Vet Stone

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Vet Stone
Birth nameVaetta Stewart
Also known asVet Stewart
Born (1950-05-02) May 2, 1950 (age 73)
Vallejo, California U.S.
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)Vocals, keyboard
Years active1960s to present
Formerly ofThe Heavenly Tones, Sly & the Family Stone, Little Sister

Vet Stone (born Vaetta Stewart; May 2, 1950, Vallejo, California) is an American soul singer. She is the sister of Sly Stone, Rose Stone, and Freddie Stone. She was also a member of Sly & the Family Stone and Little Sister.

Contents

Background

Vaetta Stewart was born to parents K.C. and Alpha Stewart. [1]

According to the book, Woodstock FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Fabled Garden by Thomas E. Harkins, she was born in Denton Texas. She was the youngest of the Stewart Children, Loretta, Sylvester, Frederick and Rosemary, and herself being Vaetta. But as the book reads, the family moved to San Francisco in the 1940s. [2] As she was born in 1950, her birthplace would be in California. [3]

At the age of seventeen she suffered a serious illness which could have stopped her musical direction, but she quickly recovered. [4]

She was the lead singer in the funk group Little Sister, which had a #8 R&B hit of its own in 1970 entitled "You're the One". [5] She was also part of Sly & the Family Stone. [6]

Career

1960s to 1980s

In 1966, the group she was a member of, The Heavenly Tones recorded an album, I Love the Lord which was released on Gospel MG 3050. The group's lineup also included Tramaine Hawkins. [7] [8] Sly Stone got the group to tour with him but Hawkins declined as she wanted to finish school. [9] The group then became Little Sister, which was made up of Vaetta Stewart (herself), Mary McCreary, and Elva Mouton. [10] [11] [12]

In 1970, Sly & the Family Stone were in England and played at the Isle of Wight Festival. Vet went on tour with the band as sister Rose didn't participate in the tour. [13]

Vet played keyboards and contributed backing vocals to the Small Talk album that was released in 1974. At that time the band was made up of Sly Stone, Freddie Stone, Rose Stone Banks, herself, Rusty Allen, Jerry Martini, Pat Rizzo, Cynthia Robinson, Bill Lordan and Sid Page. [14]

Along with Dawn Silva and Tiny Melton, she contributed backing vocals to Sly Stone's solo album, High on You . [15]

Both Vaetta (Vet) and Tiny Moulton contributed backing vocals to the 1977 album, Heard Ya Missed Me, Well I'm Back by Sly & the Family Stone. [16]

1990s to 2000s

As of 2005, she was a member of the band, Phunk Phamily Affair. [17]

In 2007, Vet and the group Phunk Family Affair which she fronted performed at the Lovebox in London. Sly Stone appeared with them after about half an hour to perform some of his songs. [18] She was then the lead figure in a band called Family Stone (formerly Phunk Phamily Affair). [19] The band includes Rose Stone and her daughter Lisa Stone among its members. [20] Also in January that year, following Vet's efforts in persuasion, Sly performed for the first time in twenty years. The venue was the House of Blues in Anaheim, California. [21]

In 2014, recordings she did with Little Sister were released on the I’m Just Like You: Sly’s Stone Flower 1969-1970 album, released on Light in the Attic Records. [22]

In 2015, her book Blood is Thicker than the Mud was released. According to Blues Blast magazine, it chronicles her efforts to lead her brother, Sly Stone, back to performing live. [23]

In 2019, she was interviewed by Ace Alan and Jay Stone for the Aced Out podcast, talking about her time with The Heavenly Tones, Sly & the Family Stone and her book. [24]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sly and the Family Stone</span> American funk rock band

Sly and the Family Stone was an American band originating from San Francisco, California. Active from 1966 to 1983, they were pivotal in the development of funk, soul, R&B, rock, and psychedelic music. Their core line-up was led by singer-songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist Sly Stone, and included Stone's brother and singer/guitarist Freddie Stone, sister and singer/keyboardist Rose Stone, trumpeter Cynthia Robinson, drummer Greg Errico, saxophonist Jerry Martini, and bassist Larry Graham. The band was the first major American rock group to have a racially integrated, mixed-gender lineup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sly Stone</span> American musician (born 1943)

Sylvester Stewart, better known by his stage name Sly Stone, is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer who is most famous for his role as frontman for Sly and the Family Stone, playing a critical role in the development of funk with his pioneering fusion of soul, rock, psychedelia and gospel in the 1960s and 1970s. AllMusic stated that "James Brown may have invented funk, but Sly Stone perfected it," and credited him with "creating a series of euphoric yet politically charged records that proved a massive influence on artists of all musical and cultural backgrounds." Crawdaddy! has called him "the founder of progressive soul".

<i>Stand!</i> 1969 studio album by Sly and the Family Stone

Stand! is the fourth album by soul/funk band Sly and the Family Stone, released in April 1969. Written and produced by lead singer and multi-instrumentalist Sly Stone, Stand! is considered an artistic high-point of the band's career. Released by Epic Records, just before the group's celebrated performance at the Woodstock festival, it became the band's most commercially successful album to date. It includes several well-known songs, among them hit singles, such as "Sing a Simple Song", "I Want to Take You Higher", "Stand!", and "Everyday People". The album was reissued in 1990 on compact disc and vinyl, and again in 2007 as a remastered numbered edition digipack CD with bonus tracks and, in the UK, as only a CD with bonus tracks.

<i>Greatest Hits</i> (Sly and the Family Stone album) 1970 greatest hits album by Sly and the Family Stone

Greatest Hits is a compilation album by the American group Sly and the Family Stone. It was first released on November 21, 1970, by Epic Records. The album includes all of the singles from the albums Dance to the Music (1968), Life (1968), and Stand! (1969).

<i>A Whole New Thing</i> (Sly and the Family Stone album) 1967 studio album by Sly and the Family Stone

A Whole New Thing is the debut album by funk/soul band Sly and the Family Stone, released in 1967 on Epic/CBS Records. The album was released to mixed criticism and failed to make an impact from a commercial standpoint and did not chart. CBS Records executive Clive Davis prevailed upon band leader Sly Stone to create a more commercial album; the result was the album Dance to the Music. Unlike later Sly and the Family Stone albums, A Whole New Thing was recorded live in the studio instead of being overdubbed and featured less of a pop feel than later releases such as Dance to the Music and Stand!. The lead vocals are shared between Sly Stone, Freddie Stone, and Larry Graham; Rose Stone would not join the band until they began work on Dance to the Music.

<i>Dance to the Music</i> (Sly and the Family Stone album) 1968 studio album by Sly and the Family Stone

Dance to the Music is the second studio album by funk/soul band Sly and the Family Stone, released in 1968 on Epic/CBS Records. It contains the Top Ten hit single of the same name, which was influential in the formation and popularization of the musical subgenre of psychedelic soul and helped lay the groundwork for the development of funk music.

<i>Life</i> (Sly and the Family Stone album) 1968 studio album by Sly and the Family Stone

Life is the third studio album by funk/soul band Sly and the Family Stone, released in September 1968 on Epic/CBS Records. The album was titled M'Lady in the United Kingdom.

<i>Fresh</i> (Sly and the Family Stone album) 1973 studio album by Sly and the Family Stone

Fresh is the sixth album by American funk band Sly and the Family Stone, released by Epic/CBS Records in June 1973. Written and produced by Sly Stone over two years, Fresh has been described as a lighter and more accessible take on the dense, drum machine-driven sound of its landmark 1971 predecessor There's a Riot Goin' On. It was the band's final album to reach the US Top 10, entering the Billboard Album Chart on June 30, and their last of three consecutive number-one albums on the R&B chart. In 2003, the album was ranked number 186 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

<i>Small Talk</i> (Sly and the Family Stone album) 1974 studio album by Sly and the Family Stone

Small Talk is the seventh album by Sly and the Family Stone, released by Epic/CBS Records in 1974. This album was the final LP to feature the original Family Stone, which broke up in January 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Sister (band)</span> Musical artist

Little Sister was an American all-female vocal harmony group, which served primarily as the background vocalists for the influential rock/funk band Sly and the Family Stone in concert and on record. Originally a gospel music group called The Heavenly Tones, Little Sister was composed of Vet Stewart, Mary McCreary, and Elva Mouton, and became a recording act of its own for a brief period in 1970–1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stand! (song)</span> 1969 single by Sly and the Family Stone

"Stand!" is a 1969 song by the soul/rock/funk band Sly and the Family Stone Issued as a single that year by Epic Records, it reached number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 14 on the Hot Soul Songs charts.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Want to Take You Higher</span>

"I Want to Take You Higher" is a song by the soul/rock/funk band Sly and the Family Stone, the B-side to their Top 30 hit "Stand!". Unlike most of the other tracks on the Stand! album, "I Want to Take You Higher" is not a message song; instead, it is simply dedicated to music and the feeling one gets from music. Like nearly all of Sly & the Family Stone's songs, Sylvester "Sly Stone" Stewart was credited as the sole songwriter.

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<i>Heard Ya Missed Me, Well Im Back</i> 1976 studio album by Sly and the Family Stone

Heard Ya Missed Me, Well I'm Back is the eighth studio album by American funk/soul/rock band Sly and the Family Stone, released by Epic/CBS Records in 1976. This album is an effort to return the idea of the "Family Stone" band to singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Sly Stone's work, after his previous album, High on You, was released without the Family Stone name. It also reflects the beginnings of change in the concept of "Sly and the Family Stone". The original Family Stone had broken up in 1975, and a new Family Stone was assembled for this album: the only holdover is stalwart Family Stone trumpetist Cynthia Robinson. Vet Stone and Elva Mouton, both formerly members of Family Stone backing band Little Sister, are credited as providing "additional background vocals", and John Colla is credited as providing "alto and soprano saxes, vocals". Colla would go on to become a founding member and integral part of "Huey Lewis and The News", both producing and penning such hits as "Heart of Rock & Roll", "Power of Love", and "If This Is It".

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References

  1. ↑ Blues Blast, March 4, 2015 - Blood Is Thicker Than The Mud | Book Review by mark Thompson
  2. ↑ Woodstock FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Fabled Garden by Thomas E. Harkins - Page 171 The Seeds Were Sewn: Everyday People
  3. ↑ Listen to Classic Rock! Exploring a Musical Genre By Melissa Ursula Dawn Goldsmith - 218 Listen to Classic Rock!
  4. ↑ Solutions Now Radio, Published 2011-08-09 (Internet archive) - Sly's LiL Sis, Welcome Vet Stone of Sly & The Family Stone
  5. ↑ mentalitch - Little Sister – “You’re The One”, Introduction to Little Sister
  6. ↑ St. Augustine Record, June 13, 2012 - The Family Stone that plays together stays together - NICK MCGREGOR
  7. ↑ Discogs - The Heavenly Tones – I Love The Lord
  8. ↑ Gospel Music Hall of Fame - 2019 Inductees, Tramaine Hawkins
  9. ↑ Musician Guide - Tramaine Hawkins Biography
  10. ↑ Session Days - 1994 Tramaine Hawkins – To A Higher Place
  11. ↑ Maestro - Mary McCreary, About Mary McCreary
  12. ↑ Blogtalk Radio, 18 Apr 2012 - The Legendary Veta Stone of Sly & The Family Stone
  13. ↑ Sly And The Family Stone – Higher! - Epic / Legacy 88697536652 Page 52 Isle of Wight Festival (UK) August 30, 1970]
  14. ↑ Jazz Music Archives - SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE — SMALL TALK
  15. ↑ Jazz Music Archives - SLY STONE — HIGH ON YOU
  16. ↑ Jazz Music Archives - SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE — HEARD YOU MISSED ME, WELL I'M BACK
  17. ↑ Vanity Fair, July 3, 2007 - FLASHBACK, Sly Stone's Higher Power BY DAVID KAMP B
  18. ↑ Uncut, 22nd July 2007 - Sly And The Family Stone at Lovebox, London By John Mulvey
  19. ↑ Los Angeles Times, January 9, 2007 - Stone is at work but he keeps it on the sly by Jeff Kaliss
  20. ↑ The Los Angeles Times, Jan 9, 2007 - MUSIC, Stone is at work but he keeps it on the sly BY Jeff Kaliss
  21. ↑ Sly And The Family Stone – Higher! - Epic / Legacy 88697536652 Page 83 - January 13, 2007
  22. ↑ Black Grooves, November 3, 2014 - Sly Stone – I’m Just Like You: Sly’s Stone Flower 1969-1970
  23. ↑ Blues Blast, March 4, 2015 - Blood Is Thicker Than The Mud | Book Review by mark Thompson
  24. ↑ Aced Out, January 16, 2019 - Episode 3: Vet Stone
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