Sly's Strange Comeback
Rolling Stone
February 24, 2006
Inside the soul-funk recluse's Grammy surprise
Sly showed up, and on time. That was the big news from the forty-eighth annual Grammy Awards broadcast on February 8th in Los Angeles....
...As five of the six original Family Stone members played behind him, Stone jabbed at his keyboard and appeared to sing, though his vocals were almost inaudible. He then flashed a peace sign and walked off the stage midsong. After the show, a rumor went around that Stone was suffering from severe stage fright and had been seen vomiting. Steven Tyler says that's false: "I was the first one to say, 'I'm going to look in his eyes.' I take great pride in knowing that if I just met you, I could tell if you were on blow, pot or you just yelled at your old lady. Sly looked great. He was sharp, astute." Saxophone player Jerry Martini reports, "Sly still had that sparkle in his eye...."
...Though most members of the original Family Stone are eager to regroup and tour, serious questions remain about whether Stone is physically able to do so. Joe Perry remains guardedly optimistic. "Just the fact that Sly showed up that night, as busted up as he was, showed me he really wanted it to happen," he says. "I hope he got a taste of what it's like having the band behind him. Maybe that's the only thing that will get him going."
February 24, 2006
Inside the soul-funk recluse's Grammy surprise
Sly showed up, and on time. That was the big news from the forty-eighth annual Grammy Awards broadcast on February 8th in Los Angeles....
...As five of the six original Family Stone members played behind him, Stone jabbed at his keyboard and appeared to sing, though his vocals were almost inaudible. He then flashed a peace sign and walked off the stage midsong. After the show, a rumor went around that Stone was suffering from severe stage fright and had been seen vomiting. Steven Tyler says that's false: "I was the first one to say, 'I'm going to look in his eyes.' I take great pride in knowing that if I just met you, I could tell if you were on blow, pot or you just yelled at your old lady. Sly looked great. He was sharp, astute." Saxophone player Jerry Martini reports, "Sly still had that sparkle in his eye...."
...Though most members of the original Family Stone are eager to regroup and tour, serious questions remain about whether Stone is physically able to do so. Joe Perry remains guardedly optimistic. "Just the fact that Sly showed up that night, as busted up as he was, showed me he really wanted it to happen," he says. "I hope he got a taste of what it's like having the band behind him. Maybe that's the only thing that will get him going."
| Permalink | E-mail this post 
