| Author | Message | ||
  Jimmy Mack (luke) 6-Zenith Username: luke Post Number: 526 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 64.12.116.138 |
What has happened to him? I cant think of another talent like his to have vanished so completely and no notice in press. | ||
Eli (phillysoulman) 6-Zenith Username: phillysoulman Post Number: 1305 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 70.16.130.56 |
DRUGS happened to him! (Message edited by phillysoulman on August 14, 2004) | ||
Jimmy Mack (luke) 6-Zenith Username: luke Post Number: 530 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 152.163.252.200 |
Well yes but many many addicts get well or keep recording or we hear about them. | ||
1wicked (1wicked) 5-Doyen Username: 1wicked Post Number: 230 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 24.126.64.72 |
Sly (supposedly) has never stopped recording (home studios)...but among other things, has a fear of releasing any of it...as if it wouldn't compare well with his hit catalog. | ||
Jimmy Mack (luke) 6-Zenith Username: luke Post Number: 532 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 64.12.116.138 |
Does he have a permanent home somewhere? Last I heard he was floating around. | ||
zebop (zebop) 4-Laureate Username: zebop Post Number: 106 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 64.12.116.138 |
I always wondered what happened to his music. Was it drugs? (Well...) Did he just do too much and lost his skill? Was it because a lot of funk acts copied his sound and there was no where left to go. It's very interesting--to say the least... | ||
Vic Doucette (vic_doucette) 2-Debutant Username: vic_doucette Post Number: 13 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 67.37.83.29 |
Forgive the hazy recollections, but I have a Sly story to pass along. I was living in Fort Myers, FLorida when this happened in 1983 or so. Sly had been busted in Fort Lauderdale for some sort of thieft charge pressed by the owner of a hotel where he was staying while on tour. The judge allowed him bail so that he could play a Fort Myers gig. A friend of mine attended the show, and gave me this account: The show started very late, after an extemded set by the backing band, who I believe was called Starshower. After an even longer wait, Sly came out onstage, looking in really bad shape. He stood with his back mostly turned toward the audience for the first couple numbers, and pretended to play the guitar, but my friend said that it was clearly the guitarist from the backing band who was really making the music. After 15 or 20 minutes, Sly said something about needing to take a break to fix some malfunctioning equipment, but that he would be right back. That was the end of the show. When it became obvious that the music had ended for the evening, many of the people in the audience became agitated and demanded their money back. An unpleasent scene ensued. The following morning, when Sly had not checked out of his Fort Myers hotel by the appointed time, a manager was sent to the room to try to get a response. After knocking for several minutes, the manager used a passkey to enter the room. Once the manager got inside, he discovered Sly, more dead than alive, surrounded by cocaine-smoking equipment and in the company of a white woman who was not his wife, also in a similar condition. (I apologize for bringing race into the discussion, but if you knew what a backward, redneck town Fort Myers was in 1983, you would understand why I mention this detail.) Paramedics were called to the scene to revive Sly and the woman. After appropriate medical treatment, Sly was placed under arrest by the county sherriff, who differed from a KKK member primarily because he always wore three-piece suits. I suspect that seeing the woman there only intensified the sheriff's desire to "set an example" for the God-fearing residents of Lee County. I have no idea what happened to the woman. By this time, Sly's manager had had enough and refused to bail him out. Sly sat in the Lee County Jail for several days before a sympathetic fan posted bond. I don't remember if there was a trial or if Sly simply copped a plea, but he was jailed and forced to attend drug counciling at the Lee Mental Health Center, for 90 days as I remember it. After completing the program, Sly held a telivised press conference, in the company of his friend Bobby Womack. Sly went on for a couple minutes thanking the folks at the Lee Mental Health Center for helping him straighten his life out. Now that he was straight, he said, he was going to go back home with Bobby, put a band together and come back to Fort Myers to do a benefit for the Lee Mental Health Center. 21 years have gone by. The LMHC folks are still waiting for the benefit. | ||
Cam (cam) 3-Pundit Username: cam Post Number: 50 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 4.229.141.139 |
Amazing story Vic. How come you never told me that one? Oh, I see it is because we only get in contact about once every decade-and-a-half. BTW: (this will be next to no interest to 99.999% of the fellow SDF'ers who read this). I heard from Ron Steinman for the first time in about 8 years. He is in Seattle now. Cam | ||
Cam (cam) 3-Pundit Username: cam Post Number: 51 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 4.229.141.139 |
Another thing, Vic. Do you still work at Crain's? Maybe you know some rich business types who want to invest in a project that puts a positive spin on Detroit, it's cultural history and that shrine on West Grand Blvd known as Hitsville USA. I knew I'd find a way to shill for bucks for my film "Point in Time." And not even in a subtle way. Cam | ||
Lady Mystique (ladymystique) 6-Zenith Username: ladymystique Post Number: 558 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 66.33.227.92 |
Well, I hope to hear something positive about Sly and his wearabouts. He seemed to have dissappeared...a comeback should be in vogue right about now. Forgive the spellings!  | ||
1wicked (1wicked) 5-Doyen Username: 1wicked Post Number: 231 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 24.126.64.72 |
Lady Mystique: That (a comeback) is doubtful. He wouldn't even make an appearance when he & The Family Stone were inducted into the RRHoF. He was seen at the funeral of one of his parents & he has reportedly been seen walking a dog from time to time in the L.A. area....but other than that, Sly is off the radar & (I guess) tries to keep it that way. | ||
Lady Mystique (ladymystique) 6-Zenith Username: ladymystique Post Number: 573 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 66.33.227.92 |
Yeah I guess you are right, but there is always hope! | ||
Vic Doucette (vic_doucette) 2-Debutant Username: vic_doucette Post Number: 14 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 67.37.84.210 |
Dr. Smith, I'm still working for CDB. But I only WORK for rich people -- I don't actually KNOW any. And if you're going to shamelessly shill for your movie, I will take this opportunity to shamelessly shill for my pet project, The Miracle League of Michigan! This wonderful group of folks has built a special baseball field in Southfield, a suburb of Detroit. It's not made of grass and dirt, but is instead made of a rubberized compound, much like the one used on running tracks. This special surface allows kids using wheelchairs, walkers, braces and the like to play baseball with the help of able-bodied "buddies," also known as the "angels in the outfield." We also have a number of autistic kids in the league. Anyone child who can get to the games is welcome to play! If you want to know more (and if you want to see the ugly mug of the guy who announces the games), visit www.michiganmiracle.org. | ||
Gil (gil) 4-Laureate Username: gil Post Number: 108 Registered: 5-2004 Posted From: 68.223.110.25 |
According to Freddie Stone, Sly's brother, Sly still makes music in a home studio. Freddie and the rest of the Family Stone have gotten together for many concerts in the California area over the past few years. All the members, except Sly and Larry Graham have appeared. Interesting story. A fellow who used to run a fan site for Sly got to meet him. Sly hadn't gotten into the internet but found out about this fellow and sent for him to come visit. This guy (his name escapes me now) went to Sly's house and teaches him about the computers and the internet. I lie to you not, this guy shows Sly the ins and outs of the information superhighway. Sly plays this guy a lot of the material that he's been working on...it was supposed to be good. This happened about four years ago. | ||
Rodmann (rodmann) 5-Doyen Username: rodmann Post Number: 400 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 12.223.151.165 |
Amazing but sad story Vic. | ||
Lady Mystique (ladymystique) 6-Zenith Username: ladymystique Post Number: 577 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 66.33.227.92 |
Gil...I knew that Larry Graham was rolling with Prince for a while. Plus, if that story is true, hopefully a CD will surface? Probably with an indie label? I hope so! (Message edited by LadyMystique on August 14, 2004) | ||
Gil (gil) 4-Laureate Username: gil Post Number: 113 Registered: 5-2004 Posted From: 68.223.110.25 |
Yeah LM, Graham was with Prince for most of the past five years. He was instrumental in Prince's Jehovah Witness conversion. | ||
1wicked (1wicked) 5-Doyen Username: 1wicked Post Number: 233 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 24.126.64.72 |
Larry may not play all of the Family Stone dates...but he has played with them several times over the last couple of years. It was not said or implied...but I want to make sure that it's understood that there is NO conflict between Larry & his former bandmates. | ||
Lady Mystique (ladymystique) 6-Zenith Username: ladymystique Post Number: 591 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 66.33.227.92 |
I wouldn't think so...especially after forming I think Graham Central in the 70s. I also saw them on one of Sinbad's 70s shows on HBO and I could see that there was no conflict there. | ||
Don (don) 6-Zenith Username: don Post Number: 612 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 68.75.60.163 |
Lady M, your right about that. The Sinbad Show where you had GCS & TFS was to me the highlight of the show, and far as I'm concern... the highlight of the year. Don | ||
Jimmy Mack (luke) 6-Zenith Username: luke Post Number: 538 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 152.163.252.200 |
So Sly lives in a house in Calif??Does he give interivews??I would think he gets requests. | ||
Cam (cam) 3-Pundit Username: cam Post Number: 58 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 4.229.129.49 |
Vic Doucette wrote: This special surface allows kids using wheelchairs, walkers, braces and the like to play baseball with the help of able-bodied "buddies," also known as the "angels in the outfield." We also have a number of autistic kids in the league. Anyone child who can get to the games is welcome to play! If you want to know more (and if you want to see the ugly mug of the guy who announces the games), visit www.michiganmiracle.org. ------------------------------ Well Vic, you got me there. Your shilling is for lighting up smiles on kids faces. Mine is for pieces of celluloid passing in front of a light. Yours is a much higher cause. Therefore I copy the link and bump this back up to the top of the page. HEY! I know this announcer. I think I worked with his son in Saginaw in 1979  | ||
Lady Mystique (ladymystique) 6-Zenith Username: ladymystique Post Number: 600 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 66.33.227.92 |
Don...I agree with that statement...I couldn't sit still, but couldn't help but wish that Sly was there! Jimmy Mack...no doubt! But I guess one of our geniuses of funk wants to keep a REAL low profile. It's a shame because like Rick James, I feel as if he left things unfinished. |
