RIP Sly Stone. He brought us some awesome music.

Many years ago, Sly lived in and performed in Chicago at local clubs. A friend of mine, a very talented female rock singer in the mold of Janis Joplin, had sometimes sang with the band an dated Sly’s drummer.

Unfortunately, Sly had long battled addiction, and it had, at various times, led him to bad business deals, and a reputation for being unreliable that destroyed his success. But man, when he was on, he was incredible — full of passion and able to create music that moved people. Thanks for all of the music, the message of inclusivity (his band was notable for being multi-gender and multi-racial, which at the time was rare for a popular band), and so many great tunes and grooves.