Soul Music Legend Sly Stone: Homeless and Living In a Van

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Sly Stone
Homeless and Living In a Van

http://www.tmz.com/2011/09/25/sly-stone-homeless-van-sylvester-stewart/




Sly Stone -- once one of the biggest names in soul music -- now lives in a white van he routinely parks in the rough Crenshaw neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Stone, according to the NY Post, befriended a local family and showers at their house. Their son serves as his assistant and driver.

Stone, whose mega-hits include "Everyday People," says, "I like my small camper. I just do not want to return to a fixed home. I cannot stand being in one place. I must keep moving."

***

Stone also foolishly sold his music publishing rights to Michael Jackson for just $1 million in 1984.

[greyl]

1. No, he's houseless. He's happy with his choice of home. nt

[MADem]

6. He might not be all that happy--he probably could use some medication.

...He says the FBI is after him and his enemies have hired hit men....

[DrunkenBoat]

58. His problem is too much medication. Reportedly.

After moving to the Los Angeles area in fall 1969, Sly Stone and his fellow band members became heavy users of illegal drugs, primarily cocaine and PCP.<30> As the members became increasingly focused on drug use and partying (Sly Stone carried a violin case filled with illegal drugs wherever he went),<31> recording slowed significantly....

In 1970, Sly Stone spent most of his waking hours on drugs...

Sly hired his streetwise cohorts, Hamp "Bubba" Banks and J.B. Brown, as his personal managers; they in turn brought in gangsters such as Edward "Eddie Chin" Elliott and Mafioso J.R. Valtrano to be Sly's bodyguards. Sly enlisted these individuals to handle his business dealings, to retrieve drugs, and to protect him from those he considered his enemies, some of whom were his own bandmates and staff...

espite the loss of the original rhythm section and Sly's escalating cocaine use, the band's next album, Fresh, was released in 1973...

During the 1970s, Sly or one of the band members would often miss the gig, refuse to play, or pass out from drug use. This had an adverse effect on their ability to demand money for live bookings; live bookings also declined as a result.<48> At many gigs, concert-goers rioted if the band failed to appear or if Sly walked out before finishing his set...

Overcome by drug addictions, Sly Stone disappeared from the limelight and entered drug rehabilitation in 1984, at the insistence of his old friend Bobby Womack.<58> Sly continued sporadically releasing new singles and collaborations until a 1987 arrest and conviction for cocaine possession and use. Afterwards, he stopped releasing music...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sly_and_the_Family_Stone

[MADem]

68. Well, I'm talking about the sorts of medications that level out brain chemistry,

not "enhance" it to take it to other-worldly locales. You know, the stuff that doesn't make one high, that grounds one to reality.

Unfortunately, from the people I have known over the years who are noncompliant with their medicine regimes, apparently the pharmacological community hasn't quite tweaked the stuff to the point that it doesn't have undesireable side effects that make the prescribees want to go off their meds so that they can experience the rush of an unmedicated brain.

It's a conundrum, I guess. I think the poor guy needs some help, though. That whole paranoia thing can't be good.

[DrunkenBoat]

69. I'd say that once you've used cocaine, pcp etc. near-daily for 30 years, nothing levels you out.

it's a chemical toxicity problem, not a psych problem.

like lead poisoning.

[rucky]

2. I'm speechless.

This is Sly Fucking Stone we're talking about. At first read, I was pissed and felt sorry for him, but he seems to be happy. His music always shows a fresh perspective on things - out of the mainstream. Maybe he's living how he wants to live?

:shrug:

[Liberal_in_LA]

46. me too. I still listen to his music. I know the area he's staying in.

[Ezlivin]

3. Hot Fun in the Summertime

Thanks for the great song, Sly and best wishes!

[whathehell]

34. Oh, Yes!...Hot Fun is a hot song...One of the best.. n/t

[Pool Hall Ace]

4. Why do artists sell their music publishing rights?

[MADem]

5. They've usually overspent, need a quick infusion of cash...sometimes

it's taxes, sometimes it's just wild living, other times, it's drugs. Other times, they just can't support their lifestyle, and don't want to acknowledge a need to downsize.

[MilesColtrane]

27. It was (still is?) common practice for a label to make the acquisition of an artist's...

publishing rights a requirement for any kind of recording deal.

[GReedDiamond]

65. I knew Dewey Martin of Buffalo Springfield, in the late 70s...

...when he was "out of music" and (supposedly) working as an auto mechanic in the L.A. area, but, for about a year, he was the drummer in the first band I was ever in.

Besides selling the Oak Lawn badge Camco drums to me with which he had recorded with Buffalo Springfield (I still have and use them), he had some tunes in the Springfield catalog, from which, if he had held onto them, he would have made some significant royalties down the line, except that he sold the publishing rights to Neil Young.

At that point in time - 1978, while Buffalo Springfield was a notable band, they had not yet been elevated to the status of legendary/historically significant/musically influential future Rock n Roll Hall of Fame band (esp. since there was no RnR Hall back then).

The reason Dewey sold his publishing points to Neil: the simple, most obvious answer is sometimes all it is - he needed the cash.

Dewey more or less got fucked by the music biz, but a big part of it was attributable to his own decisions and actions.

I remember one time when our band had a gig, Dewey was the drummer, but he had pawned his cymbals, so one of the guitar players in the band and myself paid to get them out of pawn, on the condition that we would hold onto them after the gig until he paid us back. Needless to say, that never happened.

And then there was the time where Dewey threatened to kill me...it was not a threat which I took seriously, and was subsequently forgotten and never mentioned again.

Besides being a memorable character, and being the drummer for Buffalo Springfield, Dewey played with The Dillards, Roy Orbison, and Patsy Cline.

He passed on in 2009.

[Pool Hall Ace]

79. I just read Dewey's Wikipedia page. Very sad. :(

[GReedDiamond]

80. I just read it myself, for the first time...

...I did not know he did session work for the Monkees, that he got a patent on a new type of drum rim, or that he was on an internet radio show.

But yeah, looking back, Dewey may be counted amongst the casualties of the music business, seems to me, because he always seemed to fall short of what could have been, and he was always hustling just to get by.

Here's a flyer from our band for a 1978 club show in Hollywood:

That's me on the far left, Dewey is third from the right.

[Pool Hall Ace]

83. Oh wow. Were you on the Gong Show appearance?

[GReedDiamond]

84. If you're referring to the Gong Show appearance...

...of Atascadero, I was there, but I was not on the song performed, "It's Big." At that point, I was a background vocalist on some tunes, but not that one.

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L28PryAGXII&feature=player_embedded - "Peter on the Gong Show" - Pete was one of the guitar players, the video was posted to YouTube by his brother, hence the title.)

After Dewey left, he was replaced by a drummer named Rick.

Rick left not too long after that (he fled Hollywood for his home back in Ohio), at which point I became the drummer (using Dewey's Camcos, which he had sold to me), until Sean (the bass player) and I left Atascadero to start Benedict Arnold & The Traitors.

Sean was replaced by a bass player named Jim Fielder, who had been the original bassist with Blood, Sweat & Tears, and he had also played with Buffalo Springfield and Zappa's Mothers. I came back to record drums on a couple of Atascadero demos with Jimmie, but was focusing on the Traitors by then.

Atascadero burned itself out by about 1982, for all of the usual reasons.

Several years ago, I was given all of Atascadero's master recordings, and I put together a CD which was released in 2003.

[cutlassmama]

7. he's probably putting on a happy face for his audience. Doubtful he is really

enjoying his living choice.

[hfojvt]

8. hard for me to feel sorry for somebody who blew through $1 million

especially $1 million in 1984 dollars.

And how many homeless people have a "driver" and "an assistant"?


But, like my old motivational speaker used to say, it just goes to show you, if you don't stay motivated, you might find yourself, living in a van, down by the river.

[whistler162]

9. The assumption is that he is penniless since he doesn't

live in a apartment/house. Probably does a few gigs and has enough money to pay a assistant.

[Leopolds Ghost]

14. No. His "assistant and driver" is the son of a local family who lets him shower at their house.

They're probably big fans of his music and want to help him. Or are just being good Christian folks.

[H2O Man]

18. Thank you.

It's sad to see some DUers sinking so low as to think that this family's attempts at kindness, including giving this man some sense of dignity by calling the son his assistant, is some measure of wealth they should resent.

[lunatica]

31. You think 1 millions dollars can last for 20+ years?

LOL!

Do you make all your value judgements based on money?

[hfojvt]

37. I know it can

I hold it my hands my Social Security earnings report, showing my wage income from 1986 to 2008. The total is $251,989.

Now take $1,000,000 and assume after taxes that is $600,000. Then get 3% interest on that $600,000 that would be $18,000 a year. For 22 years, that is $396,000 without doing a stitch of work, or even touching the principle.

Now you seem to be making some sort of value judgement on me, based on what? My own crass materialism? Because apparently poverty has nothing to do with money.

[Raine]

50. Plus interest rates were really high in the 1980's

sometimes as high as 10%.

[Major Nikon]

41. $1 million will buy you a $4,000 per month tax free annuity for the rest of your life

That's considerably more than the average person makes.

[trackfan]

43. Even if you just stuffed it in your mattress, that's $50,000 a year,

which is more than most Americans have ever made in any single year over the last 20 years.

[Codeine]

49. If I had a million in a lump sum

I could very easily live in comfort for the rest of my life. Not to mention concert and merch income.

[pitohui]

66. yes, you could and i could...but there's a mental illness problem here

it is clear even from this short interview that he has a mental illness, this is very sad

it is VERY hard to make good decisions when a serious disease is eating your brain, i would not like to try to handle one million dollars when 1) i was famous and everyone around me was trying to get at my money AND 2) i had a mental illness/addiction that made it impossible for me to think clearly

terrible to see this happen to such a talent, i'm watching the same thing happen to someone much closer to me right now

yes, if i'd only had the money, it would be wisely spent and provide for a lifetime's security...but i don't have the kind of brain that sees thru the cracks to create something unique and earns the million dollars to begin with, so there's that

[kentuck]

10. I saw Sly in concert once...

and it was great! Young folks joined him on stage and he sang "We Are Family"...

Unfortunately, he was about 45 minutes late attempting to get on stage before the show began...

[H2O Man]

11. Sad.

He was an intense talent. For younger folk unfamiliar with him, watch the Woodstock movie.

[Warpy]

12. He should have shown up for more of his gigs, I guess

He got quite a reputation in the 70s for flaking out at the last minute, leaving everybody else hanging.

[Leopolds Ghost]

16. Sly had a huge nervous breakdown from psychedelic drugs, didn't he?

[Warpy]

19. He was so erratic I don't think anybody really ever knew what the problem was

When he showed up, he put on a great show.

I've often wondered whether it was drugs or mental illness or a combination of the two.

[H2O Man]

20. That thin line

between artistic genius and madness ..... I never had the opportunity to watch Sly live, in person. But I saw him on film/tv many times. At his very best, he seemed to be riding that line.

Even on the Woodstock film, as wonderful of a set as they played, there are moments when Sly is struggling to perform. There is more to it than just the tensions of playing in front of that huge crowd, which had become a single organism. He has an internal struggle going on.

Whatever substances he used, and/or drugs he abused, took him off that thin line. The ride to the top created the fall to the bottom. A beautiful man who sang a message of love between the members of the human family .....

[hunter]

26. Drug abuse is a symptom of mental illness.

These are not separate things.

Drugs or not, Sly Stone is not entirely functional in our society. This is as much a problem with our society as it is a problem of Sly Stone's.

U.S.A. society is quick to label these sorts of mental health issues as a moral failure of the individual, which serves to distract us from our utter failure as a humane society.

[amyrose2712]

56. Thank you, mental illness is sadly still stigmatized.

[DrunkenBoat]

59. No, drug abuse is not necessarily a symptom of mental illness. That's just silly.

[hunter]

60. Drug abuse, not drug use...

... two different things.

It's not a mental illness if you have a few beers, smoke a few joints, once snorted coke off a hooker's belly in Las Vegas, tried mushrooms, LSD, etc. That's drug use.

Driving a car drunk or stoned, injecting drugs of unknown origin or potency using dirty needles, Rush Limbaugh doctor shopping, taking random pills, stealing or having sex with strangers to support your habit, etc... that's abuse.

Drug abuse is 100% a mental health issue.

[DrunkenBoat]

61. Drug use, drug abuse: neither necessarily a symptom of mental illness.

Drugs can make you *appear* to be mentally ill.

Doesn't mean that abuse of drugs is a symptom of mental illness.

To claim so in an unqualified way makes the term meaningless.

[hunter]

63. So you consider drug use a moral failing?

Or maybe you think drug abuse is caused by drugs?

[DrunkenBoat]

64. I consider drug use ubiquitous to all cultures & times & see no need to frame it in

the way you seem to.

[MilesColtrane]

28. He's done huge amounts of blow.

Pretty sure he was/is smoking it.

Also rumored to have done a lot of PCP in his time.

Makes me sad.

[Zorra]

33. I could not find that information anywhere, and am interested. If

you know of a source for this information, could you please post it?

Thanks.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

13. This sounds like a choice...and he clearly still has some money

Assistant etc...

[Leopolds Ghost]

17. Read the article again

The assistant is the son of the family who lets him sleep over at their place.

[EFerrari]

36. No, that's the kind of thing reporters write to give the subject

a little dignity. Nearly identical stories were written about my ex.

[begin_within]

15. I'm sad to hear that.

[Leopolds Ghost]

21. I think this is an appropriate time to listen to the following: ;_;

:cry:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Twh45yX2Kj8#t=4m50s

[Joe Fields]

22. What a tremendous talent, and a great music innovater...

Sly was a big fixture in my young adult life. It's hard to believe he is living the life he wants to live. To me it's so sad...

[H2O Man]

23. Right.

The guy had not only an important message, but a wonderful delivery.

[Warren Stupidity]

29. I smile just thinking of the tunes and the times

one of the best, I can only wish him well.

[leftyladyfrommo]

24. When I saw him he was so stoned he couldn't perform.

I was so disappointed. He came out hours late and then wasn't in any shape to perform.

But I still wish him well. He was really big time then.

[xchrom]

25. very sad. nt

[BuelahWitch]

30. I remember that Mike Douglas (NOT Kirk's son) had him on as a co-host a time or two

I was a pre-teen, but I loved his music. My Grandma even liked Sly Stone! :cry:

[cpwm17]

78. Here's Sly and the Family Stone performing on The Mike Douglas Show in 1974

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZkeMGrXo4w&feature=related

The Mike Douglas Show was an afternoon talk show. Sly dances with the audience at the end.

[BuelahWitch]

82. Thanks!

:hi:

[MilesColtrane]

32. In better days...

http://www.wat.tv/video/sly-the-family-stone-the-same-24ypn_2iprl_.html

[Catherine Vincent]

73. I love all their songs...that group was awesome!

I know this isn't Woodstock but I like this version of "Hot Fun in the Summertime" and "I Wamma Take You Higher".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWdVClbOYwI&feature=like-suggest&list=UL

[Gregorian]

35. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Sly.

A friend who runs a recording studio in SF just can't see the genius in him. All he sees is his addictions. He did work with Sly and just thinks he's dumb.

The man is an icon. No less. He had a big impact on my life. I even remember getting kicked out of a rental one hour after I rented it because I played his music. It actually made me happy.

You can make it if you try.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X7h9jLCqFc

[WinkyDink]

38. Two of the all-time BEST Rock-Pop songs:

"DANCE TO THE MUSIC":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7qCVBj4YRg&feature=related

WOODSTOCK "I WANT TO TAKE YOU HIGHER":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Twh45yX2Kj8

[Gregorian]

39. If this doesn't put a smile on one's face, they're already dead

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X7h9jLCqFc

[WinkyDink]

40. I miss beats like these in today's Pop music. I miss real instruments like the trumpet, too!

[Gregorian]

44. It's a different world now. I was a professional trumpet player once.

I even played in a Tower of Power cover band. Haha.

I've learned to roll with the new music. That's been my goal over the last 30 years. To stay current.

There are no Coltranes now. It has all shifted into a different realm. Music builds upon itself. Especially hip hop. It has gone from talent of the medium to talent of the message.

It IS getting crazy.


edit- I should be careful when I claim there are no Coltranes. That may very well not be true. But not in mainstream music. I don't know. It's a big complex world. There's a Coltrane out there somewhere.

[sarcasmo]

51. Right on, most current music is stolen from some previous band.

The good thing about Nirvana is they admitted stealing from the Pixies, one of the many examples.

[WinkyDink]

77. You have no idea of my envy of you!! I played trombone (my father learned from Old Man Dorsey, as he

called him (father of T&J), so it was my legacy*, heh), but I WANTED to play the trumpet! "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White" will forever be my favorite trumpet song, and I say that as a fan(atic) for the 1960's TJB.

*P.S. I used to tell the other kids I was carrying a machine-gun.
*P.P.S. I'm a dame. :-)

But I agree; it's good to stay au courant in the arts! I love Gaga!

[Gregorian]

81. I'd have possibly spent my life as a trumpet player

You may never have heard of him, but Doc Patnoe was the guy who ran Stan Kenton's Jazz Clinics. He was my teacher. One Monday I showed up for a lesson, and he had died over the weekend. One of the guys I used to play with ended up lead trumpet with Maynard Ferguson.

There aren't enough trombones in the world. What a beautiful instrument.

I'll be honest. I'm no Gaga fan. The only music I really like is non-commercial stuff. She's great. But not eclectic. For every Gaga there are hundreds of killer groups that almost no one ever hears. Also, to be honest, I'm getting tired of music these days. It seems that either I've gotten old. Or bored. Or something. The 90's were the pinnacle of it all. It was on fire. Like a blank slate. The culmination of 60's rock, 70's punk, 80's electronic, all gone crazy.

I ended up an engineer. And I'm really quite sorry about not being among the kinds of people I loved. Oh well. Life is a series of choices and chances. You know, it's funny how all of the money in the world can't compare to the comfort creativity can bring. That's what I think Sly Stone has.

[Greybnk48]

57. OMG, I used to listen to both of those over and over and

dance (practice, LOL) until I was ready to drop. I heard a long time ago he had a serious drug problem as many are saying. It always made me sad. Sly and the Family Stone were the benchmark of rock/pop in 69/70/ 71 and a while longer (until they began missing too many gigs). But those two songs bring back sooo many memories! :hi:

[HipChick]

42. Coke must be a hellva drug..

to throw your life away over it..

[RebelOne]

75. Believe me, it is. I did it for a while and stopped

when I realized what it was doing to me.

[Liberal_in_LA]

45. NO WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:-(

[MilesColtrane]

47. The comments TMZ allows to be posted, remind me of just one reason why I hate that site.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

48. I never read the comments...you're right, they are almost always vile.

The stuff that showed up there during the Rihanna - Chris Brown mess were the worst I've seen yet.

This story was pretty straightforward...no snarky comments on their end...and I know there are a lot of Sly fans on DU, so I posted it.

[MilesColtrane]

62. I do appreciate it, even though it's not good news.

:hi:

[htuttle]

52. Someone ought to buy him a nice tour bus to live in

Sure he's gone nuts. But if he had a nice tour bus to live in, he might pass for merely eccentric again.

[amyrose2712]

53. TMZ comments? Some of the comments here are a bit bothersome too. nt

[devilgrrl]

54. Did anyone stop and consider than he may suffer from mental illness?

I have to say, some of the replies to this OP are heartless beyond comprehension.

:crazy:

[pitohui]

67. sounds like a schizo affective disorder to me

very very sad

[SidDithers]

55. Hey Music Lover...

Sly and the Family were the best performance at Woodstock, bar none.

There was a documentary being made about him a couple of years ago. Wonder if it was ever finished.

Edit: http://www.slystonedocumentary.com/

Sid

[Laughing Mirror]

70. Attn: Lady Gaga

“But, with new energy, it will feel good to step on stage,” he says. “I see all the guys playing those old songs. Let these guys know, like Lady Gaga, let me come in, just let me come in and pay me if you like it.”

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/the_rise_and_fall_of_sly_stone_qijyKoYzmAqer1PA0YogSJ/2

Lady Gaga and Sly, the original Gaga - now that would be a coup.

[mistertrickster]

71. This is sad, but still, if I had a million dollars in 1984, I doubt that I'd be homeless now.

I'm not saying that he deserves to be homeless, no one deserves that, but on the other hand, he made choices that led to where he is now.

One can't say, "there but for the Grace of God go I," unless you too had the opportunity to blow through a million bucks . . .

[Catherine Vincent]

72. This is a lot of bunk

Just so you guys know, Sly Stone recently released an album with the family featuring guests musicians. He is not homeless because he still has his mansion in northern California. He wants to travel in that camper van by choice because he doesn't like being in the same place for a long period of time. Are you telling me he released his album a month ago and he's already broke? Please. This is exposure for his album to sale more, imo.

http://www.amazon.com/Back-Family-Friends-Sly-Stone/dp/B0057JWWFU/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1313442838&sr=1-1

[joeybee12]

74. Whne was the tribute to him at the Grammys...not that long ago, I think...

He seemed to have issues then.

[Liberal_in_LA]

76. Update.. comments to article on another site say he's been offered help but refuses.

Seems like mental issues are involved, not just poverty