American funk band formed in San Francisco in 1966. Lineup originally: Sly Stone (vocals/keyboards, born Sylvester Stewart, b. March 15, 1943, d. June 9, 2025), Freddie Stone (guitar/vocals), Larry Graham (bass, 1968-1972, originator of slap bass), Cynthia Robinson (trumpet, 1944-2015), Rose Stone (keyboards/vocals), Jerry Martini (saxophone), and Greg Errico (drums). The first major rock/funk band to feature racially mixed and gender-mixed personnel.
Released seven studio albums between A Whole New Thing (1967) and Heard Ya Missed Me, Well I'm Back (1976). Critical and commercial peaks: Stand! (1969), There's a Riot Goin' On (1971), and Fresh (1973). Performed at Woodstock in 1969 with what became one of the festival's most iconic sets. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. Sly Stone died in 2025.
Vinyl
Members
13 people from MusicBrainz
- 1967–1971Greg Errico — drums (drum set), original
- 1967–1972Larry Graham — bass guitar, original
- 1967–1975Little Sister — original
- 1967–1975Jerry Martini — original, saxophone
- 1967–1975Cynthia Robinson — original, trumpet
- 1967–1975Freddie Stone — guitar, original
- 1967–1975Sly Stone — eponymous, original
- 1968–1975Rose Stone — piano
- 1971–1972Gerry Gibson — drums (drum set)
- 1972–1975Rusty Allen — bass guitar
- 1972–1975Pat Rizzo — saxophone
- 1973–1974Sid Page — violin
- 1973–1975Andy Newmark — drums (drum set)
Discography
76 releases from MusicBrainz · ★ 1 in my collection
Albums (10)
- 1967A Whole New Thing
- 1968Dance to the Music
- 1968Life
- 1969Stand!
- 1971There’s a Riot Goin’ On
- 1973Fresh
- 1974Small Talk
- 1976Heard Ya Missed Me, Well I’m Back
- 1979Back on the Right Track
- 1982Ain’t but the One Way
Singles (14)
- 1967Dance to the Music
- 1967Underdog
- 1968Everyday People
- 1968Life
- 1969Hot Fun in the Summertime / Fun
- 1969I Ain’t Got Nobody / I Can’t Turn You Loose
- 1969Stand!
- 1969Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) / Everybody Is a Star
- 1970I Want to Take You Higher
- 1971Family Affair
- 1972Runnin' Away / Brave & Strong
- 1973If You Want Me to Stay
- 1979Remember Who You Are
- 2025I Gotta Go Now (Up On The Floor) / Funky Broadway
More: singles, compilations, live & other releases
Lives (6)
- 1991Texas International Pop Festival
- 2009The Woodstock Experience
- 2015Live at the Fillmore East October 4th & 5th, 1968
- 2019Uptown Saturday Night (Live 1970)
- 20251970-10-24: Campus Gym, University of Maine, Portland, ME
- 2025The First Family (Live At Winchester Cathedral 1967)
Soundtracks (1)
- 2025SLY LIVES! (aka the Burden of Black Genius)
Compilations (45)
- 1970★Greatest Hits
- 1983The Early Years
- 1983The History of Rock, Volume Seventeen
- 1988The Best of Sly and the Family Stone
- 1989Anthology
- 1991Do The Rattlesnake & More Psychedelic Soulsongs
- 1991The Collection
- 1992On the Right Track
- 1992The Best of Sly and the Family Stone
- 1993Spotlight on Sly and the Family Stone
- 1994Back on the Right Track
- 1995Legends
- 19983 Cream Crackers and a Dog Biscuit
- 1999Backtracks
- 1999Funkmeister
- 2001Fame & Fortune
- 2001Heineken Night Live Dance to the Music!
- 2001It Takes All Kinds
- 2001Rare Grooves
- 2001Thee Thesaurus of Funkasaurus
- 2001Who in the Funk Do You Think You Are: The Warner Bros. Recordings
- 2003I Can’t Turn You Loose
- 2003The Essential Sly & the Family Stone
- 2005Different Strokes by Different Folks
- 2005Higher!
- 2005The Essential Sly & the Family Stone
- 2007Free Soul. The Classic of Sly & The Family Stone
- 2007The Collection
- 2008Three Of A Kind
- 2009Funky Forever
- 2009Funky Roots
- 2010Original Album Classics
- 2010Super Hits
- 2011Dynamite! The Collection
- 2011Every Dog Has His Day
- 2012S.O.U.L.
- 2012Ultimate Sly & the Family Stone
- 2013Higher! — Box Set
- 2013Higher! — Highlights
- 2014Back on the Right Track
- 2015Playlist: The Very Best of Sly & the Family Stone
- 2016Long Time Alone
- 2016Swim
- 2017Small Talk / High on You / Heard ya Missed Me, Well I'm Back
- 2025Live in the '70s
Related artists
2 from MusicBrainz
Subgroups & offshoots (1)
- The Family Stone
Supporting musicians (1)
- Lynn Mabry