BIOGRAPHY
Formed in San Francisco in 1966, Sly and the Family Stone was led by singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sly Stone alongside siblings Freddie and Rose Stone, trumpeter Cynthia Robinson, drummer Greg Errico, saxophonist Jerry Martini, and bassist Larry Graham. The band broke ground as the first major American rock group with a racially integrated, mixed-gender lineup, pioneering a psychedelic soul sound that fused funk, soul, gospel, R&B, and psychedelic rock. After a slow-selling debut, the label pushed for a more commercial single, and Dance to the Music became their breakthrough hit in 1967. Their 1969 album Stand! sold over three million copies and included the number one single Everyday People, and their Woodstock set is often cited as the festival's best. As Sly Stone's addiction deepened, the music darkened into 1971's There's a Riot Going On, a chart topping, politically charged statement. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.