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.
