Sly Stone, the ’70s funk and soul icon, and front man of Sly and the Family Stone, has been living in a van for years after being cheated out of millions of dollars for his music. He has just been awarded $5 million in damages after suing his former manager and lawyer.
Stone’s attorney Nicholas Hornberger said his former manager Gerald Goldstein and attorney Glenn Stone forced him to sign a lot of complicated contracts he could never understand, which allowed them steal money from him.
“These guys, in their minds, had concocted some reason that they thought they were entitled to everything,” Hornberger said.
Stone, born Sylvester Stewart, testified he had not received any royalty payments between 1989 and 2009. Now 71, Stone has been living in an RV and was barely surviving. He couldn’t be more deserving of the settlement. After all, the San Francisco native is responsible for hits such as “Everyday People,” “Dance To The Music,” “Family Affair,” and “If You Want Me To Stay.”
After two days of deliberations, a Los Angeles jury assessed damages of $2.5 million against Even St Productions, $2.45 million against Goldstein and $50,000 against Glenn Stone.
Stone and Goldstein, of course, deny the charges and plan to appeal. Hopefully the verdict sticks and they are forced to cough up the money they allegedly stole from him. Whatever happens, at least someone is on his side. Sly’s life has been tumultuous to say the least, marred by decades of run-ins with the law, including several drug and gun possession charges. After being absent from the public eye for many years, he resurfaced at Coachella in 2010, but sadly, the performance was a disaster.
