The week in music history brought to you by MusicGoldmine.com.
Just a couple of highlights from this week in music history!
JUN 9: Sadly, today Sly Stone passed away at age 82. Sly Stone, born Sylvester Stewart on March 15, 1943, was a pioneering American musician, songwriter, and producer best known as the frontman of Sly and the Family Stone. Blending funk, soul, rock, and psychedelia, Stone helped revolutionize popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s. His band was groundbreaking not only for its genre-defying sound but also for its diverse, integrated lineup, which promoted messages of unity and social consciousness.
The group’s 1969 album Stand! and its 1971 follow-up There’s a Riot Goin’ On are considered landmark recordings. Songs like “Everyday People,” “Dance to the Music,” and “Family Affair” showcased infectious grooves alongside lyrics about equality, peace, and struggle. Stone’s innovative production techniques, including the use of drum machines and layered instrumentation, had a lasting influence on funk, hip-hop, and modern R&B.
Despite his musical genius, Stone’s career was hampered by drug addiction and erratic behavior, leading to a retreat from the spotlight in the late 1970s. Nevertheless, his legacy remains immense. In 1993, Sly and the Family Stone were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Sly Stone is widely regarded as a visionary artist whose work reshaped the landscape of American music.
Photo: Chris Hakkens [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en] cropped
JUN 15: Happy birthday Russell Hitchcock! Best known as the lead vocalist of the Australian soft rock duo Air Supply, Hitchcock was born on June 15, 1949, in Melbourne, Australia. Hitchcock began his music career in the early 1970s. He met guitarist and songwriter Graham Russell during a production of Jesus Christ Superstar in 1975, and together they formed Air Supply. The duo quickly rose to international fame in the late 1970s and early 1980s with a string of romantic ballads and soft rock hits.
Hitchcock’s soaring tenor voice became the band’s signature, featured prominently on chart-topping songs like “All Out of Love,” “Lost in Love,” “Making Love Out of Nothing at All,” and “Even the Nights Are Better.” His emotive delivery and vocal range helped define the group’s sound and earned them legions of devoted fans worldwide.
Beyond his work with Air Supply, Hitchcock has released solo material, including his self-titled debut album in 1988. Despite lineup changes and shifts in the music industry, Hitchcock and Russell have continued to tour and record, maintaining Air Supply’s enduring appeal. His contributions have made him a prominent figure in adult contemporary music for over four decades.
Photo: Sarah Stierch [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en]
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