There really is a riot going on right now, so what a poignant moment it seems to be to lose a hero I never met, yet a man I often imagined as my soul brother. I worked with many of his alumni (including the man who helped invent him, fellow San Fran disk jockey Tom Donahue), and to say they and he inspired me would be a useless understatement.
Sly’s talent was unique and that voice was not of this world – a baritone howl of oak, leather and sandpaper evoking fun, laughter, despair, and pain in equal measure.
Every one of he and the family’s records was masterful, with the subtle arrangements in those songs coming through the speakers like audio art.
He delivered these gems with such wildly original invention and with a voice that often equaled the range of Hendrix’s guitar.
His talent was not of this world, and that he survived down here as long as he has is nothing short of a miracle, considering his drug intake. Maybe he was meant to join the 27 club, yet he lived a long, though somewhat troubled life.
What has he left us with?
Some of the most heart wrenchingly soulful music any human ever created.
From the sheer joy and pure sexual release of ‘Dance to the Music’, ‘Everyday People’, ‘Thank You Falettin Me Ne Mice Elf (Again)’, and ‘I Wanna Take You Higher’, all the way to the funky sweet tenderness of ‘If You Want Me To Stay’, ‘Everybody Is a Star’, ‘Family Affair’ and the gorgeous ‘Que Sera Sera’, he leaves us enriched by his unique talent.
Thanks Sly, we really wanted you to stay, but our loss is heaven’s gain. We will play you forever down here while thanking you for letting us be ourselves again…
Rest in peace maestro!’
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