Description

SUNDAY TIMES MUSIC BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023
MOJO BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023
A ROUGH TRADE BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023
AN UNCUT BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023
A VARIETY MUSIC BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023

One of the few indisputable geniuses of pop music, Sly Stone is a trailblazer who created a new kind of music, mixing Black and white, male and female, funk and rock; penned some of the most iconic anthems of the 1960s and 70s, from “Everyday People” to “Family Affair”; and electrified audiences with a persona and stage presence that set a lasting standard for pop culture performance. Yet he has also been a cautionary tale, known as much for how he dropped out of sight as for what put him in the spotlight in the first place. As much as people know the music, the man remains a mystery.

In Thank You, his much-anticipated memoir, he’s finally ready to share his story – a story that many thought he’d never have the chance to tell. Written with Ben Greenman, who has written memoirs with George Clinton and Brian Wilson among others, Thank You will include a foreword by Questlove. The book was created in collaboration with Sly Stone’s manager Arlene Hirschkowitz.

“For as long as I can remember folks have been asking me to tell my story,” says Stone. “I wasn’t ready. 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.”

Publisher Review

SUNDAY TIMES MUSIC BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023 A ROUGH TRADE BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023 MOJO BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023 AN UNCUT BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023 A memoir by the groundbreaking funk-rock-soul survivor contains all the playfulness and charm of his music… Lovers of the man’s music will enjoy the book for the voice, the studio and touring details, the pop star anecdotes * The Guardian * High times and crashing lows of Sylvester Stewart… exquisite * MOJO * Sly is a funny and likeable narrator… Ben Greenman has done a helluva job bringing the Sly of his best music – the boldness, the mischief – to the page * Record Collector * Damn entertaining! * Buzz * Honest, no holds barred take on an extraordinary life lived on the edge * Shindig! * Funk legend’s memoir excels on music… wonderful * The Irish Times * A cheerful, friendly, genius figure who, through a life of hit records, changing fortunes, legal battles, arrests, addictions and eventual sobriety at 80, has accepted his position with equanimity * The Times * A thrilling read, and a real coup for the always-essential White Rabbit imprint * Clash * In Thank You (Faletinme Be Mice Elf Agin), Sly Stone recounts his career without shame, pity or biting his tongue, giving us the really real of his fruitful but chaotic life * The Wire *