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Sly Stone dies aged 82

I saw Sly and The Family Stone (with the original lineup) at the Hoffheinz Pavilion at the University of Houston in the early 70's.

Easily the LOUDEST show I ever saw (How loud? I could have fired a .45 next to either ear, and the only way I'd have known it fired was the felt recoil, THAT loud.). Played 'Want to Take You Higher' as the opener, for some 20-odd minutes, and most of his hits for around 2 hours. He was already heavily using, but the band was still digging in for all they were worth, and it really rolled, and of course I got to hear/see Larry Graham in the process.

One of those shows where I was glad I went, but all these years later it still feels like something was just a little 'off'.

Oh, and T Rex opened, and Bolan was already way past done.
 
My cousin came back from three years in Japan (my uncle was in the USAF) with three S&FS albums that we wore out. I had barely started listening to music at all, and the Family Stone had such an impact on my early music awareness, so much so that I recently talked my band into adding “If You Want Me To Stay” to our setlist.

Between the S&FS albums and all the other stuff he bought in the PX on base in Japan (Zeppelin, Cream, Santana, Grand Funk, Guess Who, The Who, Three Dog Night, HENDRIX, Stones, Beatles, ZZ Top and many more) I was on my way to being a bassist and a rocker for life.

Thank you (Fallettinme Be Mice Elf Again).
 
RIP Sly, the musician who really drew me into funk after a childhood heavy on '60s and '70s rock. It's hard to understate his influence. He paved the way for PFunk and Prince, among others. Probably the first bigtime integrated group outside of jazz. And I think he was the first in nonexperimental music to use a drum machine. Heavily sampled in hip hop, too, of course. What a legacy.
 
Still dancing through the house to his songs and rockin' out in the car with the volume way loud when Sly comes on the radio. I remember watching Sly and the Family Stone on Ed Sullivan when I was a kid. They were from right up 101 in San Francisco and from another planet at the same time and left a mark I did not even realize for a long time. If you are lucky enough, some things just burn into your soul without you really knowing and become a part of you without your being cognizant of what is taking place. Thank you brother for the soul, for the rock, for the funk, for all the music.
 
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I saw Sly and The Family Stone (with the original lineup) at the Hoffheinz Pavilion at the University of Houston in the early 70's.

Easily the LOUDEST show I ever saw (How loud? I could have fired a .45 next to either ear, and the only way I'd have known it fired was the felt recoil, THAT loud.). Played 'Want to Take You Higher' as the opener, for some 20-odd minutes, and most of his hits for around 2 hours. He was already heavily using, but the band was still digging in for all they were worth, and it really rolled, and of course I got to hear/see Larry Graham in the process.

One of those shows where I was glad I went, but all these years later it still feels like something was just a little 'off'.

Oh, and T Rex opened, and Bolan was already way past done.
That’s a great memory!
 
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Sly and the Family Stone were one of my life soundtrack bands I listened to when I lived on Mare Island Naval Base and later in Vallejo,Ca. because all their tunes got lots of airplay on KFRC out of San Francisco. I never knew he had lived in Vallejo till later, but it was probably before my time which was 1964-72.

Missed getting to see him play live a couple times. I was in few bands that did several of his songs. Always an inspiration and joy.
RIP Sly.
 
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in the firmament
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