Someone will be along in due course who will do a better job of this than I, but in the meantime:
Groundbreaking trumpeter and singer Cynthia Robinson, a co-founder of the pivotal funk band Sly & The Family Stone, died Monday night at age 69. Her death was confirmed by her bandmate and friend Jerry Martini, another co-founder of the Family Stone.
Robinson was an integral member of The Family Stone. It's her voice that urges fans to "Dance to the Music," and her horn that
blazed through the band's sets, from hits like "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" to lesser-known gems like "Underdog."
Born in 1946, Robinson joined Stone's band in 1966 — in an era when being a female trumpet player, and an African-American trumpeter in a major band, was a singular achievement.
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Although the ensemble's A Whole New Thing was not a hit, its second LP Dance to the Music scored a hit in 1967 with the title cut, paving the way for a string of successful songs that included "Everyday People," "Stand," "Hot Fun in the Summertime," "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again)," "Family Affair" and many others.
Earlier this year, she told Rolling Stone how committed the singer was to equality and feminism, citing "M'Lady" as an example. "You may think Sly's talking about the ladies in the song, but he's actually talking to the men," she said. "He's giving the ladies props. He's telling the men that the ladies are cool, that they need to pay more attention to them! The repetitive line is, 'Give her some time.' He's telling the guys to spend more time with their ladies. Give her some attention!"
www.rollingstone.com/...