Sly and the Family Stone (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
By Mark D. Zimmerman
MELVILLE, New York — Musician Sylvester “Sly” Stone passed away recently at the age of 82. Stone was a 1960’s pioneer of psychedelic soul and funk music, gaining fame with his band Sly and the Family Stone.
Sly was a musical prodigy, playing keyboard, drums, guitar and bass before he was a teenager. Besides their music, the band was known for featuring men and women, and being racially mixed. Among their hit songs were Dance to the Music, Everyday People, Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin), I Want to Take You Higher, and Family Affair.
In 1969 the band performed at Woodstock as well as The Summer of Soul concerts in Harlem. Questlove, whose documentary film Summer of Soul featured Sly Stone and his band, described him by writing, “He had a way of talking, moving from playful to earnest at will. He had a look, belts and hats and jewelry. Everybody was a star, as he said (and sang), but he was a special case, cooler than everything around him by a factor of infinity.” What is a Jewish connection in Sly Stone’s life?
A. Sly was given a Jewish star by Rabbi Shlomo Carlbach, when they met in Haight-Ashbury in 1967. Sly called this the Everybody is a Jewish Star necklace, and he even wore it at Woodstock.
B. The success of Sly and the Family Stone took off after they signed with CBS Records, under the management of Clive Davis. Davis invited Sly Stone to a Chanukkah celebration at CBS, where Sly sang at the menorah lighting, “I want to take you higher, I want to light the fire.”
C. Greg Errico, the drummer in the band, married a Jewish woman. Sly made an appearance at Greg’s son’s bar mitzvah and led the singing of Adon Olam to the tune of Everybody is a Star.
D. Sly regularly wore a Jewish star around his neck, including at the band’s Woodstock performance. Sly referred to this star as his Star of David Kapralik, in honor of his manager.
E. Sylvester Stone came up with his band’s name after attending a bar mitzvah party of a friend’s son. The entertainment was a father, Chaim Stein, and his two sons, performing under the name Chai and the Family Stein. The band began the party singing a song called “Dance to the Hora.”
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Link to answer: https://rrrjewishtrivia.com/sly-stone-rip-answer.html
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Mark D. Zimmerman is an author and freelance writer based in Melville, New York.