Who Was Sly Stone? All About Sly and the Family Stone Star, His Family And More as Singer Dies at 82

Funk innovator Sly Stone has passed away at 82, surrounded by loved ones. Here’s everything you need to know about his surviving family, music career, and more.

By Sneha Sam

Published on Jun 10, 2025 | 05:19 PM IST | 133K

Sly Stone (via Getty)

Sylvester Stewart—more commonly known as Sly Stone—died at the age of 82 on Monday, June 9, 2025. The American musician and songwriter is stated to have passed after a prolonged struggle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other underlying health issues.

According to the statement released by his family, he slipped away peacefully, with his three children, a close friend and extended relatives by his side.

Sly Stone’s family and relationships

Stone’s only legal marriage was to model and actress Kathy Silva. His wedding to Silva is infamous for having been held in a highly publicized on-stage ceremony at Madison Square Garden, before approximately 21,000 fans on June 5, 1974.

Their union ended in divorce two years later in 1976, but remained a defining moment in his personal history. From that marriage came his son, Sylvester Stewart Jr., born in 1973. Beyond his marriage, Stone fathered two daughters: Sylvetta Stewart, his child with trumpeter Cynthia Robinson, and Novena Carmel, whose mother is Deborah King, daughter of blues legend B.B. King.

Sly And The Family Stone (via Getty)

Sly Stone’s career and final projects

As the creative force behind Sly and the Family Stone, Sly Stone transformed the music of his time by blending genres as well as promoting racial and gender integration within his band. Hits such as “Everyday People,” “Stand!” and “Family Affair” shaped the funk and rock genres of the late 1960s and early ’70s.

Despite his impressive rise and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, Stone struggled with drug abuse and personal struggles, leading to a decline in his career by the early 1980s. Despite years of public turmoil, Stone’s influence has endured across multiple music genres.

In recent years, Stone completed a screenplay chronicling his own life story shortly before his death—a project his family plans to present to the public “in due course.” As per Celebrity Net Worth, his estate was estimated at approximately $500,000 as of 2024.

As his family affirmed, the rhythms and messages he created will continue “to resonate and inspire for generations to come.”

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