Sly Stone joined Rufus (sort of) @ BB King's (pics & video)

October 11, 2013

Sly Stone @ BB King’s – 10/5/13

Soul/funk legend Sly Stone just released a huge box set, and then made his return to the stage this past weekend with shows with Rufus in NYC and DC. The NYC show was his first in a few years, and it happened on Saturday (10/5) at BB King’s, where Sly and the Family Stone played in 2007, which was his first NYC show in 32 years. At those 2007 shows, despite a few mishaps, they mostly went over well and the one we caught back then saw Sly staying on stage for most of the 70-ish minute set.

Last week’s BB King’s show was billed as “Rufus featuring Sly Stone,” and there is some confusion about what exactly that billing meant he’d be doing, as well as some confusion about what he actually did do. One anonymous attendee tells us:

Sly came out towards the end of Rufus’s set. Brought people on stage to sing one song. In fact the three people that came on stage, Sly pulled money out of his pocket and gave it to them. He tried to make a go at the keyboards which of course didn’t work or at least that’s what they said. He tried to strap on a guitar and he didn’t think that was working. He talked to the crowd for a bit… They tried to do another song (Sly was supposed to do a 6 song set) but Sly did not want to unless the instruments were working so he left the stage saying he would come back. Of course he never did.

He was also initially supposed to do a late show with Rufus at the venue, but that ended up being cancelled. You can watch a video of Sly’s short time on stage at the show, along with more pictures of the show, below…

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Rufus featuring Sly Stone @ BB King’s 10/5/13