Sly Rock

An internet radio station drawing its name from Sly Stone, the stage name of Sylvester Stewart (March 15, 1943 – June 9, 2025), the American musician, songwriter, and record producer who served as frontman of Sly and the Family Stone. Stone played a foundational role in the development of psychedelic soul and funk during the 1960s and 1970s, pioneering a fusion of soul, rock, psychedelia, and gospel that influenced generations of musicians. AllMusic described him as the artist who perfected funk, while Crawdaddy! credited him as the founder of the progressive soul movement. Born in Denton, Texas, and raised in Vallejo, California, Stone mastered multiple instruments in childhood and performed gospel music with his siblings before entering professional music. He worked as a record producer for Autumn Records and as a disc jockey for San Francisco radio station KDIA in the mid-1960s. In 1966, he co-founded Sly and the Family Stone alongside his brother Freddie, forming one of popular music's first racially integrated, mixed-gender acts. The group produced a series of celebrated recordings including "Everyday People," "Family Affair," and "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)," as well as acclaimed albums such as Stand! (1969) and There's a Riot Goin' On (1971). Stone was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the group in 1993. The station's name honors this legacy within the history of rock and funk.