Sad Story

[cm_hayden]

http://wonderwall.msn.com/music/sly-stone-is-homeless-living-in-van-1643773.story?GT1=28135

[Run Mary]

"I just do not want to return to a fixed home. I cannot stand being in one place. I must keep moving."

I lived in one of those for 3 years and would still be in it if it hadn't been hijacked in Mexico. The media is putting an ugly spin to it, but I'm all for Sly being mobile; it's my preferred state too. Crenshaw, not so cool, but I parked in several areas I wouldn't have chosen myself because my loved ones were there. Hope to see you on the road, Sly--it's a family affair! And yes, you can thank me for letting you be yourself again :-).

[Dstone5553]

It's not a freedom thing I don't think.

His van is in close proximity to lots and lots of crack.

It actually is a heartbreaking story of so much talent wasted.

[Tom Banjo]

It's not a freedom thing I don't think.

His van is in close proximity to lots and lots of crack.

It actually is a heartbreaking story of so much talent wasted.

I hate the wasted talent argument. Man has one simple responsibility to pursue his own happiness and not interfere w others pursuit. He didn't owe us anything. No one does and thus, no one can waste talent except in their own eyes. Certainly not from an outsiders judgment. That being said, the story does seem sad. He does not seem content by virtue of his law suits and comments. I hope he finds contentment. Some of the most content people I've ever met have nothing.

[ducats]

I hate the wasted talent argument. Man has one simple responsibility to pursue his own happiness and not interfere w others pursuit. He didn't owe us anything. No one does and thus, no one can waste talent except in their own eyes. Certainly not from an outsiders judgment. That being said, the story does seem sad. He does not seem content by virtue of his law suits and comments. I hope he finds contentment. Some of the most content people I've ever met have nothing.

some of the most content people i've ever met have alot - ...then again some have nothing just like the one's you met!

[Run Mary]

I hate to sound naive, but I haven't met anyone with lots of things that is content. I personally am more content with less to burden me down. Even when the cash flow is low, the freedom aspect is much more fulfilling than the price you pay for "normalcy."

That vehicle he is living in is a nice one and you can believe he is not living in abject poverty. There's no rust on it, it's clean and it looks new. His landed contact has an extension cord running out to it; that's called dry docking and you don't do that at crack houses. You'll notice that the neighborhood does not have grilles over the windows, plenty of trees, and no litter. That is not a crack neighborhood.

Yep, he took some wrong turns and lost a lot. He gave a lot of things away out of generosity and out of ignorance. He now wants to be on the road again and wants back into the music industry, unpaid if necessary. He wants back in, period. Not to make money to buy crack, but because he wants to create again. With Gaga, with anyone.

There are several media sources I read this story at, and they all just love the tragic angle. I ran into the same prejudices when I left my corporate job many years ago and became a gypsy. I think he's awesome and I can't wait to hear what he's producing in that vehicle of his. He's creating in there and he's on the road. My hero.

[Run Mary]

Just a little more on this subject... During my last long-term stay I worked several jobs, one of my favorites being that of a production runner. That's basically a go-fer for the entertainment acts that come into town.

My last gig was for Elton John / Leon Russell. Leon too had fallen onto hard times and was pulled out of the abyss by Elton, who viewed him as a role model in his early career and still admires him greatly. Check out what they're creating and this cover Leon did back in the day. He's creaky now, he needs help walking, he's wonderfully eccentric, and he is freakin' back.

I danced the whole concert stage left, within spitting distance of Leon. I'm a keys girl and you can believe that I was not missing my corporate job.

We're living in some majorly wonderful times and the old boys are coming back out. I welcome them with open arms and am so happy to see them creating again, under any circumstances. I'm still trying to figure out how to get Robbie Robertson back out, we really need him. Anyone who knows him, please tell him to get his butt out of the movie business and back in front of the lights. Sly can maybe help him find some transport :-).

[Dstone5553]

I hate the wasted talent argument. Man has one simple responsibility to pursue his own happiness and not interfere w others pursuit. He didn't owe us anything. No one does and thus, no one can waste talent except in their own eyes. Certainly not from an outsiders judgment. That being said, the story does seem sad. He does not seem content by virtue of his law suits and comments. I hope he finds contentment. Some of the most content people I've ever met have nothing.

You're right The wasted talent part is secondary to his life. Big time secondary.

I am of the opinion that this is a man who has been at the mercy of an enormous crack cocaine addiction for a long, long time.

I don't think he, or anyone who knows anything about crack cocaine addictions, would wish that on ANYONE.

Let's just not be afraid to call it like it is...ya know? I can't imagine anyone not feeling for this man. It's not a happy story.

He apparently tried coke because a friend of his said you could fuck all night on it. His friends said that's all he needed to hear and that's just about when the funny left the building. By all accounts from his friends, family, police reports and himself, his life has progressively gotten worse ever since.

I tihink it's pretty clear that this is not someone who is living the simpler life cause he chooses to. This is someone who has been in the grips of a fucking monster of a disease for a long, long time.

The fact that he had as much talent as any musician in recent memory is a loss for us. The fact that his life, according to all who know him, has been a mess for a long, long time is tragic for him and his family and the latter does indeed beat the hell out of the former.

[Run Mary]

You can look at his desire to return to the music as an indication of his recovery or evidence of his fall. Glass half full, glass half empty. I am blessed with many musicians in my life and have seen several fall to the temptation of the white substances. Some come back, some do not. Some continue to function below par because that extraordinary mistress is too attractive for them to leave.

I hope you and Gaga and the rest of the world can see hope in his current position. If that's not possible, maybe you can find it in your heart to remove your foot from his back as he attempts to rise. Believe me, he could be much lower.

[Dstone5553]

You can look at his desire to return to the music as an indication of his recovery or evidence of his fall. Glass half full, glass half empty. I am blessed with many musicians in my life and have seen several fall to the temptation of the white substances. Some come back, some do not. Some continue to function below par because that extraordinary mistress is too attractive for them to leave.

I hope you and Gaga and the rest of the world can see hope in his current position. If that's not possible, maybe you can find it in your heart to remove your foot from his back as he attempts to rise. Believe me, he could be much lower.

You do seem to take this whole thing personally, which is fine, but it makes me think this is more about you than anything or anyone else.

Which is also fine.

I honestly don't mean to offend you or frustrate you regarding your thoughts and beliefs around this. I STRONGLY believe in the notion that all people can change. I and many of my friends hope he finds recovery in a big way.

If he does, my guess is that he will talk about this time right now as a very dark one.

[Run Mary]

Yes, I'd have to agree that this is personal for me. How else could you explain me having a viewpoint different from everyone else?

I see Sly in a very nice vehicle, dry-docking in what looks to be a nice neighborhood, asking for the music community to take him back in, and I see a good thing. I would love that vehicle, I've dry-docked in much worse places, and I would love to see him back where he belongs. And yet I'm the only person, not just on this forum but in all the media, that sees anything good in that. Everyone else sees the same things I see and says whoa, poor guy has hit rock bottom, there's no hope for him, what a shame.

In the Furthur fall tour thread there are at least two posters who have looked at Furthur's tour schedule and think how ominous it is that they have no multiple dates scheduled at any venues, how that is a sign of their coming demise. And yet when I look at the schedule, I see several multiple date venues, including a 3-night stand at Red Rocks. I also see some great single-date venues, like Madison Square Garden. I must be crazy to not see that Furthur is falling apart right in front of my eyes.

And you know what else? I say the emperor has no clothes. Go ahead, lock me up. It's long overdue :-).

[Dstone5553]

Man you do take this stuff seriously.

Might I suggest that you lighten up a bit?

Would you not bite my head off if I suggested that?

(Stepping slowly away from the computer....just in case.)

[chuckvegas]

Man you do take this stuff seriously.

Might I suggest that you lighten up a bit?

Would you not bite my head off if I suggested that?

(Stepping slowly away from the computer....just in case.)

Agitator.

[Dstone5553]

Agitator.

Who...me?

[Dstone5553]

Yes, I'd have to agree that this is personal for me. How else could you explain me having a viewpoint different from everyone else?

I see Sly in a very nice vehicle, dry-docking in what looks to be a nice neighborhood, asking for the music community to take him back in, and I see a good thing. I would love that vehicle, I've dry-docked in much worse places, and I would love to see him back where he belongs. And yet I'm the only person, not just on this forum but in all the media, that sees anything good in that. Everyone else sees the same things I see and says whoa, poor guy has hit rock bottom, there's no hope for him, what a shame.

In the Furthur fall tour thread there are at least two posters who have looked at Furthur's tour schedule and think how ominous it is that they have no multiple dates scheduled at any venues, how that is a sign of their coming demise. And yet when I look at the schedule, I see several multiple date venues, including a 3-night stand at Red Rocks. I also see some great single-date venues, like Madison Square Garden. I must be crazy to not see that Furthur is falling apart right in front of my eyes.

And you know what else? I say the emperor has no clothes. Go ahead, lock me up. It's long overdue :-).

Maybe I read your post wrong...maybe it wasn't an angry post and if so...my bad.

The fact that you look at things in a positive way is a positive thing in and of itself. People are happier and live longer having a positive perspective.

Many, many studies out there that prove this beyond a shadow of a doubt.

I guess I would ask you to leave room for other points of view as well, because this is a message board with many different views. And I'm not talking about the media's POV because their viewpoint is whichever perspective will sell papers.

To me, it does not look like Sly is in a good place. I'd love to be wrong.

To me, the fact that they are playing only one show at MSG this tour, doesn't seem to be something the band would be super happy about considering the fact they had a multiple night stand there last year.

And I didn't notice the Red Rocks run...that's a good point.

[ducats]

I hate to sound naive, but I haven't met anyone with lots of things that is content. I personally am more content with less to burden me down. Even when the cash flow is low, the freedom aspect is much more fulfilling than the price you pay for "normalcy."

That vehicle he is living in is a nice one and you can believe he is not living in abject poverty. There's no rust on it, it's clean and it looks new. His landed contact has an extension cord running out to it; that's called dry docking and you don't do that at crack houses. You'll notice that the neighborhood does not have grilles over the windows, plenty of trees, and no litter. That is not a crack neighborhood.

Yep, he took some wrong turns and lost a lot. He gave a lot of things away out of generosity and out of ignorance. He now wants to be on the road again and wants back into the music industry, unpaid if necessary. He wants back in, period. Not to make money to buy crack, but because he wants to create again. With Gaga, with anyone.

There are several media sources I read this story at, and they all just love the tragic angle. I ran into the same prejudices when I left my corporate job many years ago and became a gypsy. I think he's awesome and I can't wait to hear what he's producing in that vehicle of his. He's creating in there and he's on the road. My hero.

what's a gypsy?

[ducats]

Agitator.

that's my crown - no?