In 1974, decades before Ye, then known as Kanye West, packed Madison Square Garden for a twin album-fashion spectacular, Sly Stone, the cosmically groovy singer-songwriter who died on June 9, offered his own extravaganza of dance, funk and flash on New York’s biggest stage.

Saying farewell to Sly Stone, whose avant-funk vision changed the world and influenced generations of musicians

Nearly 60 years after it happened, the earliest known live recording of Sly & the Family Stone will finally be released next month.

Sly Stone, a Grammy winner whose pioneering funk-rock group Sly and the Family Stone produced groundbreaking albums and singles died June 9. He was 82.

F ifty-five summers ago, a riot broke out in Chicago’s Grant Park, where Sly and the Family Stone was booked to play a concert. Sly was on en route, but the crowd, fearing that

The Winchester Cathedral recordings showcase a one-of-kind outfit that was already at the peak of its powers, long before it became internationally famous,” says producer Alex Palao.

The groundbreaking leader of Sly and the Family Stone was one of the pioneers of funk music and among the most influential musicians of the past 60 years.

One of the key figures in American music in the late ’60s got his professional start in the Bay Area. These are some of the spots that were crucial to his career.