Sylvester Stewart Sylvester Stewart, or 'Sly Stone', is famous for his role as enigmatic frontman of Sly & The Family Stone, who, along with James Brown and Parliament / Funkadelic, were pioneers of late 1960s and early '70s funk. Hits such as "Family Affair", "Everyday People" and "Dance To The Music" remain as popular as they have ever been, resulting in Sly & The Family Stone being one of the most enduring acts from that era.