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Sly Stone
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===Personal problems=== With the band's newfound fame and success came numerous problems. Relationships within the band were deteriorating; there was friction in particular between the Stone brothers and Larry Graham.<ref>Selvin, Joel (1998), pp. 107, 146β152</ref> [[Epic Records|Epic]] requested more marketable output.<ref name="Kaliss">*Kaliss, Jeff (2008). ''I Want to Take You Higher: The Life and Times of Sly & the Family Stone''. New York: Hal Leonard/Backbeat Books. {{ISBN|0-87930-934-2}}.</ref> The [[Black Panther Party]] demanded that Stone make his music more [[militant (word)|militant]] and more reflective of the [[black power]] movement,<ref name="Kaliss" /> replace Greg Errico and Jerry Martini with black instrumentalists, and replace manager [[David Kapralik]].<ref>Selvin, Joel (1998), p. 89; interview with [[David Kapralik]].</ref> After moving to the Los Angeles area in fall 1969, Stone and his bandmates became heavy users of illegal drugs, primarily [[cocaine]] and [[phencyclidine|PCP]].<ref>Selvin, Joel (1998), pp. 94β98</ref> As the members became increasingly focused on drug use and partying (Stone carried a violin case filled with illegal drugs wherever he went),<ref>Selvin, Joel (1998), p. 122</ref> recording slowed significantly. Between summer 1969 and fall 1971, the band released only one single, "[[Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)]]"/"[[Everybody Is a Star]]", in December 1969. This song was one of the first recordings to employ the heavy, funky beats that would be featured in the [[funk]] music of the following decade. It showcased bass player [[Larry Graham]]'s innovative percussive playing technique of bass "[[Slapping (music)|slapping]]". Graham later said that he developed this technique in an earlier band in order to compensate for that band's lack of a drummer.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20061205210528/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/larrygraham/articles/story/5920205/bass_legend_graham_lays_down_the_millennial_funk Bass Legend Graham Lays Down the Millennial Funk: Larry Graham]. ''Rolling Stone.'' Retrieved October 25, 2008.</ref> "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" hit the top of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in early 1970. The single also peaked at No. 5 on the R&B chart, selling over a million copies.<ref>[{{AllMusic|class=song|id=t4149693|pure_url=yes}} allmusic: Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)]. All Media Guide, LLC. Retrieved October 25, 2008.</ref> Having relocated to Los Angeles with his girlfriend Deborah King, later Deborah Santana (wife of [[Carlos Santana]] from 1973 until filing for divorce in 2007), Stone's behavior became increasingly erratic. Epic was anticipating new material in 1970, but with none forthcoming, finally released ''[[Greatest Hits (Sly & the Family Stone)|Greatest Hits]]'' that November. One year later, the band's fifth album, ''[[There's a Riot Goin' On]]'', was released. ''Riot'' featured a much darker sound, and most tracks were recorded with overdubbing as opposed to the Family Stone all playing at the same time as they had done previously. Stone played most of the parts himself and performed more of the lead vocals than usual. This was one of the first major label albums to feature a [[drum machine]]. The band's cohesion slowly began to erode, and its sales and popularity began to decline as well. Errico withdrew from the group in 1971 and was eventually replaced with [[Andy Newmark]]. Larry Graham and Stone were no longer on friendly terms, and Graham was fired in early 1972 and replaced with [[Rustee Allen]]. The band's later releases, ''[[Fresh (Sly and the Family Stone album)|Fresh]]'' (1973) and ''[[Small Talk (Sly and the Family Stone album)|Small Talk]]'' (1974), featured even less of the band and more of Stone. Live bookings for Sly & the Family Stone had steadily dropped since 1970, because promoters were afraid that Stone or one of the band members might miss the gig, refuse to play, or pass out from drug use.<ref name="EndofFamily">Selvin, Joel (1998), pp. 141β145</ref> These issues were regular occurrences for the band during the 1970s, and had an adverse effect on their ability to demand money for live bookings.<ref name="EndofFamily" /> In 1970, 26 of 80 concerts were cancelled, and numerous others started late. At many of these gigs, concertgoers rioted if the band failed to show up, or if Stone walked out before finishing his set. Ken Roberts became the group's promoter, and later their general manager, when no other representatives would work with the band because of their erratic gig attendance record.<ref>Selvin, Joel (1998), pp. 186β189.</ref> In January 1975, the band booked itself at [[Radio City Music Hall]] in New York. The famed music hall was only one-eighth occupied, and Stone and company had to scrape together money to return home.<ref name="TheEnd">Selvin, Joel (1998), pp. 188β191.</ref> Following the Radio City engagement, the band was dissolved.<ref name="TheEnd" /> Rose Stone was pulled out of the band by Bubba Banks, who was by then her husband. She began a solo career, recording a Motown-style album under the name Rose Banks in 1976. Freddie Stone joined Larry Graham's group, [[Graham Central Station]], for a time; after collaborating with his brother one last time in 1979 for ''[[Back on the Right Track]]'', he retired from the music industry and eventually became the pastor of the Evangelist Temple Fellowship Center in [[Vallejo, California]]. Background vocalist trio [[Little Sister (band)|Little Sister]] was also dissolved; [[Mary McCreary]] married [[Leon Russell]] and released recordings on Russell's Shelter Records label.<ref>Ankeny, Jason. "[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p5327/biography|pure_url=yes}} Leon Russell]". ''Allmusic''. Retrieved February 5, 2007.</ref> Andy Newmark became a successful session drummer, playing with [[John Lennon]], [[Roxy Music]], [[B. B. King]], [[Steve Winwood]] and others.<ref>[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p109550/credits|pure_url=yes}} Credits for Andy Newmark]. ''Allmusic''. Retrieved February 5, 2007.</ref>
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