By Frank “Smokin” Truatt
It seems like every week we hear about the passing of an artist whose music was an integral part of our youth. Last week, there were two major artists that left us to join that great band mentioned in the Righteous Brothers song “Rock and Roll Heaven.” Last Monday we lost Sly Stone at the age of 82, the frontman of Sly and the Family Stone. His 1960’s funky music stood out from the other songs being played on pop radio. “Dance to the Music” is a song I would play at parties in the ‘80’s that would pretty much guarantee a packed dance floor. “Everyday People” and “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again)” were both number one hits, and yes, that is the correct spelling as it appeared on the record. There was a local New Jersey band called “Filet of Soul” that would play their hits live at school dances, and to us kids, they sounded just like Sly and the band with songs like “Life” and “Stand.” The ‘70’s gave us another number one, “Family Affair,” and “If You Want Me to Stay.” My favorite was “Hot Fun in the Summertime,” perfect for this time of year with summer just days away. His use of illegal drugs and partying affected his career and his health. That’s probably the reason I never got to see him in concert. I had purchased tickets in ‘73 to see him perform at the Capitol Theater in Passaic, New Jersey. After parking, I found out that, like many other performances the band had scheduled, this one was cancelled. Remember, this was before the days of the internet and cell phones and the only way to find out a show was cancelled, was to go to the theater. Another big loss in the music industry was Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. Brian was another rock musician that got caught up with alcohol and drugs which was his way of self-medicating due to his mental disorder. Brian too, was 82 years old. He appeared in Morristown, New Jersey at the Mayo Performing Arts Center in 2021. I was tempted to buy tickets at the time, but opted not to, considering that Brian was solo without his Beach Boys, and I wanted to hear the lead vocals by the original artists. My loss! I did see the amazing Beach Boys there two years later, but missed out on an American musical icon in one of his last live performances. Brian and the Beach Boys brought us the idea of the “Endless Summer.” Together with his fellow artist, Sly Stone, despite their tormented personal lives, told us about everyday people, dancing to the music, girls on the beach, hot cars and great getaways like Kokomo and all those things that make our life a lot of fun.
