Sad news to report…. The ICONIC Sly Stone has passed away at 82!!

Sly and the Family Stone frontman Sly Stone has died, his family said in a statement Monday. He was 82.

His family said Stone, whose real name was Sylvester Stewart, had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other underlying health issues for years.

“Sly passed away peacefully, surrounded by his three children, his closest friend and his extended family,” the statement read. “While we mourn his absence, we take solace in knowing that his extraordinary musical legacy will continue to resonate and inspire for generations to come.”

It said Stone had recently completed a “screenplay for his life story.”

“Sly was a monumental figure, a groundbreaking innovator, and a true pioneer who redefined the landscape of pop, funk, and rock music. His iconic songs have left an indelible mark on the world, and his influence remains undeniable,” his family said. “We extend our deepest gratitude for the outpouring of love and prayers during this difficult time. We wish peace and harmony to all who were touched by Sly’s life and his iconic music.”

Sly and the Family Stone frontman Sly Stone has died, his family said in a statement Monday. He was 82.

His family said Stone, whose real name was Sylvester Stewart, had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other underlying health issues for years.

“Sly passed away peacefully, surrounded by his three children, his closest friend and his extended family,” the statement read. “While we mourn his absence, we take solace in knowing that his extraordinary musical legacy will continue to resonate and inspire for generations to come.”

It said Stone had recently completed a “screenplay for his life story.”

“Sly was a monumental figure, a groundbreaking innovator, and a true pioneer who redefined the landscape of pop, funk, and rock music. His iconic songs have left an indelible mark on the world, and his influence remains undeniable,” his family said. “We extend our deepest gratitude for the outpouring of love and prayers during this difficult time. We wish peace and harmony to all who were touched by Sly’s life and his iconic music.”

“A musical prodigy, he became known as Sly in early grade school, the result of a friend misspelling ‘Sylvester.’ He was adept at keyboards, guitar, bass, and drums by age eleven, and went on to perform in several high school bands,” according to his website. “One of these groups, the Viscaynes, boasted an integrated lineup, a fact that did not go unnoticed in the late 1950s. The group cut a few singles, and Sly also released a few singles as well during that period, working with his younger brother Freddie.”

Praised as a musical genuis, he also became known for being reclusive.

Before he vanished, Stone was a potent creative force in the late 1960s and early 1970s — a singer, songwriter, bandleader and producer. His group’s other hits include “Hot Fun in the Summertime,” “Thank You [Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin],” and “Family Affair.”

Sly and the Family Stone’s performance at the Harlem Cultural Festival in 1969 was memorialized in the Oscar-winning documentary “Summer of Soul,” directed by musician Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson.

Thompson had also been working on a film about Stone, who in 2023 published a memoir.

In it he laid bare some of his demons including substance abuse and other dark periods of his life that didn’t portray Stone in the best light.

“And as part of rock’s first wave of superstars, Sly indulged in just about every excess until they nearly destroyed him,” Variety’s Jem Aswad wrote in her review of the biography. “While friends like Muhammad Ali, Doris Day and George Clinton make cameos during these years, the accounts of the excesses of his too-high years (included in Joel Selvin’s 1997 Sly-less oral history of the band and multiple articles and documentaries) are filled with accounts of guns, aggressive bodyguards and even more aggressive attack dogs — one of which, named Gun, Sly himself killed after it badly mauled his son. He calls the dog the best friend he ever had.”

Sly and the Family Stone were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.

In the statement from his family released Monday they thanked Stone’s fans “from the bottom of our hearts for your unwavering support.”

“We extend our deepest gratitude for the outpouring of love and prayers during this difficult time,” they wrote. “We wish peace and harmony to all who were touched by Sly’s life and his iconic music.”