! Share it, dance it
Onset and Rime Teacher
I love that you did this!
Diane Carney
Wonderful! Nursery rhymes aren't enough! Children can sing and let them here REAL music!!