The reclusive Sly Stone returns, on the page

There is no one quite like Sly Stone. He invented his own funky, mixed-up hybrid of rock 'n' roll and R&B, and with his band, Sly and the Family Stone, he became one of the most influential musicians of the late 1960s.

Funk legend and longtime friend George Clinton said, "It was like seeing the Black version of The Beatles. He had the sensibility of the street, the church, and then, like, the qualities of a Motown, you know, Smokey Robinson – he was all of that in one person."

The songs – "Everyday People," "Dance to the Music," " Hot Fun in the Summertime" – are American classics. But the guy behind them is something of a mystery.