Questlove Reveals Why He Looked at André 3000, D’Angelo and Himself For His Sly Stone Doc When the Music Legend Wouldn’t Talk to Him

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The influential musician Sly Stone, creator, lead vocalist, and namesake of the iconic funk band Sly and the Family Stone, has long been a deserving subject for a documentary, particularly given the success of his diverse, multi-racial group in the ’60s and ’70s. After three decades away from the limelight and a decade more marked by personal and legal struggles that overshadowed his music, the film “Sly Lives! (or The Burden of Black Genius),” directed by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, seeks to appropriately place his artistic impact within its historical context.

The film bows at Sundance Jan. 23.

In a fitting manner, the documentarian and fellow musician details Stone’s musical accomplishments, the cultural hurdles he overcame, and the highs and lows of his turbulent personal life. However, Questlove emphasizes more on the subtitle’s supplementary aspect to shed light on some profound realities about the struggles of fame (particularly for Black artists), which may have originated with Stone, but continue to exist today.

In a conversation with EbMaster, Questlove stated, “This movie served as a subtle yet direct method for discussing important issues with my friends, without having to resort to confrontational tactics like physically grabbing them.

To create this “cinematic tribute,” the director had extensive conversations with members of the Family Stone such as Cynthia Robinson, Jerry Martini, and Larry Graham, along with collaborators like George Clinton, Nile Rodgers, Jimmy Jam, and contemporaries D’Angelo and André 3000. The most frequent response from viewers who’ve watched this movie has been, “We noticed the depth of emotion in their expressions when they understood that they weren’t discussing the chord progressions of ‘Everyday People.’

Ahmir “Questlove” suggests that the level of openness he anticipated from his interviewees was reflected in the number of potential contributors who chose not to participate. “In our society, where one’s life is often exposed to criticism and scrutiny, I discovered over two and a half years that this topic might be the scariest of all, as it requires peeling back the mask to expose the pain hidden beneath the smile,” he explains. Even those who agreed to participate were taken aback by how personal his questions turned out to be.

André seems particularly thrilled about turning this into a healing experience for himself,” he remarks. “However, it’s not unusual for the band members to feel taken aback, as if they had been unexpectedly led to therapy.

As a film enthusiast, I found the director’s approach intriguing in this documentary. Since he couldn’t interview the elusive Stone directly, he relied heavily on archived interviews, particularly a candid one between Stone and Maria Shriver from 1982. This strategy allowed him to delve into Stone’s story, albeit indirectly. As a documentarian myself, I understand the importance of contemporary observations, but I’ve come to realize that they may not always reveal the full impact of a subject. In this case, the director was successful in discussing Stone’s childhood, life, and more. However, from my personal experience as an interviewee, I believe the subject is often the last person to truly understand their own influence.

Indeed, some of the deepest understandings about Jimi Hendrix’s musical prowess were gleaned from discussions with musicians like Vernon Reid, guitarist from Living Colour. For instance, Mr. Reid’s interpretation of “Hot Fun in the Summertime” was that it portrays a summer none of us have truly experienced. He recalls that everything he spoke about was more like a dreamy fantasy, quite different from what was going on in 1969. Yet, Sly Stone somehow managed to make listeners view this through rose-tinted glasses. This, to me, speaks volumes about him, as a pianist, it’s almost as if he played with the carefree spirit of a 7-year-old – everything was lighthearted and joyful.

Instead, Shriver’s interview turned out to be a strong foundation for his film, as it was the fresh 22-year-old who grilled Stone about topics that Questlove acknowledges he may have shied away from asking. He describes the interview as more serious, truthful, and direct. In fact, he admits that its boldness served as a bit of an uncomfortable reflection of his own conversational abilities as a host and interviewer. “I’d love to chat with her about that,” he says, “because there have been so many instances where I’ve pampered a subject and avoided tackling tough issues, either on my podcast or during filmmaking.

He admits that every day he wishes he could ask: ‘You really messed up there,’ but he’s never witnessed anyone casually dump a bucket of icy water over another person.

Although Questlove aimed to depict Stone’s unique quirks and imperfections truthfully in his portrait, he felt that excessively documenting them would diminish the impact of the film and potentially tarnish the artist’s reputation. “I didn’t want to just keep telling Sly failure stories because we had plenty of those,” he explains. “So it was about finding the most compelling 1 hour and 48-minute narrative from start to finish that would resonate deeply with viewers.

In the end, Questlove acknowledged that not everyone attending “Sly Lives!” would have the same depth of knowledge about his subject matter. He explains, “Imagine someone saying, ‘I’ve never heard of Prince, I’ve never heard of Michael Jackson. What did they do?’ That’s how most people feel about Sly Stone.” Given this threefold responsibility of catering to the story, music enthusiasts, and those completely unaware of the person in question, there’s little room left for him to show off his expertise.

It’s no surprise that his experience of eliminating cherished scenes in filmmaking has provided fresh insights for the experienced musician, which he will apply when he resumes his other artistic pursuit. He humorously adds, “If the next Roots album doesn’t impress, then I must have been distracted during the creative process.” He finds that editing films offers a wealth of knowledge about effective storytelling compared to any other medium he’s encountered.

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2025-01-23 20:16