Funk first father of soul family

A PIONEER of funk music, Sly Stone was the charismatic frontman to Sly And The Family Stone, whose psychedelic and gospel sound helped to define the Swinging Sixties.

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Stone was also an icon of black power and hugely influential to the likes of Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Wonder, Bob Marley and Marvin Gaye.

Sly And The Family Stone’s 1968 iconic single “Everyday People” was an appeal to unity that topped both the US pop and R&B charts for four weeks.

Its catchy refrains, such as — “different strokes for different folks”, and “we got to live together” — reflected a hope for a more optimistic and racially inclusive America.