I Want to Take You Higher: The Life and Times of Sly and the Family Stone (29 page)

HE BEST THING ABOUT WRITing about music, apart from the
music and the writing themselves,
is meeting and talking with musicians, and with the people inside
their lives and the business. There were challenges in assembling
this book, but it was tugged along the long route to publication by
the following people, for whom mention here is my way of saying
thank you.

Some of you not only went on the record, but also provided
info and recommendations that connected me with others. Gratitude for that goes to Jerry Martini, the earliest of my Family Stone
contacts, and to Neal Austinson, who helped prompt my interview
with Sly, his first in ages, and our second talk more than a year
later. The Neal Austinson Archives were the source of much valuable material and information, and Neal helped put me in touch
with a couple of other admirable archivists, known fondly as "The
Dutch Twins" by many in these pages. Those indefatigable brothers, Edwin and Arno Konings, provided much in the way of general and specific info while continuing work on their own
magnum opus, Thank You, due out within the next year or so. Closer to home, San Franciscan Joel Selvin supplied transcriptions, recordings, and a revealing personal interview, alongside his
own Oral History, heretofore the only interview-based book about
Sly and the band.

It was Ric Stewart, with his fine eclectic web site therel.com,
who first got me writing about Sly, and that's what attracted the
attention of literary agent Robert Lecker, who connected me with
the book's publisher. My dear friend Jann Moorhead provided
informal legal counsel during the launch of the project and the
occasionally rough waters later on. For background on the inspiring history of African Americans and Sylvester Stewart's roots in
Denton, Texas, there were Denton denizens Lynette and Betty
Kimble, Sly's cousin Christine McAdams, and the tireless Kim
Cupit. Professor William Issel and his graduate student Richard
John Figone moved the history forward and westward to midcentury Vallejo, California. Tender memories of that time and
place were voiced by several dear souls, including venerated
teacher Dave Froehlich and Ria Boldway Douglas, whose honesty
and passion are a model for us all. My fortuitous flat tire at the side
of a Marin County freeway led to a chance meeting with drummer
James Henry, who later led me to singer Skyler Jett, who in turn
led me to little sister Vet Stone. Appreciation for similar serendipity goes to hairstylist Eric Hooten, who led me to fellow stylist
Bobby Gomez, who led me to Mario Errico.

The Errico family shared two generations of hospitality and
garrulousness passed down from parents Jo and Nick to brothers
Mario (another of my links to Sly) and Greg (the second of my
cooperative veterans of the Family Stone). A similarly generous
Italian American, Rich Romanello, told me of the Family Stone's
early days and arranged for valuable accommodations in South ern California. The spirit of hospitality extended to the island of
Maui, where Nancy and George Kahumoku Jr. put me up during
my extended interviews with the magical David Kapralik (and
sourced my side story on slack key guitar for Guitar Player magazine).

To those who wouldn't talk openly or at all for this book, some
due to residual resentment over perceived past misrepresentations
by writers and journalists, I can only express regret that you
weren't able to appear more directly in this story. I hope that I'll
have more to share with you some day. To all, including Sly, who
shared their stories, I hope you feel properly accounted for.