Funk icon Sly Stone is revealing more about his life and career with with iconic Sly and the Family Stone, in his forthcoming memoir Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin), out Oct. 17.
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Opening with a foreword by Questlove, who is releasing Thank You through his new publishing imprint in the U.S., AUWA Books, along with White Rabbit in the U.K., the book was written with Ben Greenman, who previously wrote memoirs with Brian Wilson and George Clinton, and KISS‘ Gene Simmons.
“For as long as I can remember, folks have been asking me to tell my story, I wasn’t ready,” said Stone in a statement. “I had to be in a new frame of mind to become Sylvester Stewart again to tell the true story of Sly Stone. It’s been a wild ride and hopefully, my fans enjoy it too.”
By the late 1960s, Sly and the Family Stone had a number of hits, including “Everyday People” and “Dance to the Music.” The group’s 1969 A-side single release, “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin),” and inspiration behind the title of Stone’s book, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent five weeks at the top of the Soul Singles chart.
“I fell in love with Sly Stone as a teenager and have been obsessed with his music and the mysterious story of his life ever since,” said White Rabbit publisher Lee Brackstone in a statement. “To be publishing his memoir at White Rabbit Books is the ultimate honor. It simply doesn’t get any bigger or more exciting than this: a bona fide genius, a funk visionary who re-set the dial in the late ’60s and in so doing anticipated the hip-hop revolution to come. This book delivers and then goes again.”
The memoir may come as a surprise since Stone, who turned 80 on March 15, rarely does interviews and has mostly retreated from the public after his well-known substance abuse and his proclivity to show up late to shows—including Sly and the Family Stone’s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.
“As usual, it’s just us,” said Rose Stone, before Sly walked on and gave a 15-second speech, ending with “see you soon.”
In 2006, Stone performed with Aerosmith at the Grammy Awards and later appeared with Sly and the Family Stone at Coachella in 2010.
Questlove also recently revealed that he is working on a documentary on Stone after the group was featured in his 2021 film Summer of Soul, which won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
“Sly was a genius from the Bay Area that totally transformed music, and we’re going to get deep into the mind state of people, when they get success, why does the temptation to ruin it come into play,” said Questlove of the upcoming film. “It’s going to resonate with all of us.”
Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
