It’s a sad coincidence that this has come to light on the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, but reclusive funk legend, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, and Woodstock performer Sly Stone has revealed he is living on Social Security following contractual disputes with his former manager Jerry Goldstein. Stone made the revelation in a recent interview with Willem Alkema (watch preview below or click here).
Stone said that Goldstein has ceased to honor a contract made in the late 80s, which gave Goldstein the rights to his music in exchange for “payment of fixed expenses and costs.” Stone revealed that he couldn’t afford enough legal muscle to go after Goldstein, as he has been living in campers, cheap hotels, and on social welfare checks.
In a strange twist, Stone claims that Michael Jackson had commissioned him to write songs for a forthcoming album, a break he was hoping would get him out of financial constraints.
*Update: This post originally stated that this was Sly’s first interview in 20 years, as per the source (Alkema’s recent Q&A). In fact, I should have double-checked this, as it is not true. Special thanks to the commenters that alerted me.