Musically, Brian Wilson and Sly Stone seemingly had little in common.
Wilson was the dominant writing and producing force behind the Beach Boys and they practically invented surf music. Sly and the Family Stone brought funk into the musical lexicon.
The timing of life and death moves to nature’s own whims. In a way, it’s odd that two such disparate and vital musical forces should depart so close to each other. Stone, 82, passed away on June 9, while Wilson, 82, died on June 11.
On the surface, there was a huge divide in their music. But if you came of age during the revolutionary sounds of the 1960s, it didn’t matter. They brought new, fresh and inventive American music to their own young generation.
Wilson’s classic resume includes: “Good Vibrations,” “God Only Knows,” “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “California Girls” and the ground-breaking album “Pet Sounds.”
Sly and the Family Stone turned out such classics as “Dance to the Music,” “I Want to Take You Higher,” “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin),” “Everybody Is a Star” and “Everyday People.” That song included the phrase that has become part of the American language: “Different strokes for different folks.”
Both Wilson and Stone were true originals and are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Brian Wilson has been called a musical genius and although Sly Stone may not have earned that adjective, he changed the face of R&B music forever and his influence is still felt today.
Sadly, both were troubled and tortured by personal demons. Wilson suffered severe bouts of drug abuse, overeating and mental illness. He was depressed by the early deaths of his brothers and bandmates Dennis Wilson, who died at 39 in 1983. Carl Wilson died at 51 in 1998.
In his biography, Stone wrote of his drug problems using crack cocaine and PCP. Eventually, he lost his money, and was homeless for a time. Stone finally quit drugs about five years before his death.
“They told me that if I kept smoking, I would ruin my lungs or I might die,” Stone told The Guardian. “I just decided (to quit). From the way I was feeling, I took it serious….
“I have trouble with my lungs, trouble with my voice, trouble with my hearing and trouble with the rest of my body, too.”
During the hard times of Wilson’s life, his weight ballooned to over 300 pounds and he spent months with a sandbox in his bedroom. Eventually, he was able to control his mental illness and drug dependency.
I interviewed Brian Wilson around 2000, and covered his concert in Toronto. I found him to have a child-like demeanor and a total sense of honesty. At the end of the interview, I thanked for his music.
Wilson also had a sense of humor. His first song on stage in Toronto, was “Brian Wilson,” a number written by Steven Page of the Canadian band, Barenaked Ladies.
Wilson sang these lyrics to open the show:
“I’m lyin’ in bed, just like Brian Wilson did ….And if you wanna find me I’ll be/Out in the sandbox/Just wonderin’ where the hell all the/Love is gone.”
I happened to spot Steven Page – who idolized Wilson — in a front row near the stage and he was beaming. “I mean, it was just an absolute dream come true,” Page told the Canadian Press service.
Paul McCartney, who lists “Pet Sounds” as one of his favorite albums, had these words on Instagram after Wilson’s death:
“Brian had that mysterious sense of musical genius that made his songs so achingly special. The notes he heard in his head and passed to us were simple and brilliant at the same time.
“I loved him, and was privileged to be around his bright shining light for a little while. How we will continue without Brian Wilson, ‘God Only Knows.’ Thank you, Brian.”
Mike Love, Wilson’s cousin and fellow Beach Boy – who played The Villages in March — offered these words online for Brian:
“Like all families, we had our ups and downs. But through it all, we never stopped loving each other, and I never stopped being in awe of what he could do when he sat at a piano or his spontaneity in the studio.”
I never saw Sly Stone in concert. I think the closest I came was during the ‘90s when I covered a Prince show. Larry Graham, who played bass with Sly during the ‘60s, was in Prince’s band that night.
Prince covered Sly’s songs “400” times in concert during his career, according to Setlist.com. If James Brown was the Godfather of Soul, Sly was the Godfather – and maybe even the father – of funk.
Among the tributes, included Paul Stanley of KISS, who wrote: “In 1968 I saw Sly & the Family Stone debut at the Fillmore East in New York City opening for Jimi Hendrix.
“They were a freight train of bombastic, joyous SouI that would soon climb the charts and change the sound of R&B for so many other artists.”
Questlove, drummer for the Roots and filmmaker, did a documentary and wrote a book on Sly.
“Sly was a giant — not just for his groundbreaking work with the Family Stone, but for the radical inclusivity and deep human truths he poured into every note.
“His songs weren’t just about fighting injustice; they were about transforming the self to transform the world. He dared to be simple in the most complex ways — using childlike joy, wordless cries, and nursery rhyme cadences to express adult truths.
“His work looked straight at the brightest and darkest parts of life and demanded we do the same.”
Maybe, Sly Stone and Brian Wilson had more in common than anyone knew.
Tony Violanti writes about music and entertainment for Villages-News.com. He was inducted into The Buffalo Music Hall of Fame as a music journalist.