Sly Stone, leader of 1960s funk band, dies at age 82

Sly Stone, the driving force behind Sly and the Family Stone, a multiracial American band whose boiling mix of rock, soul and psychedelia embodied 1960s idealism and helped popularise funk music, has died at the age of 82, his family said on Monday.

- Agencies

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Stone died in Los Angeles after a battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other health issues, a statement from his family said.

Stone was perhaps best known for his performance in 1969 at the historic Woodstock music festival, the hippie culture's coming-out party.