What will be, will be- Sly Stone is gone.

 No other musician aside from Miles Davis and Duke Ellington had such a long-term creative impact on me.  Since I was a child, I’ve listened to all their work.  Then later, as a musician myself, I have researched their ideas on a regular basis. 

As I said to a close friend yesterday, “Perhaps he’s now at peace.  Though I love his music very much and always will, he sacrificed too much for it.”  Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s recent documentary, “Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)”,  goes into detail about Sly Stone’s sacrifices and those that other Black American musicians have made to be a creative individual in this country.

There are too many magnificent, original songs to select just one that illustrates Sly Stone’s genius best.  Perhaps it’s his rereading of a piece written by Ray Evans and Jay Livingston, that Doris Day made a hit in 1956, which says the most about his brilliance and the differences in equity found in this country.  Interestingly, Day sung her version of “Que Sera Sera” during the film, “The Man Who Knew Too Much”.

Doris Day’s version:

Sly and the Family Stone’s version:

(Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)