The Genius of Sylvester Stewart

DUKES FANS: “Before there was Prince, there was Sly. Before there was Parliament-Funkadelic, there was Sly.” Questlove of the Roots I was planning to write today about the origins of Father’s Day as many of us will observe and celebrate it this Sunday. But yesterday a friend sent me an e-mail letting me know that a musical hero of mine had died. Sylvester Stewart, better known as Sly Stone, died at age 82 yesterday. Leader and founder of Sly and The Family Stone, he and that band have long been one of my favorite musical ensembles. With their strong, exuberant singing, unique blend of voices and powerful bass and horn lines, they were a joyous combination of gospel, soul, what would be called funk, and psychedelia. They set the groundwork for much of popular music in the 80’s and 90’s. I loved them. Dance to The Music was the first song of theirs that I heard, and I was immediately hooked. I loved the gospel-tinged group harmonies and shouting, the bright horns, the bass lines, the “take no prisoners” drum beats, and the strong alternating lead voices.’ It was bright and bold, and their follow up songs, “Stand, "Hot Fun in the Summertime" and " Thank you (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again) all had that same intoxicating combination. And they were all high-energy and joyous. You just had to move, sing along, and dance when you heard Sly’s music. And there was the band itself: garishly dressed and seemingly on a mission to lighten everyone’s load. They were one of the very few integrated bands at that time, and they had females as full members of the band, not just back-up singers. That was unusual also. Of course, they had their demons. Success came fast and sudden, and drugs and alcohol became an issue for several of them, including Sly. There were also personality problems that developed and financial troubles. By the mid-70’s the group had essentially broken up. There were occasional performances and TV things with Sly, and on occasion the band would get together for a one time thing. But it was never to be a touring or full time performing band”again. Sly and the Family Stone was essentially done by 1975. They slipped out of view,heard occasionally on oldies stations. But there has been a lot more interest in Sly recently. Sly wrote a memoir, and it won an award. He also did some appearances with several pop and funk performers such as George Clinton and Bootsy Collins. There have also been a couple of films released recently featuring Sly. Questlove produced and released the film, Summer of Soul, about the amazing 1969 concert in Harlem that featured all types of Black music and was a grand celebration of both the people and the place. Sly and The Family Stone have a set that is super-hot and catches them at their best. Questlove also released a documentary on Sly’s life called Sly Lives, (aka the Burden of Black Genius), which is available on Hulu and Disney streaming channels. I haven’t seen it yet, but I definitely will. He also has been inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and much of his work is getting serious analysis. His amazing contributions to soul, rock, and pop are finally being recognized. Sly’s music was ahead of its time. It combined facets from various musical styles, and he somehow made it all work. It was all celebratory and joyous. Thank you, Sylvester Stewart. Your work has enriched my life and given me many smiles and joyous moments. Thank you. (The films Summer of Soul and Sly Lives are both available for streaming on Hulu) Sly’s website is https://www.slystonemusic.com/ There is also an excellent Wikipedia article on him: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sly_Stone

Hot Fun in the Summertime

DUKES FANS: We are at the halfway point in the year now. Somehow, 2025 has been moving along and we are just about through two seasons and on our way to the start of a third. We have had a lot of rain recently, but the sun’s brightness and the increased temperatures have been present for a longer period of time now; sunsets are now happening after 8PM, and evenings are lovely. June is here. June has always been a special month for me. As a kid it meant the end of the school year and the start of summer vacation. This meant free time, some new adventures and surprises, great summer foods, and some travel. As a young kid it meant regular trips to Coatesville, PA to stay with some of my father’s family. We would stay for a few weeks and often go to sleep to the sound of the trains coming into or going away from Lukens Steel Mill. We would stay at Aunt Janey’s and run through the woods at the back of the property. I also enjoyed sitting on the porch with some of the neighbors and my uncles and cousins. It felt as if I was being let in on some of the adult world, and I loved it. And I also loved the magic of being in a different place. As I grew older June still meant the start of seeing some new things, and travel was still a big part of that. I worked for one summer as a custodial aide through the Neighborhood Youth Corps program, and I served as a roadie with The Central High School Orchestra. I got to hear and to appreciate classical music, and I also got to go to several places outside my normal neighborhood. That led me to become curious about nearby suburbs, and I would travel to places such as Narberth, Paoli, and Ardmore, just walking around, hanging out, spending time in libraries, trying restaurants, and occasionally hearing some music. In my latte teens and twenties downtown Philadelphia became an important destination for me. Center City Philly had become a hotbed of political, social, and cultural activity in the late 60’s and 70’s, and I began to spend a lot of time downtown experiencing it and drinking it all in. I was jamming with folks in Rittenhouse Square, going to hear music at The Second Fret, The Magic Theater, Artemis, The Trauma, JC Dobbs, and Bacchanal, and attending be-ins in Fairmount Park. I was also going out to the suburbs to such music venues as The Main Point and the Philadelphia Folk Festival. Going to museums and theaters in Bucks and Chester County also became things that a bunch of friends and I would do. My world was expanding. It was also a time of protests marches and music festivals. I spent time at civil rights and anti-Vietnam War demonstrations and protests in Philly, but also in Washington, DC and New York City. And music still mattered. In 1969 a friend and I hitchhiked from Philadelphia out to Michigan for the 2nd Annual Ann Arbor Blues Festival, where I got to see and to hang out with some of my all-time musical heroes. It was totally in me now: summer travel, adventure and music. I was lucky to have been married for 37 years to a partner who loved traveling, birding, camping, “musicing” and “museuming” as much as I did. We camped in several places in New York State, West Virginia, upstate PA, and more and took non-camping trips to Ohio, Arizona, New Mexico, Connecticut, New York City, the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Baltimore and more. We ended most of our summer travels in Kingston, Ontario camping at Ivy Lea Provincial Park and enjoying the Limestone City Blues Festival. We had some incredible summer adventures. Summer means travel and explore. Yes, I am a bit older now, but I know I will do some more of that this summer. Wishing you all a summer of discovery, new adventures, and the building of great memories. Happy June!